Ori Menashe

Restaurant: Bestia (Read a review)
Location: Los Angeles
Why He's Amazing: Because he's a meat virtuoso: Bestia's menu offers more than 60 forms of sensational house-made charcuterie, in addition to impeccable pastas and pizza.
Culinary School: Self-taught
background: Angelini Osteria, All'Angelo, Pizzeria Mozza, La Terza (/sites/default/files/os Angeles)
Quintessential Dish: Cavatelli alla Norcina: ricotta dumplings with house-made pork sausage, black truffles and Grana Padano
Where He Grew Up: He was born in Los Angeles and moved to Israel at age seven.
Early Food Memories: Eating at the restaurants of Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse on family trips to France even before he was 10 years old. And the school lunches his father used to pack for him in elementary school: pita with smoked salmon and, occasionally, caviar.
Most Recent Interest: British food. "They use a lot of the cheaper parts of the animal. People are not afraid to try those things, like blood sausage and all the liver."