Where Stefano Frigerio landed
Several readers have written me wondering where Stefano Frigerio ended up once he left Cinghiale. He's the chef who arrived in Baltimore with such fanfare from the highly respected Maestro in McLean, Va., then left a couple of months after the latest Foreman-Wolf project opened. When I talked to Frigerio over the phone after he left, I asked him to let me know where he would be next. (It couldn't be a Baltimore restaurant because of a noncompete agreement.)
True to his word, he had his PR person send me a press release announcing that he has just started as executive chef at Mio Restaurant in downtown DC. The release went on to say...
...Mio opened in May 2007 and has fallen off the radar since losing its Chef, JohnPaul Damato, one week after opening. Chef Frigerio comes to the restaurant with a set of strong kitchen credentials and innovative new menus of American cuisine with Mediterranean influences. After a month of training the kitchen to prepare food in classic European techniques of whole animal cookery, diners can now feast on dishes such as grilled venison loin with sautéed cauliflower and gin-juniper sauce and slow-braised pheasant with parmesan, roasted pumpkin and crispy parsnips.
Interestingly, in listing Frigerio's impressive culinary history, the press release makes no mention of his stint in Baltimore.
Comments
I just ate at Mio this week and had no idea. The food didn't sound incredible from the menu descriptions, but it was a more-than-pleasant surprise.
Posted by: mary | January 16, 2008 12:08 PM
What does a "noncompete agreement" mean? That we settle for a monopoly (for some a mediocre one) of culinary exhibition? (Don't get me wrong I do appreciate and go to the Charleston restos). I for one would love to have tons of choices in restaurants from tons of chefs that would more than expand and enhance the Baltimore palate such as those found in and around DC. There ought to be a law against that here!
Posted by: Eric | January 16, 2008 12:50 PM
I went to Cinghiale for the first time last Friday for lunch. What a confused restaurant. The wait staff was good but for a $100 lunch for 2 people with no drinks, they should be. The food was just ridiculous. I ordered a chaucutiere platter (spelling?) as an app and a sandwich for the main. The sandwich was average, if I was eating at the Au Bon Pain, but for a “up-scale” establishment, the flavor, and plating left much to be desired. However, even worse, and down right obnoxious was the platter, which looked like it came straight out of an Italian slop house. 3 huge piles of lunch meat on a small plate with no garnish, no olive oil, no anything, just three piles of cold meat. It flew about as well as the Hindenburg landed. Foreman needs to come to grips with reality, realize that he is not Stephen Starr and just focus on controlling consistency at his remaining restaurants.
Posted by: Ryan M. | January 17, 2008 8:08 PM
Well that's it i see alot of different reviews about this place i think its time for me to get down there and really have a feel if mister Foreman he reall knows how to do italian ( with all do respect for the chef) but to cook italian it is not enough to have the gran ma' cook for you , you need to feel italian .
well wish me good luck
Posted by: Chef for life | January 18, 2008 12:21 PM