Winding down our pre-opening activities, from tasting tasting tasting (and refining) the food, to stocking the bar, to a good luck ritual of firing up the espresso machine and tossing the first espressos over the restaurant front door threshold!  Here I am with friend Bob Prince, of Caffe Vita.

The last few days have been a flurry of activity to prepare for tonight's opening and first dinner service to the public. Training, tasting, serving and refining each dish, each ingredient, each technique.  Shown here, me and my very talented team, working side by side in the kitchen.

The food, part rustic, part refined, always trying to layer different textures and sensations (like warm and cool in the same bite, or soft and crunchy side by side). We have both a wood fired oven and a wood-fired grill in the open kitchen, one is perfecting a marinated grilled radicchio, and the other roasted lemons.

Here, and ancient grain red polenta from Italy, made creamy creamy creamy!

And our stuzzichini being plated and served for family and staff during training, including my house cured gray salt prosciutto, served with pasta fritta and a cup of Lambrusco!

Toscanello white beans served alla fiasco (in flask), with a generous drizzle of new press olive oil.

Check in on Monday to see how the opening went this weekend!

Ciao, - Michael