Chef Salvatore Gisellu
World Master Chef Salvatore Gisellu graduated with the highest distinction from Entre Sardo Formasione Professionale in his native Sardina, Italy.
For five years, Chef Salvatore worked at Villaggio Palmasera Resort in Sardinia. In 1991, Chef Salvatore moved to Texas to help open Arcodoro/Pomodoro Ristorante Italiani in Dallas and Houston as Executive Chef. Later, Chef Salvatore created gourmet cuisine at Ferrari’s, Coco Pazzo and other Dallas foodie favorites.
By the age of 21, Salvatore already knew he wanted to move to Dallas, where J.R. Ewing lived, and open his own restaurant. That dream was fulfilled in 2002, when after serving as Chef de Cuisine at Daddy Jack’s Wood Grill in Deep Ellum, "Chef Tore" bought the place. Daddy Jack’s was later voted “Best Neighborhood Restaurant” by D Magazine and received Four Stars from Zagat.
Chef Salvatore's food has earned countless honors and awards including the Texas Chefs Association’s “Best Dish of the Southwest” and Dallas Observer’s “Best Italian Restaurant.” In 1998, he was accepted into the Epicurean World Master Chefs Society, which is an international organization of recognized elite chefs.
Since 2009, Chef Salvatore has been Executive Chef and Partner of Urban Crust in Plano. He is the man behind those fabulous crusts, but in addition to wood-fired gourmet pizza, this chef-driven restaurant serves his exquisite Italian creations like Linguine ai Gamberi, Pasta Al Forno, and Pappardelle Alla Bolognese. Chef Tore also employs that wood fire oven to masterfully grill stuffed chicken breasts and 16 ounce Angus Rib-eye steaks. The salads, well, as the shamelessly over-used saying goes, the salads are to die for!
When not at the restaurant or tending to “Lunga Vista, his own vineyard, Chef Tore spends his free time with his wife Jeanne-Marie and their two children.
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Urban Family Restaurants
After building a wood-fired oven in their home, Bonnie and Nathan Shea began their vision of a fun, wood-fired pizza concept that the east side of Plano could enjoy. In 2009, Bonnie and Nathan partnered with Salvatore Gisellu and his wife, Jeanne-Marie, to open Urban Crust Wood-Fired Pizza and 32 Degrees Rooftop Bar. The umbrella they formed over Urban Crust and Urban Rio is Urban Family Restaurants.
General Manager for the Urban Family group of restaurants is Michael Lee. Michael is a US Air Force veteran from Mt. Vernon, Texas who is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Speaking of family, Rachel Lee serves the restaurant group as Marketing and Event Manager.
