Venturini Baldini, premium Italian sparkling wine producer based in Emilia-Romagna, has announced that Riccardo Cotarella has officially joined its winemaking team as Consulting Winemaker. Riccardo Cotarella will take on the role previously held by Carlo Ferrini who has acted as Venturini Baldini’s Consulting Winemaker for the last five years. Bringing decades of wine experience and expertise in Italian winemaking, Cotarella and his team led by Pier Paolo Chiasso will work alongside the longstanding team at Venturini Baldini to produce the winery’s 100% organic Lambrusco wines. Further, Venturini Baldini is the first winery specializing in Lambrusco that Cotarella will work on as winemaker. Over the past five years, the estate that is based on a 321-acre property in the food valley of Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy has been elevated to new heights through the ownership of Julia and Giuseppe Prestia. As Lambrusco has enjoyed a recent revitalization, Venturini Baldini has … Continue reading
Latest Posts
Kevin Lejeune of restaurant La Canne en Ville sets shop at Steigenberger Wiltcher’s for a month
BRUSSELS: Restaurants have been closed since the end of October and for the time being there seems to be no indication of when they will be allowed to reopen. However, a leading hotel in Brussels has teamed up with young and upcoming chef Kevin Lejeune of restaurant La Canne en Ville to offer a dining experience within the hotel throughout the month of March until Easter. The initiative is a collaboration between Steigenberger Wiltcher's and Gault and Millau young chef of the year Kevin Lejeune. The chef and his team will elevate room service to a real evening 'as if you are in a restaurant'. Many of the rooms on the first floor of the hotel have been converted into individual dining rooms so that residents of the family rooms and suites can enjoy a stay with their family or as a couple without having to dine next to their bed. The maitre d'hotel of La Canne en Ville (Kevin's restaurant) will welcome guests throughout the month. A four-course menu will be served following … Continue reading
The time for creativity is now – David Ghysels
BRUSSELS: The phone rings. David Ghysels, the man behind Hakuna Matata, an advertising and communications agency specialised around food brings out his phone to switch it off. It is an old Nokia. One rarely seen nowadays. How can the man behind Dinner in the Sky and a communications agency use a phone like this, I wonder. He tells me without any prompting or asking that he does not like distractions and prefers to have the time to make things happen by accident. “Bring two ideas that have nothing to do with each other and that’s were creation happens. A guy working in communication and gastronomy and someone working with cranes might not have much in common but this was what led to Dinner in the Sky,” he said. “The reason I don’t have a smart phone is that I like to spend time exploring, I prefer to pick up a magazine if I am at the doctor. Same for music, I prefer to listen to the radio than to a playlist. When you leave space for creativity, you find that this is when … Continue reading
JP McMahon launches virtual cookery school for kids
GALWAY: JP McMahon, the chef of Michelin starred restaurant Aniar as well as founder of Food on the Edge has announced he will host an eight-week cookery course for kids aged between 8 and 16 starting 10 April. The course will teach children some crowd-pleasing and family friendly food such as lasagna, pancakes, bread and even roast chicken. The classes will be held virtually via Zoom each Saturday morning from 11am to 1pm. Budding young chefs can pre-book to attend the full course that is priced at EUR 250 or choose to attend individual classes for EUR 35 per session with ingredients list and required tools shared in advance. Students have the option either to cook together with JP or else to tun into the class later and putting the learnings into practice on their own when the course has finished. With lockdown restrictions making it difficult for kids to attend their usual extra-curricular activities, JP's virtual course gives kids an entertaining, interactive and … Continue reading
Amsterdam to host 5th edition of the Best Chef Awards in September
The city of Amsterdam will host the 5th The Best Chef Awards that will take place on September 13, 14 and 15. Under the slogan ‘Back to Live. Back to Reality’, the awards will take place after the virtual 2020 edition and the events in Warsaw in 2017, Milan in 2018 and Barcelona in 2019. “Last year didn’t stop us. We actually worked harder to adapt and provide chefs and restaurants all over the world with a platform to stay connected and share information with each other and with the public. Our big hope for this year is for our community to be able to meet in person again”, Joanna Slusarczyk, one of the creators of The Best Chef Awards said. This year’s event includes Food Meets Science, Area Talks and a few new activities which end with the grand Awards Gala that continue to honour the many talented chefs that create the best food experiences around the world. The format for the year is being changed. Starting from 25 February and for 100 days, the Best Chef will announce … Continue reading
