Chef Marcus Guiliano, Chef on a Mission

Chef Marcus Guiliano, Chef on a Mission Learn from the in and outs about the restaurant business from Chef Restauranteur Marcus Guiliano. Ru

I’m Marcus Guiliano — chef, author, entrepreneur, consultant, coach, and proud rogue thinker. I’ve spent over two decades proving there’s always a smarter, healthier, and more sustainable way to succeed in business and in life. In 2003, I launched Aroma Thyme Bistro with just $50K and no investors. Today it’s an award-winning restaurant and a pioneer in farm-to-table dining, sustainability, and co

nscious hospitality. Along the way, I wrote books like “50 Mistakes Restaurant Owners Make” to help others avoid the pitfalls that nearly sank me, and I’ve since coached and consulted countless owners worldwide.

🌍 What I Do & Share Here:

Coaching & Consulting — Guiding restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to scale profitably while reclaiming their freedom. Author & Educator — Books, talks, and training built on hard-earned lessons. Wine & Travel — From my wine travel business to journeys across the globe, I connect people to unique vineyards, cultures, and experiences. Doc Agave Project — My mission to support authentic mezcal & tequila producers, protecting traditions and exposing the industry’s hidden truths. Health & Lifestyle — Plant-based eating, clean living, and breaking free from mainstream myths. Speaking Truth — I go rogue, exposing industry BS and offering real solutions. I’ve traveled extensively, tasted the world, and built businesses that blend passion with purpose. Nothing was handed to me — I built it all by questioning, challenging, and refusing to accept “the way it’s always been done.”

📚 Author • 🎙 Coach & Consultant • 🍷 Wine & Travel Curator • 🌎 Global Explorer • 🥂 Advocate for authenticity & sustainability

If you’re ready to think differently, live healthier, and run smarter businesses, you’re in the right place. This isn’t just about food or wine — it’s about living beyond the kitchen.

06/05/2026

Cherry blossom shoyu from Japan is one of those ingredients that reminds me how much flavor you can get from something simple when it is made well.

This is a lighter-style shoyu infused with cherry blossoms, and it is seasonal. When it is gone, it is gone until the next cherry blossom season.

You do not need to build a heavy sauce around something like this.

A few seared scallops, raw in the center.
Or thinly sliced scallop crudo.
A little scallion.
Maybe a touch of sesame oil.
Then just a small drizzle of cherry blossom shoyu.

That is it.

Good shoyu and tamari are packed with flavor. A little goes a long way. The mistake a lot of people make is using too much sauce when the ingredient already has depth.

Have you ever cooked with a seasonal Japanese shoyu like this?

Some chefs collect recipes.I collect vineyard walks, cellar conversations, long lunches with winemakers, and moments tha...
05/26/2026

Some chefs collect recipes.

I collect vineyard walks, cellar conversations, long lunches with winemakers, and moments that completely change how I understand food and wine.

This spring in Piedmont, Jamie and I spent time at Pico Maccario with Gianluca guiding us personally through the vineyards and cellar before sharing wines that tasted completely different once you understood the story behind them.

That’s the part of travel I love most.

Not rushing from attraction to attraction.

But slowing down enough to actually connect with the people creating something meaningful.

The older I get, the more I realize luxury isn’t about excess.

It’s about access.
Perspective.
Relationships.
Authenticity.

One minute you’re standing in a vineyard discussing Barbera and soil composition.

The next minute you’re sitting around a table in Italy realizing hospitality is really about human connection more than anything else.

Honestly, experiences like this continue to inspire everything we do back at Aroma Thyme Bistro.

A story in every pour.
A reason behind every bottle.
A deeper connection to what’s on the table.

And this is exactly why Jamie and I continue leading these wine and gastronomy journeys around the world.

Because travel changes the way you taste life.

05/23/2026

Not every overnight stay is a hotel.

Sometimes… it's a castle. 🏰

Welcome to Castello di Viano, one of our favorite regular stays in Italy. Perched high above the rolling countryside, this historic castle feels like stepping into another era. Stone towers. Medieval charm. Quiet mornings. Endless views.

This is why Jamie and I love creating our experiences. We don't just book rooms. We find places with soul. Places with stories. Places that become part of the journey.

Because sometimes the place you sleep becomes one of the memories you never forget.

This is Italy beyond the guidebooks.

