Spotlight: Lilia

Wish We Were There No. 01...It’s become clear that I’ve missed out. My once extensive wish-list of restaurants and travel destinations is being called into question. I thought there would be time to visit each and every one of them.

Things have turned upside down over these traumatic weeks and now it is unclear who will make it through 2020 and the pandemic. In turn, I will be featuring the chefs, cuisine and locales I wished I had met, eaten and visited in our feed, we’re calling it ‘Wish We Were There’; we will also be donating $25 to these establishments’ staff relief funds and praying for a positive outcome in the coming months as our hospitality friends look to reopen.

Our first spotlight is Lilia in Williamsburg. Please consider donating to their staff's Go Fund Me campaign and help them reach their goal.

Lilia brings the best of Italy to Brooklyn where wood-fired seafood, hand crafted pastas, classic Italian cocktails and warm hospitality come together to create a casual, yet exceptional dining experience.

Missy Robbins, head chef and owner, found her Italian soul in her five years as Executive Chef at Spiaggia from 2003-2008 in Chicago. Focusing her skills on Italian fine dining allowed Missy to find her true passion for cooking and to more fully understand regional Italian cooking.

Missy returned to New York in fall of 2008 to be the Executive Chef of A Voce. While there she maintained Michelin stars at both locations for the entirety of her tenure and also was honored to be one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2010. In 2016, she went solo, opened Lilia and became a beloved restaurateur and role model for chefs of all levels and backgrounds.

Photo: @lilianewyork