More stories
Eight top chefs cook with Feeding Hong Kong to highlight food insecurity in the city
HONG KONG: Eight star chefs joined Feeding Hong Kong earlier this month to discover the brutal reality faced by more than a million people in the city. With seven Michelin stars between them, the chefs learnt why food insecurity has condemned a huge swathe of the city's population to have little or nothing special to eat at Chinese New Year, a time that usually celebrates prosperity and abundance. Every day, 3,600 tonnes of food waste are sent to landfills in Hong Kong, while more than one million people live in poverty struggling to afford nutritous meals. At the Feeding Hong Kong's Yau Tong headquarters, the eight chefs taking part … Continue reading
2 cocktails for Valentine’s Day with Royal Belgian Caviar
BRUSSELS: Glen Ramaekers, chef and a fervent mixologist of Brussels restaurant Chez Pias has created two cocktails for Valentines Day in collaboration with Belgian caviar producer Royal Belgian Caviar. Royal Belgian caviar is a company that has been producing top quality caviar for the past years serving some of the best restaurants not only in Belgium but also around the world. Over the past months, the 'black gold' company has been seen as a way of supporting the local economy. " Using or serving Belgian caviar is a way of making a declaration. You are not only supporting the local economy but you are also choosing real flavour and … Continue reading
New concept BABU opens as pop-up at L.E.S.S Eatery in Bruges
BRUGES: If you are in Bruges on a Friday or Saturday during the pandemic, you would do well to visit BABU, the new pop-up bunner created by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens. On the t'Zand at L.E.S.S. Eatery, the duo behind the former three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan have been busy preparing a new concept that is set to open permanently in a city in Belgium when the lockdowns are over. Despite one hand in a cast due to a mountain biking incident a few weeks ago, you can still find Gert preparing the 'bunners' as they are called. It might be the first 'bunner' in the world to sit in a one Michelin star restaurant, at … Continue reading
Everything must change – a new book by Yannick Alléno
French chef Yannick Alléno has just launched a new book in French called "Tout doit changer" or Everything must change. During the past few months, the chef of the Pavillion Ledoyen in Paris and Cheval Blanc in Courchevel among other establishments has used the time to reflect on the future of fine dining restaurants and how they need to transform themselves. The result is a book that discusses the future of fine dining and gastronomy. It looks at the importance of the well-being of staff, how to run a restaurant like a modern business and how to really address the needs of customers by starting a conversation before they arrive at the … Continue reading
Dreaming of the simple things in life
It is a sunny though brisk morning. A perfect day for a lunch by the sea. If you had to ask me what would you like to eat right now at a restaurant, I wouldn’t really ask for much. The thing I miss most at the moment is a perfectly cooked spaghetti with fresh sea urchins. The last time I ate them, it was in Rimini last September but that is a distant memory. Maybe a mixed platter of grilled fish and seafood as a main course. I’m not really asking for much. I’m looking more for comfort food, for memories of better times. You’ll settle for just that you might be asking? I certaintly would not say no to a Cacio e Pepe by Riccardo Camanini. But … Continue reading
Vicky Lau is first Asian chef to clinch two Michelin stars for her restaurant Tate
HONG KONG: Chef and restaurant owner Vicky Lau is the first ever Asian female chef to clinch two Michelin stars for her restaurant Tate, a restaurant that breaks the boundaries between French and Chinese cooking. She was awarded the two stars for her restaurant earlier this week together with L'Envol in the St Regis Hong Kong which is under the guidance of French chef Olivier Elzer. There were no new three Michelin stars when the tyre company released the guide for Hong Kong and Macau this week. With these new additions, Hong Kong is now home to 12 Two Star restaurants, while Macau has 6 venues in the Two Star category. All 7 … Continue reading
