WILL SUGRUE

General Manager

Will got his start in the back of the kitchen at First and Last Tavern in Middletown when he was 16 years old, and in two quick years was slinging drinks behind the bar. He transitioned to management for Hartford-based Grant’s Restaurant Group and spent a decade honing his craft. Will had the pleasure of a stint at Present Company with Chef Jeff Lizote before establishing his home at Doro Restaurant Group; first as General Manager at Zohara and then transitioning to General Manager at ⁠Treva.
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Cool Will Sugrue facts: he camped at the base of a volcano in Costa Rica, makes chicken parmigiana at home on his days off, and has a love/hate relationship with Captain Crunch (yes, the cereal) where, as he puts it, “It tears up the top of your mouth…why does something so good have to hurt you so bad; it's true betrayal!”

CHEF MIKE MANERI

Executive Chef

Growing up on Long Island in a Sicilian family, food was always a heavy influence in Mike's life and he began cooking at a very young age. Mike says his passion for food comes from his Nonna Concetta and she is a huge reason he became a chef. Mike attended Johnson and Wales University and received a bachelor's degree while working in the Long Island restaurant scene. He was the executive chef with the Bohlsen Restaurant Group, where he grew from a line cook to executive chef in only two years. He spent time in Italy exploring both the culture and the culinary history of his heritage. Mike says this experience has changed the way he cooks and his vision for the future. In his spare time he explores his passion for fishing and gardening; finding it very rewarding to be able to use what you harvest. Mike met his now wife In culinary school with who he has a 7-year-old named Gabriel and a 3-month-old named Amina. Family is what he considers the most important factor in life and is what keeps him motivated.

MIKE GIARDINO

Head Bartender

Mike began his bartending career in the mid-90s at Avon Old Farms Inn, eventually making his way to area notables such as The Max Group and Grants. While working behind the bar at Grants, Mike recalls meeting Chef Dorjan as a patron, and him saying “one day I’m going to open a restaurant and you will come work for me”! At the time Mike thought nothing of it… four years later that premonition became a reality when Mike came on board to help open Treva in 2010. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mike states his biggest Industry influence as Grant Achatz. After visiting the Aviary in Chicago, he realized “there is so much more we can do with cocktails and food. The way Grant reimagines classic dishes and cocktails is something to behold. His palette is incredible and after getting tongue cancer and not having the ability to taste, he still continued to push through and do amazing things”.

Mike’s after work go-to is a glass of wine and Cacio e Pepe, simple, quick and delicious. He says his favorite place to visit is Alsace, France- with its amazing vineyards, culture and of course, wine.