Mike Isabella

Graffiato

Graffiato (which means scratched in Italian—the first form of graffiti) is the debut restaurant for Mike Isabella and is expected to open in Spring 2011 in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of D.C.

Address: 707 6th St NW,
Washington DC 20001 | Map It
Website: graffiatodc.com

You might recognize Chef Mike Isabella from his appearances on Bravo TV’s "Top Chef" (both in Season 6 in Las Vegas and on "Top Chef All-Stars" where he was given a shot at redemption). An Italian-American who grew up in New Jersey, Isabella caught the cooking bug when he was just six years old.

"I’d follow my grandmother around the kitchen and steal fried meatballs out of the pan while they were still cooking," he recalls. Isabella, who loved being in and around the kitchen so much at a young age, attributes a lot of his affection and inspiration for cooking to his grandmother. "My grandmother, when she was not yelling at me for taking the meatballs, would give me little projects to do like peel garlic. My childhood memories of Italian flavors and cooking play a huge role in my cooking today."

During his culinary journey, Isabella has done stints as sous chef for James Beard Award winner Douglas Rodriguez at Alma de Cuba in Philadelphia; worked under the direction of Jose Garces at El Vez; and opened a fine dining establishment as executive sous chef of Marcus Samuelsson’s Washington Square. The "Top Chef" contender later moved to Atlanta, where he immersed himself in the traditions of Greek cooking while working as chef de cuisine at Kyma.

His desire to stay close to family led Isabella to settle in Washington D.C., where he spent three years as executive chef of Jose Andres’ Zaytinya. He earned accolades and national attention for D.C.’s Mediterranean powerhouse restaurant with Turkish-, Greek- and Lebanese-inspired dishes. Now, with an array cuisines, his Italian-American heritage and the momentum from "Top Chef" under his toque, Isabella is opening his first restaurant, Graffiato (which means scratched in Italian—the first form of graffiti) in the Penn Quarter neighborhood.

In our Q&A, Isabella talks about the D.C. food scene, Graffiato’s Italian-inspired menu, and how his experience at "Top Chef" changed his culinary perspective. He also shares his recipes for broccoli salad and roasted potato gnocchi with lamb ragout and spiced yogurt.

Q&A with Chef Mike Isabella

Recipes

Broccoli Salad

Roasted Potato Gnocchi and Lamb Ragout with Spiced Yogurt

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