The heritage of Italian cooking
Italians know what is important in life: cooking, food and family. They know that this recipe is what makes life sweet and at Tavolino, we work every day to bring this tradition to you.
Our chef, Massimo Tenino, was born in Italy. His home, San Remo, is a coastal town located in northwest Italy between Nice and Genoa. As a child his days were focused around food, his family sat down for lunch and dinner every day to eat and talk about their day. It was during this time that Massimo first developed his love for cooking, food, and family. Massimo’s grandmother was a wonderful cook and it was she who inspired his passion for food and fresh simple ingredients.
25 years ago, Massimo brought his passion to the United States where he now owns and operates three restaurants in Arizona and California. His Tucson location, Tavolino, was established in 2003 and offers traditional lunch and dinner cuisine, a lively bar, private dining and catering. Massimo’s vision for Tavolino is to fuse an intimate neighborhood trattoria, a place where family and friends can come together as his own family once did, within a modern elegant setting.
While Massimo moved to the US to pursue his culinary aspirations his brother, Paolo, remained in Italy. Paolo Tenino owns and operates the Azienda Agricola Pietro Rinaldi winery and vineyard. The vineyard is located in Madonna di Como, in the Alba region of Piemonte. Paolo’s winery offers a selection of award winning wines that pair perfectly with the Tavolino menu to create a truly authentic Italian dining experience right here in Tucson.
