• Nelli Maltezos, the new chef de cuisine at Robert’s Pizza in Chicago, started showcasing her creativity in the kitchen over the summer.
• Maltezos opened Rociada, a French country bistro, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1999 and reconceptualized it twice—as Trattoria Nostrani and as Vivre.

Renowned chef Nelli Maltezos has joined the team at Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. as chef de cuisine, bringing an abundance of talent and creativity to the kitchen.

“We’re very excited to officially announce Nelli’s welcome,” said Robert Garvey, owner of Robert’s Pizza. “We’ve been working together in the kitchen since earlier this summer, and the passion and creativity she has is truly remarkable.”

Maltezos served as executive chef for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises for nearly a decade, most recently with Mon Ami Gabi. Her career began in the early 1990s as a volunteer in Charlie Trotter’s kitchen, an experience that forged her into the restaurateur she is today.

Related: Meet Giuliana Calascibetta, the Pizza Princess of Twitch

In 1999, Maltezos opened Rociada, a French country bistro in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the following 14 years, she would reconceptualize the restaurant two more times as Trattoria Nostrani, serving northern Italian fare, and Vivre, a contemporary French restaurant.

Maltezos joined the Robert’s Pizza family over the summer and immediately began to showcase her creativity in the kitchen with menu items incorporating seasonal ingredients from peaches to softshell crabs. As chef de cuisine, she works closely with Garvey on menu development, especially seasonal specials, as well as overseeing all aspects of the kitchen.

“I am really enjoying being part of the team—especially the support and encouragement from Robert and [co-owner] Dana [Garvey] to explore different cuisines on the pizza,” Maltezos said.

Guests can expect to see Chef Nelli’s work through the new fall menu items available now, including:

• Mortadella Pizza ($29): a cream-based pizza with mortadella, fresh mozzarella, roasted radicchio, candied and salted pistachios, and Italian ricotta
• Speck Pizza ($29): a cream-based pizza with speck, fresh mozzarella, roasted radicchio, candied and salted walnuts, and Italian ricotta
• The Rita ($26): a classic “Margherita” style pizza with imported Italian buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce, and fresh basil (affectionately named after Robert Garvey’s mom)
• Marinated Beet Salad ($16): salt-roasted beets with stracciatella, baby kale, pumpkin seeds, and Parmesan vinaigrette
• BLT Sandwich ($16): applewood smoked bacon, shredded iceberg lettuce, oven-roasted tomatoes, and a house aioli spread on Robert’s fresh-baked bread made in-house
• Pappardelle ($21): spinach pappardelle with a wild mushroom sauce and grade Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Tiramisu ($12): a traditional Italian dessert with mascarpone cream, espresso-soaked ladyfingers and chocolate curls

Along with the delicious fall menu items created by Chef Nelli, Robert’s will also be offering fall drink specials, including:

GLORIA Mezcal Negroni ($14): mezcal, Campari, sweet vermouth, and Liquor 43 with an orange peel garnish

Hello Pumpkin Sour ($14): pisco, lime, egg white, and pumpkin syrup

Autumn Rush ($14): whiskey, sweet vermouth, guava syrup, ginger syrup, and lime with a dehydrated lime garnish

Rum Away With Me ($14): rum, orange juice, lime, strawberry, and mango with a Tajin-covered orange wedge garnish

Fall Breeze ($14): Mezcal, lime, apple syrup, and grapefruit juice with a dehydrated apple garnish