Boom! It’s a phrase he uses a lot and one that perfectly describes his meteoric rise to culinary and social media fame. Less than a decade ago, an Italian chef came over to the US after selling everything he owned and barely speaking English. Since then, he’s been voted a Fan Favorite on BRAVO’s Top Chef, become an Instagram sensation, and just opened his ninth restaurant venue in Miami. So it’s easy to see that Chef Fabio Viviani knows a little something about the word “Boom!” despite his humble beginnings.
“I didn’t grow up under anyone’s wings,” Viviani says about his childhood in Florence, Italy. “I worked at 11 with kids my own age. There’s no big influencer for me, but most of people I’ve met, I’ve learned something from.” He carried that early work ethic and real Italian approach to cooking over with him when he came to America and participated on Top Chef. During the show, and since then, he has become known for his larger than life personality and widely popular restaurants with real authentic Italian dishes. But throughout all that success,
Viviani’s approach to his cooking has remained the same: creating an upscale simplicity to showcase a taste that is both comfortable and delicious. “When you grow up in a busy simple town, you don’t have a lot of ingredients. It’s not accessible always so we keep it basic. Just keep it simple and casual yet refined, pretty but don’t complicate quality or taste.”
That uncomplicated style has led to several successful restaurants across the country, including Siena Tavern Miami, sister restaurant to the wildly successful Siena Tavern Chicago, which opened in Fall 2014. Viviani will be coming back to Chicago to open the steakhouse Prime & Provisions in Spring 2015, as it’s a home city for him, and one where he feels a deep culinary connection. “Chicago is exemplary in the food industry; it’s the new mecca for food. It’s a conscious city for food but not pretentious.”
This stance and support of the Windy City food community was even further exemplified when Viviani opened two fast casual lunch destinations for the Loop corporate crowd in the Spring of 2014. Mercato by Fabio Viviani is a concept created to provide a fast and delicious meal to workday lunchers, and features an elevated fast casual menu with items like proscuitto and grilled pear pizza or his mom’s meatball sandwich.
Viviani explains that “everyone hates hotel and airport food… the quality goes down the drain.” But Mercato, he says, “has the same attention to detail as our other restaurants.” They’ll be opening concepts nationwide, including a Southern California location this summer. “[Mercato] has the same quality, it’s inspired and has passion but is placed in a business crowd. This crowd works during the day so it had to be a fast, casual and corporate scenario for them. We’re going to take over the nation…well, at least the corporate part!”
But he certainly seems to be taking over more than the corporate food world. In addition to his varying restaurants, Vivaini also launched his own wine line that includes Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay with (of course) an emphasis on quality but uncomplicated taste profiles. That, plus successful cookbooks, including last fall’s Fabio’s American Home Kitchen, an e-magazine and Internet show, means this Italian seems to be everywhere these days! But it’s a success that is hard won. “I don’t measure success. I just work really hard. Am I successful? Yes, but who’s counting,” Viviani expounds. “I’m blessed and fortunate. We’re going to keep expanding with the right people and mentality.” Boom indeed!
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Kaleigh Glaza
- Image courtesy
- Fabio Viviani
