Joey Campanaro

Joey Campanaro first discovered his inspiration and determination to dedicate his career to cooking in his Nonna’s Philadelphia kitchen. With his personal culinary approach and sharp skills honed at America’s top restaurants, Campanaro brings a lifelong affinity for Mediterranean cuisine and the heart and soul of his grandmother’s food to every dish he creates. In 2001, Campanaro opened The Harrison in Tribeca, where he earned a two-star review from The New York Times; and in 2006 Campanaro opened his dream restaurant, the West Village gem The Little Owl, one of New York’s most treasured restaurants, in the iconic Friends building.

Campanaro teamed up with his friend Chef Mike Price to form Blackfoot Hospitality, known for its old-school approach to providing genuine hospitality and treating guests like family. Today there are three more West Village charming corner restaurants: Market Table (2007), where warm hospitality and seasonal, modern American cuisine takes center stage, The Clam, (2014), a casual, stylish seafood-centric restaurant and The Mary Lane (2021), adored for its innovative, farm to table veggie-forward cuisine. In 2017 Little Owl -The Townhouse opened nearby as a private event space and culinary showroom.

The most recent addition to the Little Owl family is its new dining room, The Chef’s Room (2024) located just a few steps from the Little Owl restaurant , a sweet and intimate space perfect for both social and corporate events with all of the charm of the original dining room.

Campanaro and his restaurants have been featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Esquire, Travel + Leisure, Today Show, and many more.

In 2020, Campanaro published his first cookbook, Big Love Cooking: 75 Recipes For Satisfying Shareable Comfort Food.