In the early '60s, fresh out of The School of Culinary Arts, in Monterey, California, John opened the Captain's Gig Restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf. The place quickly gained popularity and guests such as Clint Eastwood and Richard Boone filled their plates with John's specialties. The Gig whet John's appetite for the restaurant business.
In 1971, Chef Pisto opened the now famous Whaling Station Restaurant . This elegant dinner house has flourished for over 30 years, receiving rave reviews from local, regional, and national press. Serving prime steaks and fresh seafood, the Whaling Station is known for uncompromising quality and more-than-generous portions.
In 1981, John returned to the Wharf to open Domenico's on the Wharf, a unique Italian restaurant featuring the harvests of the sea. This restaurant has earned the reputation as Fisherman's Wharf's most exceptional dining experience, offering exemplary service and an elegant atmosphere with views of Monterey's Historic Yacht Harbor. In July of 2007, John sold Domenico's to nephews Dominic & Sammy Mercurio, and Angeli Mercurio - read more. 

Another addition to his family of restaurants, Abalonetti Seafood Trattoria, reopened in 1991, showcasing one of the chef's specialties, squid, á la Abalonetti (abalonetti being the name given to squid when it is prepared with the same technique as abalone or baby abalone). Yet the menu is not limited to seafood, offering gourmet pizza and a bountiful antipasto bar. Abalonetti was sold in July of 2007 as well, to businessman Jim Gilbert - read more.

Restaurant number four, Blue Moon (formerly Paradiso), has become yet another Pisto success story on Steinbeck's Cannery Row. Blue Moon showcases what the chef calls East/West Cuisine featuring seafood, steaks, handcrafted pizzas and innovative appetizers designed for sharing, all with an Asian flair. Perched over McAbee Beach, Blue Moon offers spectacular views of the Monterey Bay from every table.

John loves nothing more than cooking and he has cooked for and with many of the world's finest chefs including Julia Child, Roger Verse, and Paul Bocuse. He has shared the stage with the legendary Paul Prudhomme and Martin Yan as well as many other culinary masters. He was selected to serve as a celebrity chef at The American School of Cooking in Kansas City, Missouri, and hosted a cooking demonstration at the '98 World Expo in Lisbon as part of his '98 European tour via Norwegian Cruise Line.

A children's advocate, John has created an ongoing educational program for elementary-school children throughout the Monterey area. This field trip program, named "Squid Kids," is held at one of John's restaurants. It combines his personal knowledge of Monterey's fishing and agricultural heritage, as well as hands-on experience with a wide collection of Monterey's field and sea harvests. John has also been involved in educational programs in cooperation with the Artichoke Advisory Board, and with the California Seafood Council and the Department of Education producing educational videos and television programs distributed nationwide. He also serves as the California Seafood Council's television spokesperson. Due to his ongoing efforts to educate the public on the benefits of eating seafood, he was recently appointed to serve on the Council. To educate the culinary trade on his unique style of cooking, John is a founding member of the International Institute of Food & Wine, along with Julia Child and Richard Graft.

For the past 10 years, Chef Pisto has been the host of the television cooking show, Monterey's Cookin' Pisto Style, seen on GoodLife TV Network and via a number of Comcast Cable markets, with a reach of over 10 million households. As creator and host of Monterey's Cookin' Pisto Style, John Pisto introduces viewers to the agricultural and seafood bounty produced in Monterey County as well as taking his viewers on virtual culinary adventures to more exotic ports of call, such as mushroom hunting in China, salmon fishing in Alaska, and tours of Thailand, Croatia, and Nice. The TV Show has also featured a number of celebrity guests, including: the world renown Julia Child, Chef Charlie Trotter, restaurateur Drew Nieporent, wine columnist Jerry Mead, and Chicago Tribune Food & Wine columnist William Rice, as well as former Presidential Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, race legend Mario Andretti and musicians, Sammy Hagar and Johnny Rivers.