Mark Bolchoz, Jr. is the Chef & Owner of Cane Pazzo, a neighborhood osteria in Charleston, SC’s up-and-coming Hanahan community. Named one of Zagat’s 30 Under 30 Charleston Chefs in 2016 and FSR Magazine’s 40 under 40 Rising Stars in 2024, he is best known for his interpretation of traditional Italian and Italian-American cuisine through Lowcountry ingredients.

A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Mark cut his teeth in kitchens from Palm Beach to the Hudson Valley, including several years cooking under renowned Italian Chef Gianni Scappin of Upstate NY’s lauded Market Street. A native Charlestonian, Mark returned to his hometown in 2016 to work in some of the city’s most notable restaurants, including Peninsula Grill under Chef Graham Daily and The Grocery under Chef Kevin Johnson. Most recently, he served as the Executive Chef of Indaco Charleston, and then as Culinary Director of Italian Concepts for James Beard nominated Indigo Road Hospitality Group.

Together with his wife, Ariana, a fellow CIA graduate and expert baker, Cane Pazzo translates his Southern upbringing and love of Italian cooking. It’s a “coming home” moment for Mark, whose family has a long history of entrepreneurship in Charleston, including his grandfather, who opened and operated a business in Hanahan for over 30 years, and gave him his childhood nickname, Mad Dog, for which the restaurant is named. Growing up, he spent countless hours at his uncle’s popular King Street pub, Calder’s, and shrimping and fishing the waters East of the Cooper, shaping his passion for the cuisine and culture of the Lowcountry. 

For Mark, Cane Pazzo is the ultimate personal expression of his experiences, whether it be honoring family, traditions (both Italian and Southern), or the local foodways.