My name is Raffaele Volpe, and I’m originally from Salerno, Italy. In 2015, during a trip to New York, I was instantly captivated by the city’s energy and one-of-a-kind charm. Just two months later I decided to move here for good and I’ve been on this journey for nearly ten years.

I’ve loved cooking and pizza since I was a kid, but my professional path in hospitality truly began in New York. Back in Italy I worked on my family’s farm, an experience that taught me to value honest products and the highest-quality ingredients.

Today I work at San Matteo, a pizzeria in the heart of the Upper East Side, where our team carries on the tradition of Italian cooking and true Neapolitan pizza, using authentic, top-tier ingredients. My role is to make sure every pie meets our standards of excellence while continually sourcing and discovering new products, especially those connected to our home region.

For me, every pizza is where my roots meet the present: a way to unite Italian tradition with the cosmopolitan energy of New York.