Restaurant News

Mike Isabella is the chef/owner of Graffiato, Kapnos and G in Washington, D.C., as well as G GrabandGo, in Edison, N.J. Outside of his restaurants, Isabella is known for his appearance on Season Six of Top Chef, as the runner-up on Top Chef All-Stars, and as the author of Mike Isabella’s Crazy Good Italian. Recently, Isabella took time out from testing the menu for Pepita, his Mexican cantina set to open in Arlington, Va., early next year, to talk about the importance of going back to basics, thinking differently in the kitchen and why he eschews flashy modern cooking techniques.