<p> Alex Pineda is a budding chef who began cooking at age seven when his mother gave him a 10&quot; chef&#39;s knife for Christmas (in which he terrified his mother&#39;s friend by running around the house with). Alex is the son of culinary great Lydia Shire, and grew up in the restaurant industry -- quite literally. His first steps were taken in the kitchen of Biba (one of Lydia&#39;s former beloved Boston ventures), when he wobbled towards the ice cream maker in search of a cold treat. His first words also took place at Biba, starting with &quot;mama,&quot; then &quot;parsnip,&quot; (further reiterating his culinary &quot;roots&quot;), followed by &quot;dada.&quot; Alex has worked on the line in many of his mother&#39;s restaurants, and currently holds the position of Sous Chef at <a href="http://www.scampoboston.com/">Scampo</a> in the Liberty Hotel. Alex wants to fit in some travel time in the near future, and has hopes to reopen Biba -- where his culinary journey began.</p>

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