Rob Rossi announces he’s leaving Mercatto for “new and exciting ventures”
News broke on Twitter this morning that Top Chef Canada finalist Rob Rossi will be leaving the Mercatto group of restaurants. For the past two years, the 27-year-old Rossi has been the executive chef at the Italian chain, overseeing two locations and opening up two more. Although there are three other contestants still vying for the position of Canada’s Top Chef (and the $100,000 prize), we have a hunch that Connie DeSousa may have made one too many sausage dishes to snatch the win, while Dale MacKay’s, um, assertiveness, may have gotten him into some hot water. Dustin Gallagher’s adorableness factor, meanwhile, can only go so far. “I am very excited to announce that I am moving on to new and exciting ventures,” wrote Rossi in an email. We can’t wait to find out more about what those ventures might be (and how they might be funded).
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
