Diehard foodies are clapping with glee: executive chef Fabio Trabocchi — formerly of the now-closed Maestro restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton at Tysons Corner — is back in town. He now runs and cooks for his very own restaurant — Fiola, in Penn Quarter. Born in the Le Marche region of Italy near Umbria, Trabocchi grew up on a farm, and eating well was part of life. “My dad was a farmer,” he said, “and I was always with dad and with other farmers. And since I was 14, I have been cooking. It was part of the family’s lifestyle.”
Since his family relied on farm-fresh ingredients, Trabocchi learned at an early age the essence of farm-to-table cooking: to rely on prime ingredients, and to respect their quality and flavor. “This is very trendy for chefs and restaurants right now,” he said, “but it’s been that way for hundreds of years in Italy.”
