Italian Chef Fabio Trabocchi was Inspired by his Father’s cooking as a child. He got a fast start on his culinary career having his father and grandparents teach him the basics of Italian cooking, which is the core of his culinary career.
He got his first job while still in cooking school at age 16 at a three-star Michelin Ristorante Gualtiero Marchesi in Milan. He earned the position of Sous Chef at the one-star Navalge Moena restaurant where he was responsible for the entire kitchen team and was asked to collaborate with the chef on menu ideas. Three years later, having just turned 20, Trabocchi was named Chef de Cuisine at Byblos in Rimini.
Trabocchi then moved to the United Kingdom, where his talents were showcased at London’s Floriana restaurant and won a Carlton London Restaurant Award as Best Young Chef of 1999.
From London Fabio headed to Moscow, where he was recruited by a group of executives developing a fine dining Italian restaurant there. Next, he traveled to Washington, D.C. where he opened Bice, an acclaimed Italian eatery. He did such an impressive job that he was asked to go to Marbella, Spain to launch a Bice restaurant in that resort community. Trabocchi’s next opportunity led him back to London, where he opened Grissini at the Hyatt Carlton Tower.
In 2006, he published a cookbook, Cucina of Le Marche.
In 2007, Trabocchi moved to New York City to replace Michael White at Fiamma. While he was the chef, Fiamma earned three stars from the New York Times’s food critic Frank Bruni, and a Michelin star in the 2009 Michelin Guide. After a sharp downturn in business following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, Fiamma abruptly closed. Trabocchi was named the executive chef of The Four Seasons Restaurant in 2010, but left after a few months.
Trabocchi competed on Iron Chef America in 2009.
Before opening his own restaurants, Trabocchi ran kitchens in London, Virginia, and New York, winning a James Beard Foundation Award in 2006. He is now based in Washington, D.C., where his restaurant Fiola earned a Michelin Star.
Awards
- Best New Chefs, Food & Wine, 2002
- Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, James Beard Foundation, 2006
- Michelin Star, Fiamma 2009
- Michelin Star, Fiola 2017-2019
Chef Fabio Trabocchi and his Spanish business partner, Maria Font, are widely celebrated among Washington DC’s and the nation’s leading restaurateurs. Since they first met – they have passionately pursued the goal of creating a world class hospitality company offering the finest dining experiences in the world.
Fiola ~ DC
The fine dining Michelin-starred flagship, Fiola takes a nostalgic perspective on traditional regional Italian cuisine but with a stylish and modern presentation.
In 2011, Chef Fabio Trabocchi opened Fiola, an Italian restaurant situated in Washington, D.C. Located on Pennsylvania Avenue between the United States Capitol and the White House, U.S. politicians are regularly seen eating at Fiola, including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Awards
- 2012 Bon Appétit 50 Best New Restaurants in America
- 2012 Best New Restaurant, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington
- 2014 Best Formal Dining Restaurant, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington
- 2017 Michelin Guide, one Michelin Star
Fiola ~ Miami
Featuring the same elegant, contemporary Italian dining, Fiola Miami encompasses approximately 5,800 square feet with seating for 120 guests inside, plus additional veranda seating. Jeffrey Beers International led the design of the restaurant, in collaboration with celebrated, Barcelona-based Lazaro Rosa-Violan, who designed the Trabocchi’s most recent restaurant, Del Mar.
Fiola Mare
Evoking the seaside dining experience found along the coasts of Italy and the Mediterranean, Fiola Mare is a Fabio Trabocchi Restaurant specializing in the freshest, most pristine seafood prepared with elegant simplicity through delicate and subtle additions of color, flavor and texture. Fiola Mare is a place to enjoy the highest quality seafood and wines paired with the finest hospitality and service in the city.
In 2014, Trabocchi opened Fiola Mare, a 7,500-square-foot (700 m) restaurant focused on Italian seafood, at Washington Harbour on the Georgetown waterfront. It soon became a popular destination for Washington’s elite. President Barack Obama and his family dined there in August 2014.
Awards
- 2015 RAMMY Award for Best New Restaurant
- 2015 Washingtonian Magazine Restaurateur of the Year
Sfoglina Pasta House
Established in 2016, Sfoglina is named for the Italian artisans that carry on the tradition of rolling sheets of pasta by hand. A neighborhood restaurant with three locations — Van Ness, Downtown, and Rosslyn, Va. — dedicated to the art of handmade pasta.
Awards
- SFOGLINA RETAINS BIB GOURMAND DESIGNATION FOR 2020
Bib Gourmand restaurants are selected by MICHELIN’s inspectors because they serve high-quality food available at a reasonable price. Sfoglina Van Ness was first awarded the Bib Gourmand designation in 2018.
Del Mar
Located at the District Wharf, Del Mar features authentic seafood fare and flavors from the coasts of Spain, the robust menu includes tapas, raw bar, charcoal grilled fish, seafood stews, and a variety of rice dishes (yes, paella)!
In 2017, Trabocchi opened Del Mar, a fine-dining restaurant focused on Spanish coastal cuisine, at The Wharf, a new development on Washington’s Southwest Waterfront. The 240-seat restaurant features a bi-level nautical-themed space with an open kitchen, towering ceilings, large windows overlooking the water and hand-painted forest green tiled walls. Early reviews have been positive, with the Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema placing Del Mar #1 on his list of top ten restaurants for 2018.
Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia
The Trabocchis’ growing restaurant group has brought them many accolades, yet their inspiration remains grounded in family traditions from Italy, Spain and the U.S. From the Michelin starred fine dining flagship, Fiola, to the neighborhood pasta house, Sfoglina, the Trabocchis’ signature remains their uncompromising commitment to quality and making every guest feel special upon every visit.
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