Months after taking on the role of executive chef at Maria’s Cucina on Broadway, Guy Charles still marvels over the beauty of his new workplace – the two-level restaurant in the 1880s-era  Italo-American Club, adorned with historic murals, stained glass, and other intricate architectural details.  

“I’m sitting here looking at the chandeliers and all the woodwork – it’s just amazing,” says Charles. “You couldn’t build this restaurant today.” Charles, who started the job last November, remembers one of the first conversations he had with the restaurant’s co-owner Chris Spertini.