Partners

Co-founders Paul and Julie Shenkman, share a deep passion for authentic Italian food, inspired by their many travels through Europe.  Yearning for a local peninsula hangout for their friends and family to experience this fresh, seasonal style of cooking, they set about creating an “osteria” – which in Italian is a casual eatery where the owner “hosts” people in a comfortable setting with good food and wine.  

Culinary entrepreneur Paul Shenkman began his restaurant journey as founder and original proprietor of Half Moon Bay’s Pasta Moon, nationally known for its authentic Italian cuisine and wines, and he was himself the chef there for several years.  Julie joined him to open his next venture, Cetrella, which they owned until 2006, and which rapidly became a national success featured in Gourmet Magazine.  The couple then opened New England style oceanfront restaurant Sam’s Chowder House which they currently operate, along with its mobile food truck, Sam’s ChowderMobile.  Featured on NBC’s The Today Show, and Best of the Bay TV, the restaurant earned Top three “Best Outdoor Dining” restaurants from San Francisco Magazine, and Sam’s ChowderMobile has been featured on The Discovery Channel’s Top Ten Fab Food Trucks on “Best Food Ever”.

Lewis Rossman, partner at Osteria Coppa, has contributed to the success of some of the Bay Area’s top dining spots.  Under his culinary leadership as Executive Chef and Partner at Sam’s Chowder House, this popular Bay Area hotspot has garnered many awards such as TOP FIVE “Best Sandwiches in America” by NBC’s The Today Show and “Best of the BAYLIST” by San Francisco Chronicle’s SFGATE.  As opening team member and later Executive Chef of Cetrella in Half Moon Bay, California, he won many accolades, including “Culinary Hospitality Restaurant of the Year” in the US by Sante Magazine.  As Chef de Cuisine at Acquerello, rated one of Wine Spectator's “10 best Italian Restaurants in the U.S.”, Rossman worked closely with award-winning chef Suzette Gresham. Today, Rossman participates in the overall management of Sam’s Chowder House and Osteria Coppa in his role as partner in both ventures, and also directs all back-of-the-house operations at Sam’s, including the development, creation and execution of the menus.