Alex Pineda is a budding chef who began cooking at age seven when his mother gave him a 10" chef's knife for Christmas (in which he terrified his mother'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'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 "mama," then "parsnip," (further reiterating his culinary "roots"), followed by "dada." Alex has worked on the line in many of his mother's restaurants, and currently holds the position of Sous Chef at Scampo 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.