Southington Top Business Nominee: Craft Kitchen

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Recently, Southington Patch asked readers to nominate their favorite local business for a Business of the Year series. Many area businesses have managed to navigate the turbulence of 2020 with steadfast determination and an unwavering commitment to the clients they serve.

Welcome to Craft Kitchen, 1244 Meriden Ave., Southington.

Chef/owner and Southington native Mike Truss likes to share his culinary journey.

Truss has had lifelong ties to the "field fresh" culinary concept. In his younger days, he spend a lot of time on his grandfather's local vegetable farm on Pine Street in the Plantsville section of Southington.

Invite friends to receive the daily newsletter and alerts from Southington Patch

Truss said he thus has carried a deep and personal appreciation and understanding of the labors that go into quality produce.

After graduating high school, Truss went to Newbury College in Massachusetts and received a degree in the culinary arts. He then worked with talented chefs in Boston and in Sonoma, CA, and began appreciating the relationship between farmer and chef.

Truss returned home in 2004 and worked as an executive chef at several restaurants in the state. He purchased the Plantsville Napoli Deli franchise, and brought his own twist to the classic Italian deli.

Now Truss owns Craft Kitchen and replicates the classics of lunch, pizza, dinner and catering with a field fresh and cooked from scratch philosophy.

His latest creation is a holiday meal that can be pre-ordered and picked up. See more about the Christmas Even special here.

Here's what some nominators said about Craft Kitchen:

• "Their food, the best. Their staff, the best. Chef Mike Truss, the best. The atmosphere, the best. I promise you whatever you're looking for in a restaurant, Craft Kitchen has what you're looking for! They are so good I have everyone in the office hooked and we order from here once a week and every time all the food is cooked to perfection." — Steven Packard
• "Excellent food, very creative dishes, and wonderful friendly staff." — Jason Sewell
• Food, Chef Mike, his staff, the over atmosphere and perseverance during Coivd." — Aileen Gracy
• "By far the best food in town." — Ryan lafrancois

See the menus here.