Tom Valenti, an American chef, died on April 1, 2026, at age 67.
He was executive chef at Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Morristown, New Jersey, and owner and executive chef of Oxbow Tavern on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Valenti also served as executive chef of Le Cirque in Midtown Manhattan and previously was executive chef and co-owner of Ouest Restaurant on the Upper West Side, which closed in 2015.
He authored three cookbooks and was known for his salmon gravlax, slow-cooked meats and braised lamb shanks. He also helped drive the creation of the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Tom Valenti (March 23, 1959 – April 1, 2026) was an American chef who was the Executive Chef at Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Morristown, New Jersey. Valenti was also the owner and Executive Chef of Oxbow Tavern on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, and the Executive Chef of Le Cirque Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. Previously, he was Executive Chef and co-owner of Ouest Restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan which shuttered in 2015. The recipient of many awards for his comfortable cooking style, Valenti was best known for his salmon gravlax and slow-cooked meats, particularly braised lamb shanks. Valenti is the author of three cookbooks, “Welcome to my Kitchen”, “Soups, Stews and One Pot Meals” as well as “You Don’t Have to be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook”, dedicated to recipes for diabetic diets. Valenti was the driving force behind the creation of the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund, established to benefit the surviving family members of foodservice-related victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.