About The Chef
Master Chef Attilio Marini
Attilio, The Cast Iron Chef, has spent 24 years honing his culinary talents. In addition to creating new menu items, Attilio brings his passion for the American traditional menu of steaks. His specialty, the “Porterhouse for 2” with its delectable aroma permeating throughout the dining room, is a fan favorite. He brings consistency and excellence to every meal served.
If you want to watch a chef prepare a sizzling steak in a cast iron skillet, visit us at The Cast Iron Chop House in New Haven, CT.
You will witness chef Attilio Marini cook sizzling cuts of meat in a steaming skillet, creating his signature crusty on the outside, tender on the inside.
Attilio’s signature dish is the 4-pound powerhouse porterhouse for two. He slices the meat from the bone then places it in a sizzling skillet along with potatoes, butter and roasted garlic.
“I don’t like the taste of charbroiled meat,” he said of his unique cooking style. “I knew there had to be a better way to make a steak.”
The skillet style of making steak is actually “an old way of cooking with a new twist,” according to Attilio. Cast iron cooking requires very hot ovens and stove tops. At The Cast Iron Chop House the steak dishes are delivered in the sizzling skillet to the patron’s table. The entire dining room is filled with the tastebud-exploding aroma.
Ansonia resident Tom Purcell, who frequents the restaurant, enjoys the process. “It’s incredible the way they cut it,” he said. “When it arrives, you admire it for a bit before digging in. And the caramelized garlic, wow.” Recently he ordered a 2-pound ribeye steak with the bone in presented in cast iron.
A wedding customer at The Cast Iron Chop House recently displayed two powerhouse porterhouses on each table for guests to photograph. “The presentation was amazing,” said the bride’s mother, Roberta Jurik. “It’s one of the best steaks in my life, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve had steak at the best places in Manhattan. Every bite of Attilio’s steak is delicious.”