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Joe Labombarda
Executive Chef, Longwood Gardens
Joe Labombarda grew up in New Jersey, spending his summers in Italy on his family's farm. With fresh almonds, figs, olives, tomatoes and plums in his backyard, and local seafood, cheeses and cured meats, it was impossible not to fall in love with food.
Interest in the food business hit Chef Labombarda when he was 15 years old, watching cooking shows by Julia Child, Jacques Pepin and Martin Yan. He took his first restaurant position at a local pizzeria as a dishwasher, partaking in all the jobs along the way to pizza maker, and then left to work in a small local restaurant learning the ropes. After high school, he attended Baltimore International Culinary College, spending one semester in Ireland under the tutelage of the president of the Irish Culinary Olympic Team. There he advanced his techniques, learning French influences with the emphasis on the freshest ingredients and developed his own personal style.
After graduating, Chef Labombarda went to work for the Hilton Hotels Corporation, with stints at the AAA-rated Five Diamond Hilton Short Hills, NJ and the Four Diamond Hilton Rye Town in Rye Brook, NY. Chef Labombarda then went on to be the chef at Norma's at Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City and the New York Times three star-rated Restaurant Serenade in Chatham, NJ.
In December 2000, Chef Labombarda joined Restaurant Associates starting as a sous chef at UBS managing a staff of 25 for the corporate cafe and catering. Over the next seven years he worked as Executive Chef at Ernst & Young, Lehman Brothers and then the American Museum of Natural History with four cafes and a high-profile catering venue.
With the renovation of 1906 and the Terrace Restaurant Cafe, Restaurant Associates asked Chef Labombarda to head up the new culinary operations at Longwood Gardens. Focusing on local foods and traditions, Chef Labombarda has taken his love for fresh ingredients and his training at award-winning restaurants to Longwood's kitchen.
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