Chef Joe Gannascoli Cookin’ Up Seafood

You might know Joe Gannascoli as “Vito Spatafore Sr.” on HBO’s “The Sopranos”, butwhat you might not know is that he’s also an excellent chef, food enthusiast and has owned several restaurants that always serve up one of his favorite foods: Seafood.

After a stint of chef’ing in Manhattan, LA, and New Orleans, Joe opened a restaurant in Bay Ridge (Brooklyn, NY) called ‘101 Seafood’. It was there that he combined his Italian roots with seafood to create one of his signature dishes, Linguine with Crab Sauce.

“Crab sauce is like the Cadillac of sauces,” he said. “And I’m a big sauce guy. I love having four to five sauces for dipping.”

Joe strives to create unique flavors in his sauces, creating spins on classics. And even whipping up non-traditional dishes on occasion, like the mussels he made this past Christmas Eve — drenched in a lime, coconut milk, and cilantro sauce,

When Joe’s not cooking up his own seafood creations, he likes to go to Vincent’s Clam Bar in Long Island, NY. They serve a salmon “just kissed by the grill” in a mild marinade.

But don’t expect to see Joe out catching his salmon anytime soon. “I’m not a big fisherman. I’ve gone once or twice, but fly fishing is what I really love to do,” he said.

If you’re in the mood to do your crab up just right, check out Joe’s favorite recipe for Linguine with Crab Sauce »