Our Story
In the mid-1980’s, Mike Gordon received a birthday gift that would change the trajectory of his life. It was a day spent with the legendary Wolfgang Puck who taught Mike how to eye the finest, freshest ingredients at the farmers market, and how to use them to take recipes to the next level. The experience proved to be the impetus for Mike, his wife, Kathie, and their dear friend, Doc Severinsen to open Toscana… the oldest child in this family of restaurants, located on a corner in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Toscana Restaurant Group TRG Mike Kathie Gordon
Building a family takes commitment. It takes nurturing, faith, hard work, and above all, love. While members of a family may have different tastes and personalities, they’ll always share a common bond. The same can be said for our family of restaurants known as the Toscana Restaurant Group.
Our Team
KATHIE & MIKE GORDON
Co-Founders, Toscana Restaurant Group
Theirs is a love affair… one steeped in good food, phenomenal wines, and all things Tuscan. Mike Gordon comes by his passion for food honestly. His father, Bobby, simply loved to eat and Mike inherited the gene. But being seasoned restaurant diners wasn’t enough for Mike and Kathie Gordon. They wanted to open their own restaurant which would feature the tastes and feel of a land they loved.
Armed with a notepad and camera, they took off for Tuscany, rented a villa in Greve in Chianti, and immersed themselves in the foods, wines, and traditions of the Tuscan region.
Upon returning home to LA, Mike summoned the skills and connections he honed as an entertainment industry business manager, while Kathie, an award-winning writer and skilled landscape designer, called on the stamina she gained as a marathon runner to lay down the groundwork necessary to bring their dream to fruition. In 1989, Toscana opened on a corner in Brentwood where a pharmacy once stood… and its legacy grew.
ANDY & CARLO BRANDON-GORDON
Co-Founders, Nerano
In 2013, Andy and Carlo Brandon-Gordon stumbled onto the little town of Nerano while on their honeymoon. They stumbled because that’s what many people do when in Italy. Even those with the best laid plans can be lured by the sound of laughter and live music, the smell of spectacular food wafting through the air, the insider, hushed recommendations by locals. They stumbled and fell in love with the town, the people, the way of life, and especially, the food!
Much of the honeymoon was spent indulging in the fresh, simple, yet spectacularly prepared fish and pasta dishes. When all was said and done, the couple decided they wanted to share what they had experienced and introduce Los Angelenos to the foods of the Amalfi Coast. So Andy, who retired from Goldman Sachs after 35-years with the company and is now a partner at RedBird Capital, and Carlo, a former attorney, model, and current CEO of a gourmet natural foods company, West Coast Naturals, opened Nerano in an 85-year old brick building which once housed a hair salon.
Andy and Carlo continue to make annual pilgrimages to the Amalfi Coast where they visit old friends and discover new flavors to bring home to Nerano.
LUCA CRESTANELLI
Executive Chef and Owner/Partner S.Y. Kitchen and Nella Kitchen & Bar
Chef Luca Crestanelli was born and raised in Verona, Italy where he received his Gastronomy and Culinary Arts degree. In 2002, California became home. Chef Luca began working under the tutelage of renowned Chef Nicola Mastronardi at Vincenti in Brentwood, California, then as a private chef where he traveled extensively, exposing himself to a variety of culinary cultures.
In 2010, Luca was invited by the Gordon family to become Executive Chef, and launch their new Bar Toscana, an impossibly chic bar located next door to their legendary trattoria, Toscana.
Several years later, Crestanelli learned of an old farmhouse/restaurant that had become available in downtown Santa Ynez. He had always envisioned himself creating a rustic restaurant, sourcing his products from local fisherman, ranchers, farmers and vintners, and infusing his Italian style with a rural sensibility. Chef Luca pitched the idea to Toscana owners Mike and Kathie Gordon. Already residents of Santa Ynez, they embraced the idea and partnered with him to create S.Y. Kitchen in 2013.
In the fall of 2020, Crestanelli and his team opened Nella Kitchen & Bar in the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos. Again, the meticulously curated menu keeps true to Luca’s personal style of creating fresh, authentic local cuisine.
MIGUEL MARTINEZ
Executive Chef, Toscana
He says his favorite dish on the Toscana menu is the Tagliatelle Bolognese, just one of the traditional Tuscan recipes Executive Chef Miguel Martinez has mastered, honored, and enhanced with his exquisite touch. As a young boy growing up in Mexico, Miguel dreamed of being a pastry chef. That dream is now a reality and only a fraction of what he does as Toscana’s Executive Chef and a beloved member of this family since 1999.
Miguel first knocked on our door at the turn of the century. He was the only member of his family to come to the United States and Toscana was the first stop he made. With no prior restaurant experience, he began as a dish washer and worked his way up the ranks.
With a keen eye for quality and an impeccable sense of what foods work best together, Miguel takes great pride in all he makes, but by far he is most proud of his family which includes his wife Geysy and their three children, Ethan, Catherine, and Emily.
MICHELE LISI
Executive Chef, Nerano
Michele grew up in Locorotondo, a small town in Puglia, located in southern Italy. Michele’s mother was a talented home cook and a supportive influence. She encouraged his help preparing the family meals while his visiting cousin regaled him with stories of traveling the world. Dreaming of adventure, he enrolled in a course taught by a high-level Cavalier Chef at thirteen. By 2002 he held three degrees in the hospitality profession –Advanced Culinary Diploma, Beverage Manager Diploma, and Cook as well as Receptionist and Waiter Qualification – from the Istituto Professionale di Stato Castellana Grotte, Italy. He worked at entry-level restaurant jobs as a prep cook, and slowly climbed his way up through the ranks.
