Our Story
Where it started
Before Ambrosia, there was iron. For more than a hundred years, the Pizzi family worked wrought iron back in Liguria, Italy — a trade with no room for shortcuts, no room for "close enough." In the mid-1960s, the family left Liguria for Indianapolis, and that same discipline came with them, years before anyone knew what it would eventually build.
est. 1979
In 1979, Gino Pizzi opened Ambrosia, with his parents, Giuseppe and Anna, standing behind him. The trade changed — iron for a kitchen — but the standard didn't. The recipes carry that same discipline, shaped in no small part by Gino's own mother, whose hand is in this restaurant's foundation as much as his is. The lasagna is still made off Gino's original recipe, exactly as it was in 1979.
In 2019, Gino's daughter Anna, named for her own grandmother, took over Ambrosia alongside her husband, Dan Cage.
Since then, the family has grown a whole hospitality group out from that one restaurant. But Ambrosia is still the anchor. Everything else grew out from here, and that same table now has a home in Carmel too... same family, same recipes, same standard, just a new room to share it in.
Meet Our Team
Hospitality here doesn't come from a manual — it comes from whoever's actually on the floor, management included. You'll find us at the host stand, running expo, behind the bar, bussing a table when the room needs it. It's not the exception, it's the standard — and it's part of why our staff tends to stay for years, not seasons. Get to know the faces you'll be seeing, because with any luck, you'll be seeing them for a while.
Chef Raul Tarango
Executive Chef AHG
Raul has been an integral part of our team for over 10 years. In his tenure, he not only helped develop almost all recipes with Gino, but his leadership has made our kitchen team one of the most loved in Indianapolis for this generation.
Dan Ryan
Head Chef Ambrosia Carmel
Elena's love for pastry making shines through in her exquisite desserts. With a flair for creativity and a commitment to quality, she crafts delectable treats that perfectly complement our savory dishes, ensuring an unforgettable dining experience.
Tom Prater
Restaurant General Manager
Tom Prater has spent 25 years in the restaurant industry — long enough to know hospitality isn't something you manage from an office. As General Manager of Ambrosia Carmel, he runs the floor the way he expects his team to: present, hands-on, wherever the room needs him. Married to Stephanie for 15 years, Tom picked up a genuine appreciation for Italian-American cooking through her family's heritage — pasta especially. Off the clock, he's raising three sons (Jackson, Henry, and Raleigh) and cheering on the Colts.
Alix Chester
Restaurant Manager
Alix Chester has been in the industry for 21 years — she started as a server at Steak 'n Shake at sixteen and never left hospitality after that. As Restaurant Manager of Ambrosia Carmel, she brings that same instinct to the floor, with a hand in curating the cocktail menu and an eye for the details that make a night feel right. Alix is an avid home cook who spends her downtime on her patio or out hiking, and she'll tell you it's passion, more than anything, that drives what she does. She's raising her 16-year-old son, Wyatt, and says her real goal is simple: connect with the community and build real bonds wherever she goes.