Chef Amado Casanova

Amado is a product of a culinary culture shaped by a strong commitment to local, seasonal, and organic produce. Born in Madison, WI and raised in San Antonio, Amado was drawn to the culinary world by his parents. His culinary career eventually brought him to Madison, where he worked and ran a few of Madison’s most iconic kitchens. Most recently, Amado was the Executive Chef at Belfrē Kitchen’s where there was a strong commitment to using the finest ingredients while creating contemporary American cuisine. Prior Amado was the chef de cuisine at Otto’s Restaurant on the west end of Madison, where he enriched his interest in Mediterranean style cuisine. In 2015, he opened and served as the executive chef for a modern, Japanese izakaya style restaurant called Tavernakaya. Prior to Tavernakaya, Amado was the executive chef of one of Madison’s finest farm-to-table restaurants, Harvest, where he sourced most of his produce and a majority of the proteins from the local farmer’s markets. Amado’s current venture is the Executive Chef of a premier private hunting ranch in south Texas where he gets to work with wild game on a daily basis.