Originally from Sicily, Chef Accursio Lota first entered the culinary spotlight when at age 18 he was chosen to represent his school at a national culinary competition. Accursio moved to California when he was 22 to work at the Biltmore Four Seasons in Santa Barbara, where at one point he catered a fundraiser for then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama at Oprah Winfrey's home. The first restaurant Accursio cooked at in San Diego was at The Marine Room in La Jolla Shores. In 2012, Accursio and his wife started an underground fine dining restaurant club called Limone, where they designed pop-up events with themes related to the seasons. In November 2012, Accursio became the Executive Chef at Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station, where he received numerous awards and accolades during his tenure, including winning the 6th edition of the Barilla Pasta World Championship in 2017 and honored with the prestigious Three Gamberi acknowledgement from Gambero Rosso - Italy’s top food & wine rating group that is frequently compared to the Michelin Star system. In December 2019, Chef Accursio opened Cori Pastificio - a Sicilian-style Italian restaurant & pasta shop in North Park with a menu centered around fresh made pasta and Italian comfort foods. This weekend, Gambero Rossi announced that Cori Pastificio was the 2020 New Opening of the Year.
"Ownership and independence are the ultimate goal for every chef," wrote Gamberi Rosso in its announcement. "Accursio Lota, Sicilian, had a brilliant career in California, first as a chef at Solare restaurant and then he opened Pastificio last January. The place makes use of his wealth of experience. The menu ranges from arancini to perfectly stuffed pastas, plus classics like parmigiana. All paired to a lean wine list, with small producers and many gastronomic wines offered at extremely fair prices. Accursio put his heart into it, 'u cori' in Sicilian dialect, and it is palpable indeed."
"We are proud to be chosen as best opening of the year in the world for the Gambero Rosso guide, and to bring this prestigious award to San Diego," commented Chef Accursio Lota, owner and Executive Chef of San Diego's Cori Pastificio. "When I was young, and I was studying and aspiring to be a chef at culinary school, I was always reading the Gambero Rosso (the Italian Equivalent of the Michelin Star Guide), where all the culinary trends, culinary genius, magnificent food artisan, sapient wine making were published. Today it is an honor for me and my new restaurant to be part of the guide. Thanks to all of you, who have supported us during this this journey! We have been always committed to a great and transparent cuisine and genuine service. We are excited and have lots of energy to start a great 2021."
