Behind the Scenes

Your Hosts

Steve Benincasa

Executive Chef
Paolo's Ristorante, Reston, Virginia

Chef Steven Benincasa is among the icons of Capital Restaurant Concept chefs as he has worked in virtually every one of the Paolo's Ristorante locations during his long and dedicated C.R.C. tenure. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Chef Benincasa began his career with C.R.C. in April 1994, following a C.I.A. externship at The Occidental Grill in Washington, D.C.

Chef Benincasa started as a line cook at Paolo's Ristorante in historic Georgetown. After two short years he was promoted to Sous Chef at that location, where he was instrumental from the start in the areas of menu development and the continual advancement of the Paolo's concept. After a successful year in Georgetown, Steve moved to the Baltimore area as a Sous Chef with the opening of the second J. Paul's location in the Inner Harbor. He spent two years working under the demanding tutelage of Chef Claus Neilsen, before he earned his own Executive Chef stripes by taking over the reins at Paolo's Ristorante in Towson, Maryland.

It was in Towson where Chef Benincasa really came into his own as a culinary leader. 2001 was an extremely successful year for that Paolo's and for Chef Benincasa, who made huge strides in the areas of food cost, BOH labor costs, sanitation and the overall culinary program. For those efforts, he earned C.R.C.'s "Chef of the Year" award.

In early 2002, Steve transferred back to the Inner Harbor to complete his C.R.C. Baltimore "trifecta" by taking over as Executive Chef of Paolo's. In late 2005 Steve came truly full circle as he triumphantly returned to his home turf as the Executive Chef at Paolo's in Georgetown. Next, Steve showed his expertise at Mediterranean dishes at Neyla.

Now, still eager to create new culinary delights and always challenging himself, Steve has proudly taken the Executive Chef reigns at Paolo's here in Reston.

Lenny Hellebuyck

General Manager
Paolo's Ristorante, Reston, Virginia

Leonard Hellebuyck is no stranger to the restaurant world. His career began more than 27 years ago with a part-time job in a small pub in his home state of Maryland. He now serves as Area Director with Capital Restaurant Concepts, directly overseeing our locations in Reston, Georgetown, and Ovations Catering at Wolftrap Center for the Performing Arts.

Leonard is committed to a hands-on approach to managing and strives to create lifetime guests. He emphasizes a personal approach with his teams, and provides enthusiasm and encouragement that helps in creating a positive experience for all guests of CRC.

Prior to starting his career with Capital Restaurant Concepts, Leonard had a very successful career managing Continental Catering in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was responsible for many large charitable and entertainment events held in and around Palm Beach County. During his fourteen years in South Florida, Leonard also gained experience with positions in food and beverage sales, and served as general manager for two successful waterfront dining establishments. In addition, for several years, he worked in affiliation with the American Red Cross, providing meals to thousands of hurricane victims, not only in South Florida, but also in Louisiana and Alabama.

Currently Leonard resides in Clarksburg, Maryland with his wife, Kimberly, and their two children Griffin and Logan.