LESLIE AND CARLO

Friends and partners-in-gastronomy Leslie Brenner and CarloMaria Ciampoli met in 2017, when they worked together developing an international food hall in Southern California. Since then, they’ve continued collaborating: co-founding a project with the mission of re-imaging restaurants; creating a dining terrazza atop one of Dallas, Texas’ most lauded Italian restaurants; and exchanging recipes and ideas about Italian cooking. They share a love of Abruzzo.

Here’s more about both of them:

LESLIE BRENNER

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning website and Substack Cooks Without Borders, Leslie is a former journalist. Recipient of two James Beard Awards, she is known for her work as Restaurant Critic for The Dallas Morning News, as the Food Editor for The Los Angeles Times, as the author of five books about food & wine and one novel. Recently she collaborated with Eataly on a series of newsletters about Italian cooking and culture. As a restaurant consultant, Leslie has helped create and open a number of dining establishments, including highly lauded Via Triozzi in Dallas (where she led the development of the all-Italian wine list). A former Contributing Editor for Travel + Leisure and contributor to Bon Appétit, Saveur, the Washington Post and many other publications, she’s a devoted student of Italian food history and cooking, and she loves to travel — especially in Italy.

CARLOmaria ciampoli

A native of Abruzzo, Italy, CarloMaria is an architect, design visionary, and passionate food enthusiast. He brings his deep love for his home region's rich culinary traditions to every collaboration, including his work developing an international food hall in Southern California where he first met Leslie. CarloMaria has built a distinguished career translating clients' visions into architecturally and experientially relevant designs across three continents, from high-rise buildings and public environments to music festivals and experiential retail spaces. His multidisciplinary approach has shaped projects from Hong Kong to Mexico City, earning him speaking engagements at the New York Center for Architecture and universities throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. As a creative leader and self-described "Highly Specialized Generalist," CarloMaria's Italian heritage infuses his design philosophy, creating environments that foster human connection and cultural exchange. Now based in Boulder, CO, he continues to explore the intersection of architecture, food, and culture while collaborating on ventures like reimagining restaurants and creating dining terrazze that celebrate the flavors and spirit of Italy, particularly his beloved Abruzzo.