By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 20, 2007 4:56 PM

The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner is losing a four-star chef -- and Washington is losing one of its top talents -- with the surprise resignation today of Fabio Trabocchi of Maestro, the gilded Italian restaurant that opened in 2001. The 33-year-old chef plans to relocate to New York, where he has accepted an offer to become chef-partner at Fiamma Osteria, the acclaimed SoHo hot spot created by restaurant impresario Stephen Hanson.

"The decision was not an easy one," said Trabocchi, who had been looking to open a place of his own in the area. "My heart is in Washington." He said he was attracted to Fiamma because of "the opportunity to grow as a chef" and to help a younger generation of restaurant workers.

His last day at the hotel is expected to be Aug. 18, after which the restaurant will close for its annual summer hiatus.

Trabocchi hinted that he might be back in Washington in two years, which is when B.R. Guest Restaurants and Starwood Capital Group, Fiamma's owners, plan to install an Italian restaurant in a yet-to-be-built, eco-friendly hotel in the city's West End.