By James Fink
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

Joe Venezia has served as Charlie Sheen's personal chef and worked side-by-side with Wolfgang Puck.

He also was chef at the wedding of Patti Davis, daughter of President Ronald Reagan.

Indeed, during a six-year stint as executive chef at the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles, Venezia served a who's who of Hollywood.

Now he's back in his native Buffalo.

Venezia, 57, was hired by local businessman William Koessler to serve as executive chef of Acqua - formerly Harry's - and to oversee Koessler's Marquis de Lafayette catering operations when the renovated Hotel Lafayette opens in May.

He recently relocated with his family from Los Angeles and is putting his culinary stamp on the menu at Acqua. When it was Harry's, the waterfront restaurant, the menu was heavy with steak and seafood options.

Steaks are still available but Venezia added other items such as amalfi-style zucchini, baked goat cheese wrapped in bacon and a host of dishes  featuring his signature item: homemade pasta.

It was one of the courses he studied while training at the exclusive School of Classic Italian Cooking in Bologna, Italy.

"Harry's had this history of serving a lot of steak and seafood," Venezia said. "I came here with the idea to change that perception."

That's exactly what Koessler said he was looking for when he recruited Venezia back to Buffalo.

"I've got a chef who can do anything," he said. "I'm giving him free reign."

For his part, Venezia said he is glad to return home. He graduated from Kenmore East High School in 1972.

"My family has been after me for years to do this," he said.

Why now? The timing was right, and he was impressed with Koessler's vision for Acqua and catering operations for the Lafayette's three main ballrooms.