Mauro Colagreco to open hamburger chain CARNE in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco, whose restaurant Mirazur is ranked 1 in the world according to the World’s 50 Best is launching CARNE, an innovative hamburger bar in Singapore next month. This is CARNE's first international opening. CARNE was born five years ago when Mauro set out to show the world that a hamburger chain could operate respecting the pillars of sustainable gastronomy with the highest quality. From that moment, he has been working with his team day by day to offer the best product changing the paradigm of mass food production. The first CARNE was opened in Mauro’s hometown of La Plata in Buenos Aires in 2016. … Continue reading
Clare Smyth and Helene Darroze clinch three Michelin stars for their London restaurants
LONDON: Clare Smyth and Helene Darroze have both clinched three Michelin stars for their restaurants Core and Helene Darroze at the Connaught in London. Clare Smyth thanked the Michelin guide for recognising the hard work during such a tough time and thanked the team for all their dedication and hard work. “We couldn’t have done it without our amazing farmers, suppliers, our guests and everyone who has been on the journey,” with us said the chef who has been winning accolades after accolades for her London restaurant Core. On the other hand, this will be a January to remember for French chef Helene Darroze. After clinching two Michelin … Continue reading
Food on the Edge founder launches ebook Cooking After COVID
Food on the Edge founder Jp McMahon, a chef, restauranteur and author has launched a new book Lessons from lockdown: Cooking after COVID. In the foreword, JP says that the year 2020 struck many of us as unprecedented. For some it was expected. “Pandemics happen. But for most of us, we believed they would not happen in our time, that they were a thing of the past. Whatever we thought about our contemporary way of life, the way in which we go about our daily lives, how we work, has utterly changed,” the Irish chef of Aniar Restaurant in Galway wrote. He created the book after cancelling the annual gathering in Galway in October 2020. Food … Continue reading
Humus Hortense starts Save the Harvest project
BRUSSELS: Chef Nicholas Decloedt of Humus Hortense has been working together with Caroline Baerten on a roots to leaves and a zero-waste approach long before this became a trend. Fresh from their new Green Michelin star, over the past weeks they have launched a project to help and support their farmer Dries Delanote of Monde des Mille Couleurs who lost all his restaurant clients due to the lockdown overnight. "The consequence was an enormous amount of food that was lost in the fields which was heartbreaking to see," Nicholas and Carolean said. Nicholas and Caroline started the project Save The Harvest under the hashtag … Continue reading
“Whatever the destination, the most important for me is the journey” – Alexandre Mazzia
MARSEILLE: Alexandre Mazzia, chef of Restaurant AM, the new three Michelin star restaurant in Marseille, France has the feeling that he has finally become a ‘cook’. “I can hardly believe this. It is unthinkable, unimaginable and yet its true,” the French chef who has been breaking boundaries with his unique perspective on food. A former basketball player, he opened restaurant AM in Marseille in 2014. Now, during the closure of his restaurant, he has been one of the most active and creative chefs during the pandemic opening a food truck selling his ‘jewels’ in a 24 euro lunch box. It is a project he wants to keep even when the pandemic … Continue reading
The Maltese ftira (flatbread) and how it made it to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list
MALTA: As the sun sets on the horizon children come out of the sea and asks her parents for something to eat. It is the middle of summer and nothing is more appetising that a local flatbread known as ftira with tomatoes, tuna, olives, capers, basil and olive oil. You could say that’s the taste of Malta, the taste of an island in the middle of the Mediterranean. This must be the most common ‘sandwich’ on the Mediterranean island and more often than not it is not the hobza tal-Malti (Maltese loaf) but rather the ftira typical of Malta that is used to quench the appetite after a summer swim. Now, that sourdough flatbread or ftira has been … Continue reading
Antonia Klugmann opens store in Trieste following success of ‘Antonia at Home’
VENCO: After the successful launch of 'Antonia at home' in April, Antonia Klugmann, one of the most influential young Italian chefs with a restaurant in the countryside in Vencò on the border between Italy and Slovenia has opened a store in Trieste. The aim is to bring the traditional cuisine of the region to the Italian city at the crossroads between Italy, Slovenia and Austria. “It is a completely different cuisine to what we normally offer in the restaurant,” said the chef of L’Argine a Venco. which had become a ‘destination restaurant’ prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The offer at the shop and also with 'Antonia a casa' is both … Continue reading
Is Antwerp becoming Belgium’s gastronomic capital?
