A native of Toronto, Alessandra was born into a family of extraordinary cooks. Her maternal grandmother is a Master Danish Open-face Sandwich
Maker and her father, originally from Italy, is a designer who brings his artist’s eye to the Italian dishes he creates at home. Alessandra credits her mother with being a “superb cook extraordinaire.”
Fresh out of high school, Alessandra went to live in Copenhagen where she landed a job in breakfast buffet prep at the Hotel Admiral. Back in Canada the next year, inspired
by her Danish experience and encouraged by her father, she enrolled in Toronto’s George Brown School of Hospitality to get a diploma in Culinary Management. While attending George Brown she worked in the kitchen of Fenton’s and later went on to apprentice at the Windsor Arms Hotel in both The Courtyard Cafe and Three Small Rooms.
Wanting to gain more hands-on experience, Alessandra headed off to France where she volunteered her labour as a Stagiere working her way around the Côte d’Azure under such noted chefs as Jacques Maximin in Nice, Jean-Jacques Jouteux at Le Provençal and Bruno Caironi (former Sous Chef to Alain Ducasse) at Le Grill in the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo. She returned to Nice to become Commis de Cuisine at Hôtel Negresco (2 Michelin stars) where she caught the eye (and the heart) of the Chef de Partie Tournant – Jean-Francis Quaglia.
In 1991 she joined Jean-Francis to work under his mother, Chef Suzanne Quaglia, of Marseilles’ famed Le Patalain. In 1992 the couple moved to Canada. Alessandra’s first job in Vancouver was Pasta Chef at Umberto Menghi’s Splendido on Robson. Next came The Raintree on Alberni as Entremetier and Saucier followed by the position of Entremetier at Chef Bruno Born’s Le Coq D’Or. When Born moved to the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel he took Alessandra and Jean-Francis with him where Alessandra became part-time Chef de Partie Saucier at Indigo Bistro Moderne. In June 1995 she left Indigo to start a family. There are now four in the Canadian branch of the Quaglia clan – Alessandra, Jean-Francis, Matisse (born July 1995) and Remi (born January 1997).
Feeling she wasn’t quite busy enough caring for two small children, Alessandra partnered with husband Jean-Francis to open Provence Mediterranean Grill in December 1997. In 2002 she and Jean-Francis “gave birth” to their second location, Provence Marinaside. Now she happily juggles the multiple responsibilities of wife, mother, chef and restaurant proprietor!
