601 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
From Fiola:
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
-Sir Winston Churchill
My team at Fiola make me proud. They perform to the highest level of professionalism and passion for our craft. On Monday night, an incident occurred that is not part of a normal dinner service. It required clearing a restaurant of protesters disguised as patrons at the bar and escorting Senator Ted Cruz and his wife through a side passage, while not skipping a beat with the other dinner guests who had joined us for a meal.
I am grateful for a team that treated everyone with respect, and kept their heads as the authorities were called to help restore order to our establishment. When the issue was resolved, I am proud of how quickly our team adjusted, discreetly bringing Senator and Mrs. Cruz back through the kitchen, and proceeded to serve them a wonderful dinner, alongside the other Fiola patrons.
Personally, I am blessed to work with the staff who have handled the harassment and life-threatening messages we and our families have received in the wake of the event. They have shown remarkable grit and calm. It is scary to hear anger directed at you and those you love– I am lucky to work with brave people who respect our work. They are passionate about the magic and the art we create every single day.
I am in hospitality, not public safety.
Yet in the past 24 hours, security and privacy consultants and investigators have implemented additional safety and security measures have been implemented across our restaurants to ensure the ongoing and future privacy, safety and security of our staff and guests.
We did our best Monday night to show DC what it means to live, love, and work in a city where all voices are welcome– and quite necessary– to make a republic work. It takes everyone. Just like any family. It requires respect, listening, and sometimes a little etiquette, like keeping your elbows and your politics off the dinner table. As for me and my Fabio Trabocchi Group family, we will continue serving everyone in the world-class way we were trained and strive for.
We are Fiola DC– and I’m quite proud of that.
Fabio Trabocchi
Chef Owner”