Power chef

GIORGIO RAPICAVOLI • Luca Osteria, Eating House, Mayfair Grill

WORK • Thursday Routine

GIORGIO RAPICAVOLI • chef & owner • Luca Osteria, Eating House, Mayfair Grill
Neighborhood you work in: Coral Gables & Coconut Grove

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
At around 7ish, I head straight to the gym. Thursday usually consists of a mid-level workout, which begins with a five-mile run with Team Soul, then we’ll head to the Crossfit Soul gym, and I’ll either do the workout of the day or some strength stuff — gymnastics or bodybuilding. I’ll workout until maybe 10:15 or so. Exercise is a crucial, important part of my day, so I do my best to avoid taking calls or meetings in the morning.

After the gym, I’ll make myself breakfast, which is pretty much the same thing every day, a shake with collagen and whey protein, and Greek yogurt with a nice granola and fresh fruit.

What’s on the agenda for today?
Today I’m headed to a P&L meeting. We didn’t always have these back in the day when we were a small restaurant, but we’ve grown up. We have 50+ employees that rely on us to run the restaurants as best we can, so it’s something we take seriously now. Once I’ve wrapped my meetings, I’ll grab a quick, healthy lunch, maybe something from Rice on Giralda Avenue, or one of the healthy fast-casual spots in the area.

Once 4pm hits, we do pre-shift, go over any menu specials or changes. Sometimes I’ll do wine tastings too. I usually have a couple tastings a week, because I also handle the wine menu at both Luca and Eating House. Service starts at 5pm and I’ll spend the rest of the night commanding the kitchen and expediting or overseeing service, and sometimes, helping out with wine service.

How about a little leisure or culture?
Most of my leisure time involves running. I just ran my first marathon in December and I’m running the Chicago Marathon in October. I’m also planning a group run from the restaurant, where hopefully a bunch of industry people will join us. After my runs, I like to pop into the Vizcaya Farmers Market and grab a fresh juice. I also enjoy taking my son, Luca, to LNB Grovestand for rainbow smoothies and tropical fruit on the weekends. I don’t go to as many concerts or shows these days, but my next big one is in Atlanta in April to see Glassjaw and Poison the Well.

Any weekend getaways?
To me, there's nothing better than driving down to the Keys for lunch. It’s usually not even a whole weekend thing, but it’s nice to take a day to just drive slow, take in the beauty of the Keys, and relax. I’ll usually stop anywhere that feels good at the moment for fresh seafood. I like Key Largo Fisheries a lot, and there are some cool breweries in the area, like Islamorada Brewery & Distillery.

What was your last great vacation?
Italy, just over a year ago. My family is from Piemonte, and I think it’s the most spectacular and most overlooked region in the country. The wine is amazing and it’s just so beautiful. Alba is an amazing little town to visit, and of course there’s the capital, Turin. Make sure you get a Bicerin, which is a three layer chocolate, coffee, and milk beverage invented there. I always get my fill of carne cruda, which is this region’s version of beef tartare, and tastes like nothing you’ll find anywhere else. The University of Gastronomic Sciences (also known as Slow Food University) in Pollenzo is also a must. There’s an insane wine cellar, and the restaurant at Albergo dell'Agenzia right on the campus has the best panna cotta in the world.

What store or service do you always recommend?
I love USA Sports Therapy — specifically the Coral Gables location — that’s where my PT work is done. I don’t do physical therapy to treat an injury, but I do it to prevent them. I’ve been going to USA Sports Therapy for three years and these guys have kept me really healthy and feeling great. I also love J Flo Therapy. My boy Mikey is my massage therapist, and he’s awesome.