Chefs Against Hunger Executive Chefs Ben Hoffman and Julio Genao
Executive Chefs Ben Hoffman and Julio Genao
Chef Ben Hoffman is the Executive Chef at Prime: An American Kitchen & Bar in Huntington, NY, where he leads the culinary team at one of Long Island’s premier waterfront dining destinations. Known for his thoughtful approach to cooking and leadership, Ben brings a depth of experience shaped by years in high profile kitchens across the country.
He has spent his career working in some of America’s most dynamic food cities from New York to Chicago, holding leadership roles in both fine dining and high-volume restaurant settings. Along the way, he’s helped launch new restaurant concepts, guided large culinary teams, and contributed to nationally recognized events. His accomplishments include cooking at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City and representing Pittsburgh at the celebrated Taste of the NFL.
Chef Ben is driven by a belief in the power of food to connect, nourish, and uplift. Whether in the kitchen or in the community, he brings care, integrity, and creativity to everything he does.
Chef Julio Genao
With over 25 years of experience, Chef Julio Genao is a skilled culinary professional currently serving Prime | An American Kitchen & Bar Stamford as the Executive Chef. His cuisine is inspired by bold flavors and his diverse fine dining culinary training.
Starting as a line cook in NYC, Chef Julio has worked his way up through the ranks, honing his skills as both a chef and a leader. Having an early passion for food and growing up in a family where cooking played a major role, led him to enroll in New York Restaurant School’s culinary program in 1997. After culinary school, Chef Julio continued his culinary training with several New York City iconic chefs such as Floyd Cardoz, Noriyuki Sugie, and Michelin starred chefs Terrance Brennan, Christian Delouvrier, and Lidia Bastianich.
In his role as Executive Chef, Julio has had great success managing restaurants, garnering some well-earned media attention being featured in an episode of Todd English’s E! Network’s reality show Playing with fire, the morning show on CBS2, AM NY, Metro NY, The Village Voice, Food Arts Magazine just to name a few, and as Executive Chef at Prime, Julio was named “most creative Chef” in 2018 by Serendipity Magazine, plus many more.
Chef Julio’s passion is creating delicious food, managing, and developing successful restaurants. As Executive Chef at Prime Stamford, Chef Julio continues to creatively push the boundaries of modern world class cuisine and prides himself on Prime’s continuous success as a culinary destination in Stamford Connecticut.