Read any of the many reviews written on one of the acclaimed restaurants George Morrone has led and words like “fun,” “playful” and “inspired” repeatedly appear along side “complex,” “artistic” and “classic with a twist.” His flair for the fun, zeal for the creative and drive to develop the most unique dining experience is known across the country.

A New Jersey native, Morrone’s culinary interest was ignited while working in a bakery. By the time he was in high school, he was baking Viennese pastry. He went on to receive his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.

After graduating from the CIA in 1981, Morrone refined his classical training over the next three years at River Café in New York. In 1984, acclaimed chef Bradley Ogden saw a spark of brilliance in Morrone and recruited him to be the Executive Sous Chef at Campton Place in San Francisco. Under Ogden, Morrone blended his classical style with Ogden’s regional American cooking – with stunning results.

At the age of 26, Morrone was recruited to be the Executive Chef at the high-profile Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. As culinary host to the stars and the “movers and shakers” of the entertainment industry, Morrone stretched his culinary horizons and began refining his personal style of cooking.

After five year, Morrone returned to San Francisco as Executive Chef to open Aqua where the seafood-focused menu earned him raves and established him as one of the country’s brightest culinary talents. Under his tenure, Aqua earned a “four star” rating from the San Francisco Chronicle and Morrone was named “Chef of the Year” in San Francisco by the Chefs of America Organization in 1992. He also received the Robert Mondovi Culinary award of Excellence and was featured in the PBS series “Great Chefs in Great Cities.”

Following the success of Aqua, Morrone moved onto work on several other high profile Bay Area projects, including Ogden’s One Market restaurant in San Francisco. But after opening several new restaurants, Morrone decided to take a short respite from the kitchen by spending a year in France to acquaint himself with the best of the country’s contemporary cooking.

Returning revived with fresh ides; Morrone was ready to step back into the limelight. In February 1999, he opened the Fifth Floor in San Francisco to immediate accolades, again launching a new, high profile restaurant into the realms of the “Best in the City.” He used his knowledge acquired in France along with his considerable talent to create his won versions of classic dishes once found exclusively on fine dining menus. His new “classics” are becoming a part of San Francisco’s culinary lexicon. In fact in 2002, Morrone was named Chef of the Year by San Francisco Magazine.

In winter of 2003 George, joined nationally renowned chef Mark Miller in Sydney Australia To launch Fire Fly restaurant, Sydney’s most prestigious waterfront restaurant.

George’s love for travel and family took him to his mother’s home land of Argentina; curiosity and childhood campfire cooking with open flame and his imagination took him across the border of Argentina into the ranches and open cafes in the hills of Southern Brazil.

The intriguing and yet simple concept of cooking on open fire has been a tradition with South American cowboys for more than three centuries. Growing up with the cuisine he came face to face with on his last working adventure in Sydney Australia where he found his childhood favorite food has been adapted to perfection for decades in this part of the world. The haunting aromas and flavors he grew up with came back in a rush during the four months of a working adventure in Sydney Harbor; Boca was the brainchild of this working adventure.

Boca is an Argentinean inspired steak and fish restaurant. George, never forgetting his mother insisting on how simplicity in ingredients will make good meats and fish “show themselves off”, having the farms and pastures of Sonoma valley as his private herb farm combined with his creativity, twists, and interpretation throughout the menu one would expect this Novato restaurant to become not only a local favorite but a very attractive alternative for Marin County resident to take a short trip to Novato instead of the long drive, over the bridge back to the city for great food at a much friendlier prices to top.

A rotating menu at Boca will make every visit different from the last. George and his staff will achieve this goal not only by serving a variety of cuts of beef, lamb, pork and fowl but allowing the fresh and the delightful wild fish of the oceans, lakes and the rivers playing a major role in their daily planning, creating a unique experience for a variety of taste buds.. The menu items are cooked on open fire using cherry or almond wood, the service is fun, casual, welcoming and neighborly. A parade of meats, fish and wild games through the dining room by servers, creating irresistible aromas of campfire cooking to tantalize taste buds, dinners are further teased by George’s signature tableside banana splits, sundaes and house made ice creams reminding them of yesteryears and their favorite local ice cream parlor.