Set in the world of San Francisco’s competitive restaurant culture, Trattoria serves up familial drama and foodie delights. Chef Sal Sartini and his second wife Cecilia have just opened their new restaurant, Cinquecento, and are trying to get the reviews and generate the buzz that restaurants need to succeed. As they work out the kinks and get the restaurant running smoothly, Sal’s estranged son Vince comes to visit and help out in the restaurant. While witnessing the master chef at work on old world Italian recipes, we also find that Vince’s presence brings underlying tensions to the surface. It becomes clear that by focusing so intensely on his success, Chef Sartini has lost his way, neglecting his family and forgetting what originally inspired him to cook. With the help of his son he must rekindle his passion for food and for life or risk losing what’s most important in both.


Written by Jason Wolos, Dawn Rich. Photographed by Frazer Bradshaw. With Tony Denison, John Patrick Amedori, Lisa Rotondi, Kandis Erickson. 82 min. Fine Dining Productions.