Having always had a love of cooking, I have spent the past 27 years, from the time I arrived in the United States, striving to offer true Italian cuisine, reminiscent of that one would enjoy throughout Italy. It is my goal in each of my restaurants to allow guests to, “Experience the Italian Way: Eat Well, Live Well.”

My blog was born not just out of love for food and the Italian experience, but in response to the increasingly negative and critical culture surrounding restaurants that has surfaced as a result of restaurant journalists and in-experienced critiques who fail to complete fact-checks with restaurant public relations personnel and opt for a more personal spin in their articles. My efforts to allow my customers and the public to see both sides of the story has risen predominately from a March 2007 article in The Washingtonian in which restaurant journalist Todd Kliman did not perform a fact check with my public relations director and chose to make mention of many factual inaccuracies on a more personal level, as well as in regards to that of the food offered at my restaurant. While I once overlooked such “mistakes” as just that, it is clear that many articles written by Kliman and other “food critiques” are comprised of more than the acceptable amount of errors and inaccuracies to the point that they can be damaging to the reputation of restaurants and chefs.

Hence the bumper stickers one may see driving around town: “DON’T BELIEVE THE WASHINGTONIAN.” I have made it my mission with my blog to provide restaurateurs and the general public insight as to the Chef’s perspective of quality of food, preparation, service, and so forth through my comments on reviews that I find to be unfair, not-objective, and not constructively criticized. As well, I invite other Chef’s to write and share their personal opinions of critiques and experiences. I welcome and look forward to your feedback. Buon Appetito!