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Eastern Shore Restaurant Buzz | April 2009

Raye Vallion

Ava’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar

409 South Talbot Street

St. Michaels, MD 21663

410.745.3081

Pictured Right: Margarita pizza with homemade mozzarella cheese, prepared by Executive Chef Chris Fazio.

When to Enjoy

Closed Mondays

Open Tues.–Sun.

12 p.m. until the last guest arrives

No reservations or parties over 8

Expect to Pay

Appetizers and salads: $8

Entrees: $10-20

Wines: $5 glasses through $180 bottles

Executive Chef: Chris Fazio

Photography and story by Raye Vallion

As I entered Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar, the first thing I noticed was the unmistakable savory scent of roasted garlic. Looking around, the warm colors and finishes of the bar and dining room immediately made me feel welcome. Executive Chef Chris Fazio brought me back to the bright and airy kitchen where he prepared the featured dish – Shrimp and Polenta. Fazio comes to the Shore with quite the profile in the restaurant world; prior to his venture in St. Michaels, he was the sous chef at Central Michel Richard in Washington, D.C., the 2008 James Beard Foundation Award winner for Best New Restaurant. Awards from the James Beard Foundation represent the highest honor for chefs and restaurant professionals in America, once called "the Oscars of the food world" by Time magazine.Considering the expectations such a reputation entails, I glanced to the other side of the kitchen and saw a rarity in this part of the world, an actual wood burning pizza oven. Together with owner Chris Agharabi, Fazio has been operating Ava’s for a little over 3 months and it’s the spot in historic St. Michaels. Located right on Talbot Street, Ava’s (named for owner Agharabi’s 4 year old daughter) offers not only great food and specialty pizzas, but a wine and beer list eclectic enough to satisfy everyone’s vice. In addition to the featured dish, Chef Fazio prepared a traditional Margarita Pizza, made with in-house fresh mozzarella cheese. He then took a few minutes to discuss his culinary career and the subtleties of the dish he's prepared.

How did your culinary career begin?

My grandfather started to teach me the basics of cooking when I was 7. He imbedded in me a passion for food correlating with my family that has always stuck with me. I continued to further my culinary education throughout my life as a private hobby until a few years ago when I decided to go to L’Academie de Cuisine (Gaithersburg and Bethesda) to pursue this professionally.

Describe the culinary influence present in your dishes.

I love all types of food and have many influences. My main love is Italian food, first off, and then I mix in some French techniques along with Asian flair.

How did you come to work at and/or open this restaurant?

The owner, Chris Agharabi and I actually went to culinary school together and he came to me with this opportunity one day. So I decided to get out of the “D.C. scene” and came to check out the Eastern Shore. I love it here.

What do you like the most about your job?

My favorite thing, number one, is the customers. It’s amazing when people come up to you with curiosity and ask you questions. Sometimes they inquire about the oven, the dough or if they have problems about their own recipes and ask for your opinion. It was amazing how everyone embraced us and it gives us a great sense of community here in St. Michaels.

What makes this dish special to you?

This dish was one of the first entrees we created for the restaurant – it’s also a very warm and comforting type of dish.

Is this recipe a traditional recipe or have you modified it?

It’s a traditional recipe that Chris Agharabi and I have modified – instead of shrimp and grits, we use polenta and different ingredients for our spin of this classic dish

How difficult is this dish to prepare at home?

It’s very simple to prepare at home and will only take about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Is there a particular wine/drink that goes well with this dish? I prefer a dryer white with this dish such as certain chardonnays or a light pinot gris. I feel that it really brings out the natural sweetness of the shrimp and pulls together the dish with the polenta.

Shrimp & Polenta

Ingredients

1 small tomato - diced

½ cup diced green olive

½ cup diced kalamata olives

¼ cup capers

¼ cup diced onion

¼ chopped parsley

5 peeled and deveined shrimp

1 ½ cup prepared polenta

1 T basil pesto

Basil oil

Dry sherry

Instructions

Prepare the polenta. While the polenta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, olives, diced onion, capers, and parsley in a separate bowl, and toss. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sauté them with a small amount of olive oil. Add the tomato/olive mix to the shrimp, and continue to sauté, adding the basil pesto. Deglaze the pan with a splash of the sherry. Plate your polenta and top with the tomato/olive mix. Lay the shrimp on top and finish with basil oil.