Katie Holmes, 41, was all smiles as sat at a restaurant outdoors with a mystery man, who has since been identified as Emilio Vitolo! The pair were spotted at Soho hot-spot Antique Garage, best known for serving Mediterranean inspired dishes in photos obtained by TMZ. In the photos, Katie appeared to be having a blast as she laughed and smiled during the conversation. HollywoodLife has since reached out for comment to Katie’s rep about the pair’s relationship, but for now, here’s 5 things to know about the chef who has hanging out with the Dawson’s Creek alum.
1. He’s a restaurateur. Emilio is both a chef and owner at NYC hotspot Ballato, according to his LinkedIn page and other social media profiles. The celeb hotspot is best known for their gourmet take on Italian classics, like their signature Spaghetti al Pomodoro, Tagliatelle alla Bolognese and Linguine alle Vongole. Emilio is often noted in articles for his presence and charm with customers, with New York magazine writing, “If Vitolo doesn’t know your name when you’re seated, he will by the time you’ve finished your espresso and nibbled on a plate of on-the-house biscotti.”
2. He’s an actor. Outside of his culinary pursuits, Emilio works as an actor. He has a slew of TV and film credits on his iMDB page, including episodes of Inside Amy Schumer, Royal Pains and HS10: The Bronx. He has also appeared in movies like The Birthday Cake and The Right to Live. He also starred in a CMT network dating reality show back in 2013 called Sweet Home Alabama.
3. He has a big celebrity following. Ballato’s is often noted as celeb hot-spot for a reason! A quick glance online and on his Instagram shows Emilio hanging with several A-listers, including Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, 64. “There’s something about a simple dish…done well, it tastes exquisite,” The View co-host said to InStyle, which profiled Emilio teaching Whoopi how to make her favorite dish: spaghetti with garlic and olive oil. The restaurant also counts fans like Barack Obama, Cuba Gooding Jr., Justin Bieber, Lenny Kravitz and Rihanna.
4. He’s worked with Bella Hadid. Emilio’s Instagram features a Dec. 2015 post with Bella Hadid, with the pair on-set for her ex-boyfriend The Weeknd‘s “Into The Night” music video. “#tbt working ‘In The Night’..what a fun time onset ! @bellahadid @abelxo @_brthr_,” Emilio wrote. In the photo, Bella rocks a black bra, leather pants and a “Serpanti” watch by Italian jeweler Bvlgari.
5. His dad is a chef. Emilio Vitolo Sr. was born in Salerno, Italy, immigrating to the United States as a child with his family. As a young boy, he began working at a pastry shop, eventually going on to the well-known Ferrara in New York City. Emilio Sr. originally bought Ballato, where all three of his sons Emilio Jr., Mario and Antonio work with him, according to a biography website.