Show Notes
Matthew Cutolo is the Executive Pastry Chef and third-generation chef at Gargiulo's Restaurant, a Coney Island institution since 1907. He helps oversee both front and back of house, preserving rare Italian-American dishes seldom found elsewhere. A sought-after culinary voice, Cutolo has been featured on the Today Show, CBS's The Dish, The New York Times, NBC New York, PIX11, and Fox's Good Day NY. Beyond the kitchen, he creates content championing classic Italian traditions and is now building his own digital platform dedicated to his culinary philosophy, signature recipes, and entrepreneurial ventures, establishing himself as a culinary entrepreneur for the next generation of food lovers.
Chef Matthew Cutolo was halfway through an accounting degree when his uncle called and asked one question — you coming to work when you're done? That was it. No speech, no pitch. He's been in the kitchen at Gargiulo's ever since, third generation now, running a Coney Island restaurant his family's had since 1965 in a building that's been slinging Italian food since 1907. A hundred and nineteen years in one spot.
I've had guys work under me for years before I'd actually show them anything real — call it selfish, call it survival, but you learn fast who wants to be great and who just wants the paycheck. Matthew's version of that is a guy named Mike the Bake, forty years as Gargiulo's pastry chef, the only man alive who ever had the cannoli recipe. He didn't just hand it to Matthew. Months of watching, no bowl, no measuring, nothing written down — and there's a theory on why Mike kept walking away mid-recipe for years that's got nothing to do with baking. It's about figuring out who's serious and who's just talking.
Socials Website Instagram @Matthewcutolo
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CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS Timestamps pulled from raw transcript paragraph-start markers — confirm exact in/out points against the edited cut before publishing. 00:00 — Cold open: a family business, a phone call, and the third generation who said yes 01:25 — Mike the Bake — the pastry chef who trained Matthew for over 40 years 06:28 — Was disappearing mid-recipe actually a test of whether Matthew really wanted it 08:57 — The pressure of running solo, and why no two written versions of the same recipe matched 12:16 — The phone call from Uncle Louie that pulled him out of an accounting degree 16:23 — Working with family — who wins the argument when the food's on the line 17:50 — Staying true to tradition while everyone else chases what's viral 20:28 — From an internship on The Chew to his first solo TV hit 27:22 — Jarring the sauce, shipping nationwide, and the real math on freight cost 29:17 — The Gargiulo wine on the way, and why he keeps building past the restaurant
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