BRUSSELS: The Michelin Guide has released its new rankings for Belgium and Luxembourg including a new three Michelin star restaurant in Antwerp but there is one glitch. Restaurants are closed and have been closed since October and there is still no date for their reopening. COVID-19 has been devastating for Belgian restaurants. Closed in the first lockdown in March till June a relatively calm summer was followed by a difficult autumn which culminated with restaurants closing for a second time in October. Until now, there is still no date for the reopening. Some hope that the reopening could take place sometime in March, others are … Continue reading
Belgium has a new 3 Michelin star restaurant, 2 new 2 Michelin stars and 10 new 1 Michelin star
Viki Geunes of Zilte clinches third star MONS: Belgium has a new three Michelin star restaurant. After years of waiting, the new three Michelin star restaurant is Zilte in Antwerp led by chef Viki Geunes. He joins Peter Goossens of Hof van Cleve who retained his three stars making Zilte the second three Michelin star restaurant in Belgium. In a year that has been complicated by restaurant lockdowns which are still ongoing in Belgium and with restaurants having been closed for nearly six months throughout 2020, this must have been the most complicated year to judge restaurants. "We are speechless and can't be more proud. Thank you … Continue reading
Campus Niko Romito: “My project on the future of food’
CASTEL DI SANGRO: Niko Romito has announced the opening of a campus in Abruzzo aimed at sharing knowledge on the culture of food with the aim of giving everyone access to healthy food. In partnership with the Science and Nutrition department of the prestigious Sapienza University of Rome, the project involves the physical construction of the research and higher academic training centre in Abruzzo. “This is my great project on the future of food,” Niko Romito, the chef of the three Michelin star restaurant Reale said. The aim of the new campus is to create a new paradigm when it comes to food transformation. "I want to ensure that food can … Continue reading
Highlights
International Chefs Summit Asia 2020 held in Taipei
Asia’s largest culinary event in 2020, International Chefs Summit Asia 2020 was held successfully in the Taichung National Theatre in Taipei last week. This was especially significant in such difficult times for the world. The event, organised by FIM MEDIA brought together 23 renowned chefs from 6 main Asian cities. International Chefs Summit Asia (ICSA) is an annual international event that started in 2017. It has been held in Taiwan since except for last year when the event was held in Singapore. Due to the impact of COVID-19 … Continue reading
Dates for Milano Wine Week 2021 announced
MILAN: Federico Gordoni had to reinvent the 2020 edition of the Milano Wine Week. Now, despite the COVID-19 emergency, he has already set the new dates for next year’s events which will take place from 2 to 10 October 2021. “The 2020 edition has forced us to rethink a new model of a trade show in the world of wine,” said Federico, the creator and organiser of the event. “Despite everything, we managed to plan an event that was interesting internationally with direct and virtual involvement of the sector’s main players from companies to … Continue reading
Iconic Brussels brasserie in crowdfunding attempt to save itself from jaws of bankruptcy
BRUSSELS: An iconic Brussels café and brasserie in St Gilles has taken to crowdfunding to try and save itself from the jaws of bankruptcy. Brasserie Verschueren has raised EUR 3,680 out of a target of EUR 20,000 from 127 growfunders. The campaign will last 14 days. The Brasserie is asking for contributions from EUR 10 to EUR 1,500 with a promise of a warm welcome from the owners and staff as well as a beer on the house upon the reopening of the café after bars and cafés are allowed to reopen COVID-19 permitting. Robert, the owner of … Continue reading
Yves Mattagne optimistic for 2021
