Hats off to chefs who go the extra mile -- or, in this case, the extra 4,108 miles -- to find the source of the food that is their passion.That's what Justin Melnick did eleven weeks ago.
Melnick, the chef at Tomasso Trattoria in Soutborough, took a hiatus from his day job to pursue the nature and the craft of Italian food.
He did this where it absolutely needed to be done.
In the Veneto.
In Piedmont.
In Tuscany.
And other places in between that, frankly, only he knows and understands.
Sunday night is his public debut back in the kitchen at Tomasso, and you get the sense that he is jonesing to show off just a little bit. (Check out the full menu here.)
And for the finishing touch?
Each of Melnick's Italy-infused courses will be paired with wines that GO, in the way that wine and food go together in a country that does eat without drinking and doesn't drink without eating.
The prodigal son has returned home.
And he's brought the goods.
WHAT: "Welcome Back Justin" Dinner
WHERE: Tomasso Trattoria, 154 Turnpike Road, Southborough
WHEN: Sunday, January 31 at 5 p.m.
COST: $75 per person plus tax + gratuity
DAILY TIDBIT:
"Vin Santo," which translates literally to "holy wine," is a traditional style of dessert wine. The freshly-harvested grapes (like Trebbiano, or sometimes Sangiovese) are dried on straw mats in a warm and well-ventilated part of the house or winery, often under rafters or staircases. Additional complexity comes from aging the wine in non-oak barrels made from chestnut, juniper, or cherry wood or a combination of those.