He arrived in Los Angeles in 2005 and found a job at Vincenti in Brentwood, led by the highly respected Chef Nicola Mastronardi and owner Maureen Vincenti. Later he worked as a private chef, traveling from Santa Barbara to Florence, to Sardinia and back, cooking for an international list of world leaders, royalty, and celebrities.
In 2016 he was recruited to lead the kitchen of Nerano in Beverly Hills, a new restaurant by the Toscana Restaurant Group. He continues to oversee the menu at Nerano. In both rooms, Michele’s menu showcases perfectly and simply prepared modern Italian dishes. Every plate features Southern California’s rich range of local organic produce, seafood, and meats.
JUSTINO QUIRINO
Executive Chef, Bar Toscana
It takes courage and a whole lot of conviction behind your dreams to leave home at the age of 18 and move to another country. That’s exactly what Bar Toscana’s Executive Chef Justino Quirino did when he broke it to his parents that he was leaving Oaxaca, Mexico and heading to Los Angeles. In the two decades since he’s been here, Justino has been a sponge, absorbing cooking techniques from his mentor, former Toscana Executive Chef Piero Toputto, Maurizio Mazzon of Il Fornaio, and our own Luca Crestanelli, partner, owner and Executive Chef at S.Y. Kitchen and Nella Kitchen & Bar. A lot has happened in his twenty years in the States. Justino went from being a dish washer at Toscana at the turn of the century, to now being the Executive Chef for Toscana’s sister restaurant, Bar Toscana. Along the way, he met and married his wife and had two children. Tradition is important to Justino, so is patience, dedication, and presentation. It is evident in every item on the menu. His creations are born of a love and respect for Italian cuisine, infused with a modern twist.
ROBERTO “ROBY” FACCIOLLA
Partner / General Manager,
Toscana & Bar Toscana
Born in Bari, Italy, Roberto Facciolla grew up in the small southern town Gravina di Puglia. As a young boy he worked in la campagnia (the countryside) on his family farm, picking olives and harvesting grapes from their family vineyard to produce olive oil and wine. From his exceptional palette, a passion for wine was born. It quickly earned him a Sommelier D’Italia Degree certified with the IACCW. He went on to earn his Degree in Hospitality at Benedetto XIII, Puglia, Italy. Today, Roberto is well known in the Los Angeles community as one of the most knowledgeable in his field.
Roberto has been an integral and treasured part of the Toscana family for more than 20-years. When he is not overseeing the continuous goings on at the restaurant, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Michelle, and their two young sons.
DEBBIE LESIZZA
General Manager / Event Coordinator, Nerano
Growing up in Brescia, Italy, just an hour away from Milan and Verona, Debbie Lesizza studied art and worked in advertising and communications. In 2009, she boarded a plane which landed her in California where she began working in the restaurant industry. Debbie is a member of the original team which opened Nerano in November of 2016. In addition to working as the General Manager of Nerano, she is the Event Coordinator for the restaurant, handling on and off-site catering requests, as well as private parties. Debbie has a keen eye for detail and is drawn to art. Among her other passions are travel, fashion, a good dirty martini made the James Bond way, and the LA Lakers!
LISA KOZEL
Chief Financial Officer, TRG
Lisa was lured to Los Angeles in 2015 by Mike and Kathie and was originally assigned to oversee bills and assist Mike with management. An intuitive learner with great determination and drive, Lisa quickly demonstrated a finesse for understanding the nuances of the restaurant and the hospitality industry. She earned her role as Chief Financial Officer for the Toscana Restaurant Group. As CFO, Lisa is responsible for guiding and directing the financial operations of Toscana, Bar Toscana, Nerano, S.Y. Kitchen, and newly opened Nella Kitchen & Bar.
Both Lisa and her daughter, Kaitlyn, are graduates of the University of Nebraska, and Lisa enjoys visits back to her hometown of Omaha, as well as exploring new places to indulge her newfound interest and love of food and wine. Now, with the Pacific Ocean just a quick jog from her front door in Brentwood, Lisa continues her enjoyment of running and marathon training without the threat of snow and freezing temperatures.
JANINE SHARELL
Director of Marketing, TRG
During her senior year in college, Janine Sharell studied abroad in Rome. Her mother’s family hails from Calabria and Messina, Italy and Janine longed to see the country where so many of her family traditions are rooted. She fell wildly in love with la bella vita.
After graduating from USC, Janine embarked on a 25-year career in news and television, first as a CNN Correspondent, then as a TV producer for a myriad of shows, including Fashion Police with Joan Rivers.
A 2014 trip to Tuscany proved to be an unexpected turning point for Janine. While on vacation, she fell hard for her beautiful hotel, Monteverdi Tuscany, and was invited to join the staff as the Director of Media Affairs a few years after her initial visit.
Her love of all things Tuscan (and incredible, authentic food) led her to Toscana many years ago. A frequent and devoted guest of the restaurant, Janine was thrilled to join the staff in the summer of 2020 as the Director of Marketing.
Of all the things she has produced and created, she is most proud of her two children with whom she resides in a Los Angeles suburb.
“This concept of ‘farm to table’ is too obvious for me. Of course, we’re surrounded by all of these fresh, local ingredients. Why wouldn’t we go directly from the field to the kitchen? There is no other way of preparing brightly flavored, fresh food. I believe it’s my purpose in life.”
— Chef Luca Crestanelli
Owner/Partner S.Y. Kitchen and Nella Kitchen & Bar