{{Short description|Canadian television producer}} {{for|the American comedian and actor|David Della Rocco}} {{Infobox chef | name = David Rocco | | image = David rocco 2014-05-30 23-59.JPG | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|7|27|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Scarborough, Ontario, Canada | spouse = {{married|Nina Rocco|1995}} | children = 3 | death_date = | death_place = | style = Italian | television = {{hlist|''David Rocco's Dolce Vita''|''David Rocco's Dolce Napoli''|''David Rocco's Amalfi Getaway''|''David Rocco's Dolce India''|''David Rocco's Dolce Africa''|''David Rocco's Dolce Italia''|''David Rocco's Dolce Southeast Asia''|''David Rocco's Dolce HomeMade''}} }}
'''David Rocco''' (born July 27, 1970) is a Canadian author, chef, and host of several internationally syndicated television series. He is most known for producing and hosting the television series ''David Rocco's Dolce Vita'', and publishing four cookbooks ''Avventura'', ''David Rocco's Dolce Vita'', ''Made in Italy'', and ''David Rocco's Dolce Famiglia''.
==Early life== David Rocco was born on July 27, 1970, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to Italian immigrants from Naples, Italy. His parents were both hairdressers, and he is the youngest of three children.<ref name=globe1>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-food-networks-david-and-nina-rocco-live-a-picture-perfetto-life-at-home/article4321197/|title=The Food Network's David and Nina Rocco live a picture-perfetto life at home|publisher=The Globe and Mail|date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> Rocco later moved with his family to Woodbridge, Ontario as a teenager.<ref name=globe1/>
In 1995, he married his high school sweetheart, Nina.<ref name=globe1/> The couple later moved to Rosedale, Toronto, and have twin daughters and a son.<ref name=globe1/><ref name=globe2>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/article-celebrity-chef-david-rocco-on-food-fatherhood-and-finding-a-healthy/|title=Celebrity chef David Rocco on food, fatherhood and finding a healthy balance|publisher=The Globe and Mail|date=June 15, 2023}}</ref>
Rocco was a model as a teenager, and worked for agencies including Elite and Armstrong Men. He and Nina took acting classes together and both also studied at York University. The couple ran a restaurant, La Madonnina, in Woodbridge, but gave it up a year later to pursue acting.<ref name=globe1/>
==Career== In 1997, without success in the feature film world, Rocco figured a food show would be better. He and his wife, on holiday in Italy, shot a video showcasing different foods, and later showed it to a Toronto production company. This led to a 26-episode TV series featuring food and travel called ''Avventura: Journey in Italian Cuisine''.<ref name=globe1/>
In 2005, Rocco's self-produced TV series ''David Rocco's Dolce Vita'' premiered on Food Network Canada. It ended in 2010 after five seasons, and reached an international audience, including in the U.S. on the Cooking Channel. Several spin-offs of the show followed including, ''David Rocco's Dolce Napoli'' (2011–17), ''David Rocco's Amalfi Getaway'' (2012), ''David Rocco's Dolce India'' (2013–14), ''David Rocco's Dolce Africa'' (2018), ''David Rocco's Dolce Italia'' (2020), ''David Rocco's Dolce Southeast Asia'' (2020), and ''David Rocco's Dolce HomeMade'' (2022).<ref name=globe2/>
In 2018, Rocco and Hong Kong singer Nicholas Tse co-hosted FOX Life's Celebrity Chef: East vs West.
==Cook books== Rocco has published four cookbooks:
*''Avventura'' (Bay Books; January 2001) *''David Rocco's Dolce Vita'' (HarperCollins; November 2008) *''Made In Italy'' (Clarkson Potter, HarperCollins; October 2011) *''Dolce Famiglia'' (HarperCollins; November 2016)
==Other ventures== In 2015, Rocco launched a line of wines, a Chianti, a Prosecco and a Pinot Grigio named David Rocco's Dolce Vita.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/tv-personality-david-rocco-showcases-his-wines-in-windsor|title=TV personality David Rocco showcases his wines in Windsor|publisher=windsorstar.com|date=December 7, 2015}}</ref>
In 2021, Rocco opened a Yorkville, Toronto restaurant called David Rocco - Bar Aperitivo.<ref name=sauce>{{cite web|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/david-rocco-international-celebrity-chef-launches-his-own-line-of-authentic-italian-made-pasta-and-premium-sauces-across-canada-and-the-us-824760070.html|title=David Rocco, International Celebrity Chef, Launches His Own Line of Authentic Italian-Made Pasta and Premium Sauces Across Canada and the US|publisher=newswire.ca|date=November 22, 2022}}</ref> In 2022, Rocco launched his own line of Italian-made pastas (orecchiette, strozzapreti, and fusilli pugliesi) and sauces (pomodoro & basilico, arrabbiata, puttanesca, and ricotta & pecorino).<ref name=sauce/>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://davidrocco.com/|David Rocco's official website}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120619015545/http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/david-rocco/index.html David Rocco on Cooking Channel] *[http://www.foodtv.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=78324 David Rocco's ''Dolce Vita'' on Food TV Canada]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocco, David}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Canadian male actors Category:Canadian cookbook writers Category:Canadian male television actors Category:Canadian people of Italian descent Category:Canadian restaurateurs Category:Canadian television chefs Category:Canadian television hosts Category:Chefs of Italian cuisine Category:Chefs from Toronto Category:Male actors from Toronto Category:People from Vaughan Category:Writers from Scarborough, Ontario