By Nicole Di Tomasso
Born and raised in Canada of Italian heritage, Laura Petracca’s home life and family relationships have always been centered around sharing a meal. It wasn’t long before she knew she wanted to pursue a career in the restaurant industry.
“Food equals family to me,” says Petracca. “My family always based our gatherings around a delicious meal that we would eat in harmony.”
After graduating from Humber College’s Culinary Arts Program, she catapulted into the industry full force and began her professional journey at Chiado in Toronto. From there, Petracca spent time at The Founder’s Club and Oliver & Bonacini’s Jump Restaurant, but food turned out to be only one of her true loves.
At 29, Petracca moved to New York City as a professional drummer and toured internationally for 10 years with her band, Hunter Valentine, which appeared on two U.S.-based reality-television series. During this time, she continued to hone her skills in the kitchen.
“I travelled the world playing music, but maintained a role in the kitchen to keep my skills sharp,” says Petracca. “I also worked at a seafood restaurant to learn more about the importance of sourcing and quality.”
In 2016, Petracca returned to Toronto to work at Leña as sous chef under chef Julie Marteleira. Within the year, she was promoted to senior sous chef. At the onset of the pandemic, Petracca moved within multiple O&B concepts, and eventually took the lead as chef de cuisine at The Rabbit Hole in 2021 to work under chefs John Horne and Ryan Lister. A year later, she returned to Leña as head chef.
In January 2023, Petracca became executive chef at Liberty Entertainment Group’s Cibo Wine Bar. “I consider this coming home,” she says. “Italian food has always been my choice of cuisine. It’s who I am and it’s what I eat. Being the chef at Cibo has given me the opportunity to tell the tale of my family and share it with my team and our guests.”
Cibo’s menu features both traditional Italian classic and modern staples. Standout menu items include polenta fries ($14), lobster ravioli ($32), sundried-tomato risotto ($24) and Neapolitan-style Margarita pizza ($19). A fresh Italian truffle pizza ($30) is one of the restaurant’s newest additions, featuring summer truffles delivered directly to Cibo’s kitchens from Abruzzo.
“My personal favourite is the orecchiette ($29) because it reminds me of one of my Nonna’s classic dishes for Sunday family gatherings,” says Petracca. “Like the food, the spaces themselves are warm and inviting with stone and glass walls, rustic wood finishes, exposed brick and butcher-block tabletops. The rustic elegance makes Cibo ideal for a casual relaxed meal, yet sophisticated enough for a special night out with craft cocktails and an impressive wine cellar.”
Looking ahead, Petracca says, “I plan to keep learning, teaching and eating. I’m excited to continue leading the kitchen at Cibo where I can fully express my creativity and passion for Italian cooking for our special guests. I’ve always wanted to [open] my own restaurant, [so] maybe that will come to fruition in the future.”
