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| Chef Glen Mikowski of Tramici |
If anyone should know the secret ingredient in contemporary
Italian cuisine, it’s Glen Mikowski, Executive Chef at Tramici on St. Simons
Island. As he ponders what his team will bring to the table for A Taste of
Glynn 2012, he reflected on his longtime love of authentic Italian
cooking.
“It’s
not so much an ingredient, like tomatoes or olives, that defines true Italian
cooking,” he pointed out. “It’s the dedication to true enjoyment of food, and
love of family that makes it so unique. In Italian families, you frequently
find that everyone helps out, every person has a role to play in preparing a
dinner. It’s not unusual to work all day to prepare one meal.”
Growing
up in Detroit, Chef Mikowski got a first-hand look at the dynamics of the cucina
della famiglia from a large Italian family
who were close friends of his parents. The warmth, fun and inclusiveness drew
him into the culinary world in the most loving way. After finishing his
culinary degree at the famed Johnson and Wales University campus in Charleston,
South Carolina, Chef Mikowski shared his talents with several upscale
establishments before joining the Halyard’s Restaurant Group to head operations
at the contemporary Italian operation at Tramici.
Since
Tramici is a family restaurant, we just had to ask: what do you do about taking
picky eaters out to dinner with the grownups? Chef Mikowski’s answer is to call
ahead to the restaurant and find one with a number of options for young guests.
Then, let them take the initiative on what they would like to eat. Tramici has
an extensive bambini menu, and the
kitchen is prepared to make a myriad of variations. Noodles with no sauce but
lots of butter, on a plate where nothing else can touch it and only a little
cheese at the very top of the heap?
OK.
No problem, no argument, no power struggles. Just enjoy your food and enjoy the
experience of being included in the party. Encourage trying something new, but
don’t insist. At home, he suggests asking kids to help plan the menu and
participate in the cooking, Italian style. The way it has been for generations.
Why
is Italian cuisine timeless? The answer, Chef Mikowski revealed, is its adaptability and easy
blend of new flavors with traditional technique.
“A
good example,” he pointed out, “is ravioli. Take one of our most popular pasta
creations at Tramici, the smoked chicken with white bean ravioli. Now, smoking
food is not typically an Italian method of preparing meat. But it is such a
great blend with the pasta that it stays in the spirit of mingling great
flavors in the most appealing way. It’s that concept of combining good tastes
for the greatest enjoyment that is typically Italian.”
Blending
independent elements into a new creation that lets each ingredient speak for
itself, but results in something that is more than the sum of its parts? Sounds
like a family, doesn’t it?
If
Chef Mikowski could order anything under the sun for dinner, his first pick is
a specialty at Tramici- the short rib ravioli. With a mellow marsala cream
sauce, spinach and cherry tomatoes, of course. His favorite celebrity chef? It
has to be Mario Batali, the chef, writer, restaurant owner, Iron Chef star and expert on regional Italian cooking.
Be
sure to visit the Tramici table at A Taste of Glynn, on Sunday, March 25, 2012,
from 5-8 PM at the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island. The
Tramici team will compete for The People’s Choice Award at A Taste of Glynn
this year, as well as prizes in menu-specific judged categories. Chef Mikowski
and crew will also serve up their best efforts to claim the inaugural Celebrity
Chef’s Choice Award, judged this year by Chef Holly Chute, Executive Chef of
the Georgia Governor’s Mansion. Tickets are available at the King and Prince,
and SunTrust Bank locations on Demere Road and Sea Island Road on St. Simons.
In Brunswick, purchase tickets at LaiLai’s, Hattie’s Books, color me happy and
Moore Stephens Tiller LLC. Or call the Glynn Community Crisis Center at
264-1348. Come hungry and, of course, bring the family!
Photo by Lindy Thompson of Golden Isles Photography
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