Fabio Trabocchi, Michelin-starred chef, highlights tradition and seasonality

Fabio Trabocchi and his restaurants seem to be guided by a simple, yet profound statement, life is to be savored. Tradition feeds that belief.

Acclaimed chef and restaurateur, Fabio Trabocchi is a master of Italian cuisine. With numerous successful roles in various restaurants, Chef Trabocchi has earned a Michelin Star for his Washington DC restaurant, Fiola, as well as many other accolades.

While these praises earn him recognition in the foodie world, his dishes speak volumes. In a way, that impeccable plate of food tells a story of both the past and a glimpse into the future.

Chef Trabocchi recently opened Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia. This fine dining restaurant located at the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, which is situated on its own private island. This restaurant is said to epitomize exclusivity and luxury.

Combining seasonal ingredients and regional cuisine, the menu evolves and changes as does the area around it. From the first whiff of herbs to the final spoon of panacotta, the dining experience is like a journey through Italian delights.

In addition to the impressive Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia, Chef Trabocchi is joining other celebrated chefs to celebrate Gather. The JW Epicurean & Mindful Experience will be held at the W Marriott Venice Resort & Spa on September 26-29, 2019.

For the second year, this event highlights the connection between food, wine and wellness. The connectivity between all elements offers the ultimate self-nourishment experience.

Ahead of Gather, Chef Fabio Trabocchi graciously answered some questions regarding his culinary inspiration, Italian cuisine and the importance of season ingredients.

Below is a transcript of that interview.

Cristine Struble: Fiola is described as contemporary Italian cuisine and family tradition, how important is having that family tradition influence in Italian cuisine?

Chef Fabio Trabocchi: Every chef is a product of a place and a tradition. Our origins and traditions give our food its soul; they can be sensed in the food. Traditions – and not just my personal tradition, but the traditions of Venetians and their cuisine – are important at Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia at JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa because the restaurant represents Fiola’s expansion internationally and my personal homecoming to Italy. My dining guests can expect seasonal ingredients locally sourced from Venice’s famous, centuries-old Rialto Market, from the Adriatic Sea, as well as vegetables and herbs from our garden and the exclusive olive oil from the private island’s own olive grove.

CS: While many of your dishes have a sense of nostalgia, why is giving a guest the unexpected on the plate important to your style of cooking?

FT: Adding a personal touch to any of the regional dishes helps to elevate them and brings an element of surprise.

CS: Highlighting seasonal ingredients is a theme in all your dishes, why are seasonal ingredients important to Italian cooking?

FT: The soul of Italian cooking is based on seasonality of ingredients and local product. Therefore, high quality ingredients and seasonal ingredients are the foundation of the approach of Italian cooking. My dishes at Fiola at Dopolavoro are a combination of seasonal ingredients locally sourced from Venice’s famous Rialto Market as well as organic vegetables from our kitchen gardens, which guests will get to experience during my ‘A Return to Roots,’ dinner at Gather by JW, JW Marriott’s second annual food and wine festival in Venice this September.

Keep it simple, and that doesn’t mean there is anything simple about simplicity. Let the products speak for themselves and respect the authenticity of regional cuisine. To move forward we always must maintain a nostalgic view of the past, and never forget the roots of Italian regional cuisine.

CS: For fall, what seasonal ingredients would you highlight in a simple Italian dish?

FT: Some of my favorite fall ingredients are apples, pumpkins and squash, persimmons, pears, and all the products of the beginning of the game season. Finally, the prestigious Alba white truffle.

FoodSided would like to thank Chef Fabio Trabocchi for taking the time to chat with us.

Gather A JW Epicurean & Mindful Experience takes place from September 26-29. For more information, please visit the event website.

Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia at JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa is open Monday, Thursday – Sunday 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. and is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

How are you inspired to bring tradition into your cooking? Do seasonal ingredients influence how and what you cook?