BRUSSELS: For Belgian chef Yves Mattagne, chef of 2 Michelin Star restaurant Sea Grill 2020 had to be a very special year. After 30 years, the restaurant closed on December 31, 2019 when the hotel where it was housed closed for refurbishment. 2020 had to be the year that he reopened his restaurant at Villa Lorraine, the legendary Brussels address that became the first restaurant outside of France to clinch 3 Michelin stars. Alas, that was not to be though the restaurant is now scheduled to reopen in early 2021, COVID-19 permitting. That … Continue reading
Photographer Ron Greve launches first The Creative Chef Collection with portrait of Jeroen Achtien
VITZNAU: Ron Greve, photographer and publisher of the Creative Chef Collection will present the first copy of his book to chef Jeroen Achtien on Tuesday 15 December. At the restaurant Sens, in Vitznau Switzerland, Ron Greve has fulfilled the dream of creating the first of a series of books called The Creative Chef Collection. Through the book, Dutch chef Jeroen Achtien is brought to life in over 250 pages of stunning photography and a compelling and inspiring personal story. Ron Greve set out with the intention of creating a new standard … Continue reading
Lockdown plays havoc with Relae’s last dinner
COPENHAGEN: Christian Puglisi, chef and owner of restaurants Relae, Manfreds, Baest, Mirabelle Bakery and Mirabelle Restaurant had different plans for the closure of Reale which he announced earlier this year. He was definitely not expecting a lockdown to stop him from serving a last supper at the restaurant. The chef of Italian origin made a huge impact on the Danish scene with his sustainable approach. "We were writing the last chapter of the history of Relae as old friends were coming by for one last meal before we shut our doors for … Continue reading
What future for restaurant guides?
Guides have the potential to make or break restaurants and careers. When Michelin announced that an Italian chef had clinched a second star for his restaurant in Italy a few days ago he got extremely emotional. That image is a reflection of the importance guides have in the restaurant industry. How a tyre company became so powerful in the restaurant world is another story but as the guides enter their launching season, it is worth reflecting on what the current pandemic means for them and how they have miserably failed to turn a corner. The … Continue reading
Niko Romito opens temporary pop-up store in Milan to sell new organic product line: creations also available online
CASTEL DI SANGRO: Niko Romito, chef of the three Michelin star restaurant Reale in Castel di Sangro, Italy is taking his creations from his laboratory including his famous ‘panettone’ that travels the world to a temporary pop-up store in Milan that will be open up to 6 January. The temporary pop-up store has opened at 3 in Piazza Risorgimento, Milan. Apart from the Panettone, there will be also his ‘pandolce’ a new creation as well as other items from his new organic and vegan line including a ‘super cookie’ made without eggs and lactose … Continue reading
Bruut and Souvenir ‘in this together’ with Christmas and New Year’s menu
GENT: Bruut, the bistro by Bruno Timperman and Souvenir, the restaurant of chef Vilhjalmur Sigurdarson and Joke Michel in Gent have joined forces for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve to present a take out menu that will be available from 4 different Belgian cities. "We have missed our loyal customers, our friends, our families and even our colleagues too. So on December 24 and 31 we will pay tribute to this friendship in the form of a unique takeaway menu. The Bruut & Souvenir In this together menu". The menu includes oysters with … Continue reading
Bo Bech’s third book: The relation between us
"A chef's cuisine is influenced by experiences that particularly mark their careers. My meal at Geist is, without a doubt, one of those experiences (...)," said legendary chef Ferran Adria of el Bulli fame. He was referring to Bo Bech, the gentle giant of gastronomy who made a name for himself for his distinctive cuisine in Copenhagen. Earlier this year, he announced that he was parting ways from his successful restaurant Geist because he deemed he was in the way. He has always been passionate about cooking, travel and photography. His … Continue reading
Let’s Celebrate box by Hertog Jan launched
