If there is anyone to demonstrate that small steps lead to great success, it is Executive Chef Simon Restrepo of Scampo. Restrepo has been working with culinary icon Lydia Shire since he first came to Boston as a 16-year-old Columbian immigrant in 1985.

After meeting Shire when he took a job as a dishwasher at her restaurant, BIBA (“Back in Boston Again”) in 1989, Restrepo committed to a culinary career. Hard work and perseverance paid off as he made his way from kitchen stations including “bread dough” to “salads” to “grill.” For over two decades, Restrepo has been by Shire’s side as she opened one hit after the other, including Pignoli, Locke-Ober and Towne Stove and Spirits.

In 2008, Restrepo helped Shire open the award-winning Scampo, the dynamic first floor restaurant in Boston’s Liberty Hotel. He currently heads up the bustling kitchen and was a key contributor in making Scampo one of Boston’s “Best New Restaurants” in America named by Esquire magazine (2008).

Restrepo enjoys traveling with Shire to events across the country including The James Beard Foundation Awards in New York City and Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. His dedication and creative talent in the kitchen keep Scampo as busy as the first day it opened.