Garrett Schiavone

Garrett Schiavone’s culinary journey has taken him from the Hudson Valley of New York to the lively restaurant scenes of New Orleans and abroad to South Korea. But it’s in the coastal city of St. Augustine, Florida where this Culinary Institute of America-trained chef is leaving his delicious mark.

After honing his skills at esteemed New Orleans eateries like Broussard’s, Maypop, Cochon Butcher, and serving as executive chef of Cellar Door, Schiavone sought further inspiration in the flavors of Asia. The pandemic brought him back stateside to St. Augustine in 2020.

It was perfecting Neapolitan-style pizzas at home using a propane oven that sparked Schiavone’s latest culinary venture – Real Peel Pizza. His obsessive attention to detail with dough fermentation, quality ingredients like imported Italian flour, and inventive toppings quickly turned his passion project into a mobile business.

Today, Real Peel anchors at local bar Mugsy’s, slinging signature pies exhibiting Schiavone’s deft hand at combining tradition and creativity. The menu has expanded to include scratch-made focaccia sandwiches for lunch. For upscale dining, he partners with the chef at Ice Plant, his former workplace, on “Cicada Song” – a chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings.