Ryan Delesandro

Executive Chef

Ryan Delesandro, Executive Chef of Nava, is passionate about cooking. As a child in an Italian family that shared his passion, Delesandro didn’t consider a career in cooking until much later in life. He was talented in sports and even traveled with the Junior Olympic Team in 1996 for Baseball. Delesandro took a break from baseball in college and moved back home. He took a position with a local restaurant as a server. There his management encouraged him to try his hand in the kitchen.

Delesandro worked with a number of other prestigious restaurants. He spent a year working as a line cook under Chef Paul Albrecht at Chef Paul’s in Panama City Beach, FL. He was deeply inspired by Chef Albrecht and decided to pursue a higher education in the culinary arts. While earning his Associates Degree from Johnson & Wales, Delesandro dabbled in Low Country Cuisine in Charleston, SC under Executive Chef Frank Lee at Slightly North of Broad and with catering and banquettes at Wild Dunes Isle of Palms in South Carolina. From then on as opportunities presented themselves for him to learn new and different cuisines, Delesandro jumped at the chance. In 2003, with a move to South Florida, Delesandro invited the possibility to master the unusual meals of Latin and Caribbean cuisine. As the Executive Sous Chef at Chef Allen’s in Aventura, FL working under Executive Chef Allen Susser, Delesandro stayed in South Florida for 2 years while finishing his Bachelors of Arts degree in Culinary Arts before moving to Atlanta.

Delesandro joined the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in Atlanta in 2005 as Chef de Cuisine at Nava, an up and coming Southwestern concept. For nearly two years Delesandro learned the intricacies of Mexican meals and developed a flare for combining unusual ingredients that give Nava’s specials a exceptional depth of flavor.

Then for two years Delesandro worked with Executive Chef Doug Turbush of Bluepointe, the restaurant group’s Asian-influenced Continental concept. Again, he found a great teacher and enjoyed experimenting with a new set of spices and cooking methods that are related to Asian-fusion cooking.

In 2009 Delesandro rejoined the kitchen at Nava as the new Executive Chef, this time using his knowledge and experience to teach his chefs about the intricacies of Southwestern flavor profiles and cooking techniques.

Delesandro thrives on the challenging and sometimes stressful environment of a kitchen. The camaraderie is unbeatable, whether it is between the front or back of house, Delesandro loves the teamwork aspect that harkens back to his days in sports. The variety of cuisines in his background is intentional. Delesandro, who admits his favorite food is probably something he hasn’t tried yet, is always looking for a way to expand his repertoire and experiment with new foods.

Delesandro resides in Alpharetta. In his limited free time he enjoys, spending time with his two dogs Brock and Bam, eating out to gather new ideas for his own cooking, attending sporting events, traveling and practicing his favorite hobby, mixed martial arts.