a trabocco in Alameda
Giuseppe Naccarelli, the chef/operator at Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails in Alameda, grew up in Abruzzo, Italy, a region bordered on the east by mountains and on the west by The Adriatic Sea. Naccarelli was raised in the kitchen and after moving to America spent nearly 20 years at Il Fornaio. With his first foray into restaurant ownership he hearkens back to the coastline of his childhood and the wooden fishing machines that dotted the shore. Working with my friend Lev Weisbach (and yes, I even helped a bit with the original space planning), the design team used these fishing machines, or trabocci, to color the textures and details of Naccarelli’s first restaurant. The end product is elegant and yet comfortable and exciting at the same time.