05/22/2026

You can hear it before you even see it. Plates moving. Smiles growing. Then… lobster hits the table.

Villa Ortega in Puerto Nuevo is one of those places that reminds you food is more than eating. It’s atmosphere. It’s people. It’s place.

This is Baja the way we love experiencing it. Slow. Authentic. Delicious.

“Consumers begin recognizing logos instead of recognizing craftsmanship.” Chef Marcus Guiliano
05/16/2026

“Consumers begin recognizing logos instead of recognizing craftsmanship.” Chef Marcus Guiliano

Some of the best moments in travel happen when nothing feels staged.This photo was taken with Jamie and me inside the ce...
05/15/2026

Some of the best moments in travel happen when nothing feels staged.

This photo was taken with Jamie and me inside the cellar at Donnachiara in Campania, Italy during one of our earlier journeys through Southern Italy.

Over the years, we’ve learned that memorable travel experiences are rarely built around checking boxes or rushing through attractions.

They come from slowing down.

Sitting inside a working winery.
Meeting the people behind the labels.
Hearing family stories.
Walking cellars.
Sharing meals.
Understanding the culture through wine and food.

That philosophy is a big reason we built VIP Winery Vacations the way we did.

As restaurant owners and hospitality professionals for more than two decades, we’ve spent years building authentic relationships with producers, winemakers, and families throughout wine regions around the world. Those relationships create experiences that go far beyond a standard itinerary.

We’re currently putting together an incredible Campania, Italy experience for Spring 2027.

Think remarkable wines, roadside buffalo mozzarella producers, unforgettable culinary experiences, hidden gems, and the kind of insider access that transforms a trip into a lasting memory.

Who would love to experience Campania this way?

Unpopular opinion:America didn’t misunderstand Italian food.We turned it into content.Somewhere along the way, “authenti...
05/14/2026

Unpopular opinion:

America didn’t misunderstand Italian food.

We turned it into content.

Somewhere along the way, “authentic Italian” became:

🧄 More garlic
🧄 More cheese
🧄 More butter
🧄 Bigger portions
🧄 Louder flavors

And now people think dumping 14 cloves of garlic into tomato sauce equals tradition.

It doesn’t.

After spending time in Italy, one thing becomes obvious fast:

Italian cooking isn’t built on excess.

It’s built on restraint.

A lot of traditional Italian kitchens use garlic almost like perfume.

Lightly smashed. Gently infused into oil. Sometimes removed entirely.

Because the goal wasn’t: “MAKE PEOPLE TASTE GARLIC.”

The goal was balance.

And honestly, this isn’t just a food problem.

Modern culture rewards volume over subtlety.

More outrage.
More noise.
More intensity.
More spectacle.

Because extremes perform.

Algorithms love excess.

But excess isn’t mastery.

Too often we use intensity to hide weak fundamentals:

Weak ingredients → add more garlic.
Weak cooking → add more sauce.
Weak ideas → get louder.

The best food I’ve eaten in Italy wasn’t trying to impress me.

It was trying to respect the ingredients.

There’s a lesson in that.

Maybe authenticity isn’t making everything louder.

Maybe it’s knowing when to stop.

Curious: what food “truth” do people defend that completely falls apart once you experience the real thing?

"…Walk into almost any restaurant or liquor store. You’ll see the same brands. That’s what I call the 90/90 rule—90% of ...
05/11/2026

"…Walk into almost any restaurant or liquor store. You’ll see the same brands. That’s what I call the 90/90 rule—90% of places carry 90% of the same products. It’s not culture or curation—it’s corporate distribution dominance…” Chef Marcus Guiliano

Jamie and I finally got out and hit the trail and it was exactly what we needed.We took on the Shawangunk Ridge Trail st...
04/15/2026

Jamie and I finally got out and hit the trail and it was exactly what we needed.

We took on the Shawangunk Ridge Trail starting from the Cox Road Parking Area and it delivered.

A solid 3 mile loop
Nothing crazy but just enough to get the heart going and clear the head

And the views
This is why we live here

Big sky rolling valley that raw untouched Hudson Valley energy

As much as we’re in the restaurant traveling and chasing great food and wine around the world this right here grounds everything

You can’t pour into others if you don’t reset yourself once in a while

We’re lucky to have this in our backyard

If you haven’t done this trail yet go
No excuses

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Ellenville, NY
12428

Telephone

(845) 647-3000

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