Graffiato by Mike Isabella

It’s been several months since we first sat down with Mike Isabella to talk about the opening for his first restaurant, Graffiato. We waited patiently, following the posts on the construction process on Graffiato’s website and a few weeks ago, received a press release that the much anticipated day was coming!

There is nothing extravagant or haughty about Graffiato. The restaurant’s décor is unpretentious with a tiny open kitchen and its centerpiece, the wood burning oven. And this is exactly how Chef Isabella wants it to be; a neighborhood joint reminiscent of the ones he grew up frequenting in New Jersey and New York. Chef Isabella’s dishes are the real stars of the restaurant. And they all shine very bright, brighter even that the superstars that grace the basketball court and ice rink of the Verizon Center, across the street.

Chef Isabella’s menu is based on his firm Italian-American roots. Even though many of the restaurants he worked at early in his career were everything but Italian, Chef Isabella has returned triumphantly to the dishes he learned from his grandmother as a boy. When talking about the roasted potato gnocchi, which you will find on Graffiato’s menu, Chef Isabella gives all the credit for the gnocchi recipe to his grandmother.

Many of his dishes on the menu use classic Italian-American techniques with Chef Isabella’s signature touch. This can be seen in everything from the sweet corn agnolotti to the pizza. Speaking of pizza, Chef Isabella can compete with the best of them. His dough is similar to that of a traditional Neapolitan pizza, however his toppings are quite inventive. Fried calamari on pizza? Absolutely, and it works magnificently, along with provolone cheese and a drizzle of cherry pepper aioli. This pizza has a very interesting and endearing name, “The Jersey Shore”.

EatItalian.com spent an afternoon with Mike at Graffiato, and what an afternoon it was! Chef Isabella has hit a “Grand Slam” with Graffiato. Mike’s food is full of bold flavors, creative presentations and a style all his own. The thought and detail that Mike has put into his dishes are impressive, true to his personality and express the depth of his knowledge in many ethnic cuisines. Coming off of ‘Top Chef” and all of the publicity surrounding this opening, one would have high expectations about Isabella’s food. We can honestly say that our expectations were more than exceeded!

Check out this video tour of Graffiato and watch Mike make his Sweet Corn Agnolotti...