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Business & Tech

Cooking With: Cafe II Villaggio's Michele Domingo

Patch went into the kitchen to learn a little about the guru cooking up the good food at Café Il Villaggio.

There’s a reason why customers remain loyal to Chef Michele Domingo, his lovely wife, Lucy and their family at Café Il Villaggio. 

Not only is their food something that keeps people coming back for more, but there is great heart in this authentic Italian café. 

In this interview, Patch gets a sneak peak of the heart and experiences of Chef Michele Domingo.

How long have you worked as a chef?

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“I’ve worked as a chef in this country for 25 years.”

Where did you study?

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“At La Scuola al Berghiera Erice in Sicily.”

Who was your biggest influence?

“My whole family was an influence, especially my brother.  We worked in the restaurant business in Italy.  We worked from the bottom up.”

What made you want to cook for a living?

“I enjoy it.  There is a sense of fulfillment bringing people around a table.”

What is your style of cooking?

“There are influences of Northern fused with Southern traditional Italian dishes.  It’s always evolving.  I always want to try new things and think outside of the box.”

What is your signature dish?

“Seafood Risotto is one.  Others are layered dishes like prosciutto with fresh mozzarella in chestnut sauce over veal.  People love our salads.  They go crazy over my house salad dressing!  We go through about 10 gallons a week.  I’ll never give out the recipe.”

What are some of your favorite places you’ve worked?

“My own restaurants are my favorite.  We’ve had Café Il Villaggio for 16 years.  Before that, we owned La Rotonda in North Babylon for four years.”

What are your hopes for the future?

“We hope to continue to serve the village customers.  They have become part of our family.”

What is some advice you would give to new business owners starting out?

“Learn to wear all the hats from the bottom up.  You name it, we’ve done it!”

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