Chef Joe DiMaio has been preparing for his position as the new head chef at Stars for his whole life. From the age of 5, DiMaio loved being in the kitchen exploring and growing his appreciation for food, and since then his appetite for learning new food and cooking styles has never dwindled. After graduating from the Art Institute of Charleston, his love of cooking led him to attain a line chef position at the Ocean Room at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island. While there, he worked with and learned from renowned chefs like Charlie Trotter, Patrick O’Connell, Sean Brock, Mike Lata, Craig Deihl, Ken Vedrinski and Norman Van Aiken. He then held a position as Sous Chef at Mercato before joining us at Stars Rooftop & Grill Room.
Joe is known for innovation in the kitchen, and he can always be found studying menus, reading books, and working directly with local suppliers to develop new ideas. He’s an expert on the different growing seasons of the Carolinas, knowing which produce is in season at what time and how best to cut and use fresh meat and fish, allowing Stars to offer the best prepared, locally sourced menu selections around. In addition to his vast knowledge about fresh meat and produce, he’s also an expert in pastry making! He’s considered one of the best young chefs in the country and is known for helping to start the “Carolina Cuisine” movement that is currently sweeping the Southeast.
Chef Joe has received several culinary competition awards, including a silver medal in ACF’s Charleston competition and a silver medal in the ACF USA Culinary Cup, but at Stars we’ve always known Joe Dimaio possesses rare culinary talent. He’s been a part of Stars since before we opened in 2012, and he’s been a big part of making Stars the fine dining destination it has become. We’re proud to name him our new Head Chef, and we cannot wait to see where he takes us in 2014!