BRUGES: The Hertog Jan restaurant group which includes L.E.S.S. Eatery and Bar Bulot has developed a new concept for the festive season. It is called the Let's Celebrate by Hertog Jan foodbox. Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens have been working with deliveries for both L.E.S.S. Eatery and Bar Bulot delivering food not just in Bruges but elsewhere in Belgium since the restaurants were closed because of COVID-19. They will do the same with the Let's Celebrate Foodbox which will be available on Christmas eve and New Year's eve. The menu … Continue reading
Snert Soup – a new initiative by Joris Bijdendijk and Brandt & Levie
AMSTERDAM: Joris Bijdendijk, chef of restaurant Rijks in Amsterdam who distinguished himself for a number of creative ideas to keep working during the COVID-19 pandemic has come up with a new idea which this time also thinks of those most in need. Together with Brandt & Levie, one of the most renowned sausage makers in the Netherlands, he has created a canned pea soup or ‘Snert soup’ as it is called in the Netherlands. The soups are being sold in different Snertbars that have been opened. Joris and Brandt & Levie have pledged to give … Continue reading
Christophe Pauly is Gault & Millau Belgian chef of the year 2021
BRUSSELS: Gault & Millau launched its 2021 guide, its 18th edition in a digital event that was streamed from Brussels. The title of Chef of the Year went to Christophe Pauly from Le Coq aux Champs in Soheit-Tinlot.The guides are slowly making a return back despite the COVID-19 complications that makes it difficult for everyone in the restaurant industry to plan anything. “Pauly works with the best ingredients, often from the terroir of Wallonia but he is also part of the North Sea Chef collection and also chooses the best that fishermen … Continue reading
POPL: René Redzepi’s new burger joint opens permanently in Copenhagen
COPENHAGEN: There is fast food and then there is ‘fast food’. One of the things that shocked the culinary world after the first lockdowns was René Redzepi’s reopening of Noma as a temporary burger and wine bar. That decision was a roaring success despite some scepticism from foodies who thought that Redzepi should have been more ambitious that serve just the humble ‘hamburger’ on reopening. Large queues would form outside Noma as locals visited the world acclaimed restaurant for the first time ever. Was the fuss worth it? It seems so … Continue reading
Willem Hiele closes restaurant for 2020, launches Christmas box
KOKSIJDE: Willem Hiele, chef of restaurant Willem Hiele, one of the Belgium's top talents has decided not to reopen the restaurant on the Belgian coast till the end of the year. "We want to start again in full glory and full safety. That is why we are unfortunately cancelling reservations after 13 December until the end of the year," Willem said. Those who have reservations till the end of the year will be able to get a reservation in January, February or March. Vouchers that expire in 2020 will also be automatically extended. The … Continue reading
Fabrizzio Chirico opens Le Comptoir de la Table
Charleroi: Fabrizzio Chirico, chef of restaurant La Table de la Manufacture Urbaine is opening a 'counter' or the Comptoir de la Table with ready made meals from the restaurant as well as a large grocery department which includes cold cuts from Ospital, meats from Belgium's top butcher Dierendonck and cheeses from Pascal Fauville among others. The new shop will open on Friday 20 November and is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. The grocery shop also has a cellar. Sanae will help clients choose from among beers from La … Continue reading
Rare Burgundy wine barrel sold for over EUR 152,000
A sole barrel of Burgundy, Domaine Fourrier’s 2019 Chambolle Musigny Les Sentiers has sold for EUR 152,277 well above the low estimate for the wine. The successful bidder now owns 100 per cent of the cuvée. Les Sentiers is the smallest parcel of the Domaine (0.046ha) and is situated next to the famed Grand Cru parcel, Bonnes Mares. The fact that Domaine Fourrier only makes one barrel of this wine each year, which it bottles in magnums and does not make available for public sale makes this purchase even more rare and unique. The new owner … Continue reading
