A native of Minneapolis, executive chef Chris Nye at Falls Church’s Pizzeria Orso is not the least bit Italian. So how can he produce such dream-about pizzas and luscious Italian meals? For starters, he grew up in a family in which good eating and home-cooked meals were standard. Nye, along with his brother and mother, was responsible for the elaborate meals the family would enjoy together, thus giving him his first experiences in a kitchen. “My mom always insisted we would be at home for dinner,” he said. “This was to be with the family because food was the centerpiece for the family.” In addition, Nye’s mom, prepared good, healthful, traditional Jewish food, he says, and she always insisted that her family clean their plates.

During his teens, Nye would take any food-related job he could find, beginning restaurant work at the age of 16. He’s apparently done it all, from scooping ice cream to managing a small restaurant. Deciding to attend the Culinary Arts program at Minneapolis Community College, Nye took part-time work with friend and mentor, Jonathan Hunt, to open the restaurant Al Vento. It would seem that that work formed the basis for his now all-Italian passion: “It offered pizza [on the menu], and I am passionate about pizza and Italian food,” he said. “I really love pizza and it was a great platform to learn the ingredients for Neapolitan pizza.”