Rocco DiSpirito was born in New York, New York on November 19, 1966. He graduated from of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in 1986 and received a bachelor's degree in business from Boston University. He is best known as a celebrity chef and a cookbook author. In 1995, he opened Dava and quickly earned two stars from Ruth Reichl at The New York Times. At thirty-one, he opened Union Pacific in New York City and received three stars from The New York Times. Rocco's titles include The Pound a Day Diet, Now Eat This!, and Flavor.