Born in 1976 in Sackingen (Germany), but raised in Sicily, Carmelo Trentacosti graduated from the Hospitality School in Palermo and built over twenty years of experience working in various regions of Italy for prestigious restaurants and hotels. Upon returning to Sicily, he spent nearly three years as sous-chef at “Il Mulinazzo” (2 Michelin stars) under the guidance of Nino Graziano.

In 2009, he joined the Italian National Chefs Team, earning numerous awards and recognitions both in Italy and abroad, including double gold medals at the European Championships in Dublin. From 2012 to the end of 2019, he served as Executive Chef at the Grand Hotel Villa Igiea in Palermo. Later, he spent a month aboard the yacht of a Qatari emir who wanted him as his personal chef. Since January 2020, he has been the Executive Chef at MEC Restaurant in Palermo, which was awarded a Michelin Star in November 2022.

Discipline, respect for raw ingredients, authenticity of flavors, and innovative research are the hallmarks of his cuisine. In his dishes, Trentacosti conveys the colors, flavors, and aromas of his beloved Sicily.

Opened in Palermo on January 31, 2020, the MEC Museum (short for Meet Eat & Connect) is the first museum of the Computer Revolution in Sicily, entirely dedicated to the Apple universe. Housed in Palazzo Castrone Santa Ninfa, a 16th-century noble palace, it contains around 200 pieces of tech antiquity, including the iconic Apple-1.

MEC is also a restaurant—or, in the words of its founder, “a museum integrated with a restaurant, and a restaurant that is also a museum.” In June 2021, it was listed among the best restaurants in the area by L’Espresso Guide, earning 2 Hats, and was featured in the 2022 Michelin Guide (online section of recommended restaurants). In November 2022, it was awarded a Michelin Star.

Carmelo Trentacosti is the Executive Chef at MEC. From the beginning, MEC has been conceived as a creative and innovative hub, where the fusion of art, technology, innovation, and food lies at the very heart of the experience.