Mario Petit, Chef and Co-owner of Mamma Mia Trattoria,
Westminster, CO Mario's Insalata Caprese Wine Tasting in Chianti Selecting Fresh Artichokes at a Local Market for Today's Menu

Visiting the Local Shepherdess for her Pecorino Cheese

Mario Petit brought his restaurant experience and flair for cooking from his home region of Tuscany to Mamma Mia Trattoria in Westminster, Colorado where he is Chef and co-owner. Eager to share his passion and artistry, you can join him in this opportunity to work in our Tuscan kitchen and visit the artisans who produce the fresh and special ingredients and the winemakers who make Tuscan wines an unforgettable experience.

With Mario you'll enjoy gleaning fresh herbs from Selva's kitchen garden and picking Tuscan vegetables from the orto (vegetable garden). Lucky visitors in the spring will enjoy fava beans and fresh baby beets; those in the summer will find the bounty of tomatoes; and those in the fall, zucca (squash) and cavolo nero (black kale).

Planning the day’s menu with Mario will depend on what looks best at the local markets. A seaside fishmonger may recommend the catch of the day for dinner. Your visit to a hilltop salumeria to learn about local pork products might inspire that evening’s antipasto. Our local butcher will be happy to consult on the best cut for that night’s featured dish. You’ll visit the estate’s olive press (the original one dates from 1759) to discover the source of the piquant olive oil used in all our cooking. Pairing wine with food is a critical part of enjoying the meal, and you’ll visit wineries in Chianti and taste wine in caves beneath the city of Lucca.

Mario's favorite local restaurants and chefs add to your full immersion in the food lover’s experience. Meals in Lucca and Chianti give you an opportunity to experience regional specialties. Plus, Mario will collaborate with our local Abbondanza Toscana chefs to create our traditional Lucchese dishes using family recipes that have been handed down over generations.

Pizza night at Selva is always a special treat, and Eduardo, our local baker, works with you to design your own pizza, with the special flavor from being baked in our original wood-fired oven.

Highlights of your week with Mario:

Early one morning you travel to a nearby seaside town to select fish caught just a few hours before.

Mario introduces you to his winemaker friends with invitations to tour their cellars and taste their wines.

Roast lamb and bake pizza in Selva's wood-fired oven, slice treasured truffle over your homemade gnocci, select fresh herbs and greens from the gardens and fields surrounding Selva.

A day trip to Chianti includes tours of award-winning wineries, a state-of-the-art enoteca, shopping in small villages and buying from local artisans, and dining in hillside restaurants with expansive views of vineyards and olive groves.

You’ll immerse yourself in the jewel city of Lucca, with a guided tour of its Medieval center, marbled churches containing masterworks, walk along the famous Renaissance walls, and hear a Puccini concert in a Romanesque church.

Learn to make clear, crisp limoncello and the Italian firewater, grappa.

In caves under the city of Lucca, you’ll experience a tasting of specially selected Super Tuscan wines.

To join a group with Mario, contact Dorina Miller, (720) 284-7537:

Groups of 8-12 participants are now being organized. Each Tuscan program with Mario is scheduled Saturday to Saturday with dates available through November. A minimum of eight participants is needed to confirm the week-long program.