Silver Cousler Iocovozzi began his career studying drafting at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech). He later changed his focus to culinary arts after working part-time as a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant in Asheville. This experience led him to enroll in A-B Tech’s culinary program, where he learned structure, discipline, and received mentorship, particularly in a course on stocks and sauces.
Iocovozzi grew up in North Carolina with a Filipino mother and an American father. He initially found classical French cooking techniques challenging but later incorporated them into his cooking style. An internship at A-B Tech led him to work with chef Elliott Moss at several Asheville restaurants, including The Admiral, Bull and Beggar, and Buxton Hall Barbecue. These roles expanded his knowledge of barbecue and Filipino cuisine.
In 2022, Iocovozzi and his husband, Cherry Iocovozzi, opened Neng Jr’s, an 18-seat Filipino restaurant in West Asheville. The restaurant received national recognition, including being named Best New Restaurant by several publications and becoming a finalist for the 2023 James Beard Awards. In 2025, Iocovozzi was a finalist for the Best Chef Southeast category at the James Beard Awards in Chicago…