In the back of Jupiter restaurant Tavolena is a small private room where patrons can enjoy authentic Italian cuisine under the watchful eye of generations of family members, captured in black-and-white photographs around the room. Parties of up to eight gather around the central table and feast on comforting foods like homemade pasta, oversize meatballs, and savory signature sauces. What they may not know is that the inspiration for this unique restaurant came from the very table they are seated at.
Tavolena’s owner, Chef Michael Rolchigo, gazes fondly at the table and reminisces about a childhood spent in his grandmother’s kitchen in Utica, New York. “I learned how to make fresh pasta and roll my first meatball at that table,” he says. “[My grandmother] was my first teacher, and she was my best teacher, both about cuisine and about life.” When his grandmother passed away in 1999, Michael’s mother asked if there was anything of hers that he wanted to keep. His response was quick: “The first thing out of my mouth was, ‘I want the table.’”
At the time, he wasn’t sure what he would do with the table, but when he opened Tavolena in October 2023, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to take the legacy his grandmother had left him and share it with the community.
Nestled in the back of Seagrape Square shopping plaza off East Indiantown Road, Tavolena is the definition of a hidden gem. In just over a year since it opened, it has become a favorite of many local residents, and the reason for its popularity is readily apparent to anyone who has had the pleasure of eating there. The menu features specialties from the upstate New York region combined with Michael’s grandmother’s recipes, including the Sunday Italian Feast. “My grandmother served it every Sunday,” he says of the enormous plate of meatballs, sausage, and boneless pork ribs cooked in a Parma tomato sauce that is simmered for eight hours and served over ziti.
The dessert menu is equally memorable. Patrons are hard-pressed to choose between Lena’s Famous Almond Paste Cookies and the Unholy Cannoli “Sicilian Style.” Happily,
almost everyone goes home with leftovers.
A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Michael earned degrees in both culinary and pastry arts, graduating in 1996 with honors. He first honed his skills at the award-winning Gramercy Tavern in New York City, then at The Frog and the Peach and The Grand Summit Hotel in New Jersey. Tired of the cold winters, he moved to South Florida in 2001, where he built a reputation as a top executive chef at the Players Club in Wellington, then at Jupiter Island Grill.
In 2013, he struck out on his own, opening Krave in Tequesta. After selling the restaurant in 2017, he took a break from the business and pursued another dream, bottling and selling his own hot sauces. Then he returned to the restaurant scene with Tavolena. “I’m going back to my roots, back to Italian and how I was raised,” he says of his latest eatery.
His partner at home and at work is his wife of eight years, Lisa. An accomplished interior designer, Lisa has a unique creative vision that can be seen in the distinctive design of Tavolena. “I had the color scheme in my head, but then it evolved into an entity of its own,” she says of the restaurant’s Roman-themed decor. She points out the herringbone pattern on the bar tile, the snake sconces on the walls, and the greyhound dog sculptures on either side of the bar, all elements of Roman heritage. “I wanted to make it warm and inviting but also make it a ‘wow,’ like when you open the doors you are transported to Rome.”
Lisa has a knack for making dining a memorable experience. A graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, she ran her own interior design business in Chicago before moving to Jupiter in 1990. After taking time off to raise her daughters, she opened a tabletop specialty store called Trovare in Jupiter in 2013 (she closed the store in 2017). The shop backed up to Jupiter Island Grill, which is where she met Michael. She was there dining with her daughters, and the chef stopped by their table. “It was love at first sight,” says Lisa. The couple married in 2016.
Lisa says she has always had a passion for setting a table, which makes the couple’s partnership a perfect match. When they have dinner parties, Michael does the cooking and Lisa creates the tablescape. She loves a good theme and has created designs around Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Yellowstone (the TV show), and Halloween, using everything from jewelry and ornaments to dragons and dry ice.
For holiday dinners at home in Jupiter, Michael says he draws inspiration from his grandmother. “I like to put a creative spin on traditional foods my grandparents made for the holidays,” he says. Some of the dishes he typically makes: prime beef Chateaubriand, black truffle potato pavé, roasted root vegetable medley, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, insalata di mare (scallops, shrimp, calamari, and mussels with a Bloody Mary sauce), clams casino with a bacon-based stuffing, and Saint-André Brie crostini. His cocktail of choice for holiday dinners? Portuguese sangria, a favorite of his grandfather, who was from Madeira Island. Desserts typically include an assortment of Italian cookies, including Lena’s Famous Almond Paste Cookies (named for his Italian grandmother) and homemade gelato flavored with fresh ingredients like basil and coconut. “Both of my grandmothers were amazing bakers, so cookies are a big part of every year’s holiday menu,” says Michael, who will be celebrating the holidays this year at home with family and friends. He will have some help in the kitchen from his son Tyler, head waiter at Tavolena and a talented chef in his own right, and Chef Marco Ortega, who works alongside Michael at the restaurant.
Lisa, as usual, will design a gorgeous tablescape for the holiday feast. This year, she draws inspiration from the mythical Roman goddess Salacia, “divinity of the sea.” “I want the table setting to reflect the beauty and gifts of living in our oceanside town,” she says.
After the holidays, Michael and Lisa look forward to celebrating their second year of business at Tavolena, where they recently expanded with Tavolena Sandwich and Bakery next door. At press time, the bakery was slated to open this month, serving fresh-baked breads and cookies, pastries, and signature sandwiches.
“Starting all over again [in the restaurant business] after five years, the response has been amazing,” says Michael. “It’s great to hear people say that they can’t wait to come back this season.” 185 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter; 561.972.7228
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