Za Restaurants: About Us

Za Restaurant

Executive Chef Mark Valenza began his culinary career working at various New Jersey restaurants beginning in 1996. Over the next three years his experience included every position and discipline including manager and chef.

In 1997, Chef Valenza took the next step by attended the French Culinary Institute (FCI). FCI’s Classic Culinary Arts program, part of the International Culinary Center in New York City, is an intense program where students study with today’s best French Master Chefs. At FCI, Chef Valenza honed his skills and mastered classic French technique under Chefs Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac, Andre Soltner, Jacques Torres, American talent Alice Water, and Sommelier Andrea Robinson, all deserving celebrities for their unmatched culinary ability.

Chef Valenza’s years of real world experience served him well at FCI where the Master Chef faculty voted him haut de la classe, top of his class.

Prior to opening Za, Chef Valenza was Sous Chef at The Frenchtown Inn and Executive Chef at Nodo in Princeton.

Chef Valenza opened Za Restaurant opened in July 2006.

Za's art inspired bistro ambience offers both indoor seating and seasonal outdoor seating under a wisteria covered pergola. The outdoor patio is bordered by a water garden and herb plantings.

Za features an eclectic New American menu described by Chef/Owner Mark Valenza as "cross cultural comfort cuisine." Chef Valenza’s creations are derived from a co-mingling of international dishes with classic French cooking techniques using fresh American ingredients, including hand picked herbs from the restaurant’s terrace garden.

Chef Valenza is partnered with his brother Chaz Valenza who holds an M.B.A. from New York University and is a seasoned entrepreneur with restaurant management experience.

Both Chef Mark and Chaz are writers committed to the cause of universal literacy in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Mark's novel "Baseball and Benevolence" is available at amazon.com. Chaz's latest writing project is the screenplay adaptation "Single Point Failure", based on Richard C. Cook's book "Challenger Revealed".