Domenica Macchia is on the move. Again. This week, my favorite fast-talking, passionate chef will take over the kitchen at Bella Brava, replacing outgoing chef Trevor Lyman at the modern Italian restaurant on downtown St. Pete's Central Avenue.
New Bella Brava co-owner Mike Harting (fresh from a long career with Outback Steakhouse), started looking for a new chef a couple of months ago. Macchia — who's first generation Italian, and tried to get a job at Bella Brava in the restaurant's early days — was the right fit. She left Diner 437 this past weekend, after opening the gastro-diner to pretty much universal local acclaim a few months back.
So, of course, I woke her up this morning to get her thoughts. She's worried about people thinking she's switching jobs too much, and doesn't want to say anything bad about her previous employers, but most of all she's happy. Excited. Even groggy from sleep, talking to Macchia is like talking to a culinary machine-gun:
Why'd you leave Diner 437?
This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2009.