At SPQR, executive chef Matthew Accarrino's menu reflects his personal culinary philosophy of composing dishes using the freshest local and seasonal ingredients. Accarrino's creative and technique-driven approach seeks to showcase these ingredients and let them stand out. Within the casual and comfortable environment of SPQR, he creates modern Italian cuisine inspired by the country's rich culinary traditions.

Like countless other young chefs, Accarrino paid his dues washing dishes, prepping ingredients and pitching in around kitchens at various local restaurants in his native New Jersey. From those modest beginnings, he built a career based on the premise that chefs never stop learning.

In 1998, Accarrino graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Shortly after finishing college, Accarrino traveled to Labico, Italy, a rural town nearby Rome. During his time at the Michelin-rated Antonello Colonna restaurant, he was able to visit farms and forage for the restaurant's ingredients on a daily basis. This experience allowed him to develop an appreciation for seasonal, locally farmed food.

Upon his return to the U.S., Accarrino worked at Charlie Palmer's Metrazur, Todd English's Olives New York, and Rick Moonen's Oceana before opening Moonen's Restaurant RM as chef de cuisine. After two years, Accarrino was recruited in 2004 as opening sous chef at Thomas Keller's Per Se, one of New York City's most critically acclaimed restaurants. Under Keller, Accarrino was exposed to his philosophy of finesse and the art of execution, upon which his technique-driven cooking is based, and considers the chef one of his greatest influences.

In December 2005, Accarrino landed an interview with chef/restaurateur Tom Colicchio after writing him a letter expressing his respect for the chef's bold approach to dining. A meeting shortly thereafter led to positions at New York City's Craft, Craftsteak, Craftbar and, most recently, as chef de cuisine at Craft Los Angeles.

At SPQR, Accarrino's menu features local ingredients with an Italian sensibility. He strives to improve his technique and perfect his execution, utilizing his strong drive, refined palate, and point of view to artfully create soulful dishes that have come to mark his culinary identity.