Tom Valenti is the Executive Chef and co-owner of Ouest Restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in New York City. The recipient of many awards for his comfortable cooking style, Valenti is best known for his salmon gravlax and slow-cooked meats, particularly braised lamb shanks. He is currently preparing to open a new restaurant, tentatively named West Branch, just a few blocks south of his flagship location. Additionally, Valenti will release his third cookbook in 2008, dedicated to recipes for diabetic diets. Valenti was the driving force behind the establishment of the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund, established to benefit the surviving family members of foodservice-related victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.