By Tim & Melody Urbanic
Chef Tim Urbanic was trained as a cook by his Calabrian grandmother, aunt and mother in southern Italian cuisine and other Mediterranean and European dishes. Café Cimino, which opened in 1999 in historic downtown Sutton, was named for Tim’s family as homage to their reverence for food and as a way to honor Grandma and Grandpa Cimino, Italian immigrants who taught him to appreciate the ethnic flavors, to grow the herbs and vegetables and, most importantly, to cook the famous Cimino family recipes.Whenever possible, Tim uses organically grown herbs and vegetables from the family farm. Café Cimino Country Inn is committed to serving as many locally grown foods as possible and has several steady West Virginia growers supplying fresh produce and other foods for the inn’s menu. Of the 37 vendors used by the inn, at least 20 of them are locally or regionally owned artisan producers. Even though this requires a lot of work for Chef Tim, it ensures that everything served is the best of the best and also offers support to other small family businesses and sustainable agriculture within West Virginia and the Appalachian region.In 2007, the Cimino family tradition continued as Tim’s son, Eli, began working by his father’s side in the kitchen. Tim and his wife and co-owner, Melody, then expanded their special brand of Southern hospitality to Café Cimino Country Inn, located just two blocks up the street from their original location.
Café Cimino Country Inn is part of West Virginia’s “slow food” movement, which is based on the premise that people need to slow down enough to enjoy fine dining. The chefs at the Inn have been trained by Tim, who describes himself as an “old world cook” whose appreciation for food and quality of the dining experience demands that each guest’s dinner is cooked especially for them. Dining at Café Cimino is like dining in Italy where guests enjoy the whole experience and may linger for hours with friends and family.
Café Cimino is gourmet dining from the heart of West Virginia. Once you experience it, you’re most likely to make it a frequent destination. Café Cimino serves dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. The Café is also now available for small business meetings, day retreats, conferences and special occasion luncheons. Reservations can be made by phone (1-877-9CIMINO).