The Fork and Spoons organises 12 Days of Christmas in aid of charity
There are 15 once in a lifetime experience packages on offer in the first 12 Days of Christmas being organised by The Forks and Spoons in Hong Kong in aid of charity. From 1 December to 12 December, The Forks and Spoons will sell 15 packages on a special website that is being created specifically for the sale. The packages will be available on a first come first served basis and all proceeds that are raised will be donated to the Chicken Soup Foundation, a private charity that assists children and elderly who are facing tough … Continue reading
Hisa Franko’s storehouse in your home
KOBARID: Food lovers in Europe can get a taste of Slovenia thanks to an initiative by Ana Ros and Valter Kramer of Hisa Franko to open their storehouse for delivery. Goods are shipped by GLS to Europe on a twice weekly basis. With the restaurant closed for the second time, the restaurant is making a number of its cheese and wines available for purchase as well as a huge selection of home made jams, crackers, butter, chutneys and more. “If you cannot come to the Hisa Franko, Hisa Franko will come to you,”. Among the goods available is … Continue reading
GELINAZ!: Happening hopefully at a city near you (the full line-up)
Earlier this week, GELINAZ!, a collective of chefs from around the world announced that a new gig was taking place. In these difficult times, when planning anything beyond tomorrow has become close to impossible, GELINAZ! is back with the second stay in tour but this time the aim is to give a voice to chefs around the world that have been hit hard by the pandemic. Now, more details have emerged of the restaurants and chefs that will take part in this edition that will take place on 3 December and will follow with a second performance some … Continue reading
Retrovino temporarily becomes Retrocaffè in Rome
ROME: Alessandro Miocchi and Giuseppe Lo Iudice of Retrobottega in Rome are not new to innovations. When they opened their restaurant in Rome, it was innovative not just for the food but also the way they approached the restaurant business. No reservations and two large communal tables were all part of the offering. And they have been slowly expanding their offering in the Pantheon neighbourhood opening Retrovino and Retropasta before COVID-19. Now, to combat the closure of restaurants in the evenings, Alessandro Miocchi and Giuseppe Lo … Continue reading
The Gelinaz! Strikes Back: Giving a voice to ‘Silent Voices’
Last year’s GELINAZ Stay at Home tour could not have been more pre emptive. What started off as a political message ended up being the prelude to a world that is today defined as pre-COVID and post-COVID when in the most global manner, most of us have been forced to stay at home. The GELINAZ! is striking back with a second The Grand GELINAZ! Shuffle Stay in Tour - Silent Voices. This time, it is being played in two parts. It is also giving a voice to chefs that have lost their voices during the pandemic either because they have had to close … Continue reading
The Douro Boys in the time of the pandemic
When the Douro Boys group was created, the aim behind the idea was not to work together commercially but rather to put the Douro on the wine map. That required a lot of travel both from Portugal and the Douro valley where the wineries are but also into the region. Today, 17 years later and as the group approaches its 20 years since its existence with a pandemic in between, the five wineries which have put the Douro on the wine spotlight are reflecting as to what the future holds. The Douro Boys was set up by the owners of five wineries, … Continue reading
Two natural winemaker associations in Italy join forces
Two natural winemaker associations VinNatur and Vi.Te - Vignaioli have joined forces in a year that is proving to be one of the most uncertain years in our living history. A rapprochement of two of the most important natural winemakers in Italy took place in August 2020. The presidents of the two associations Angiolino Maule and Gabriele Da Prato met to lay the foundations for a shared path. "It was a meeting that had been in the pipeline and wanted for a very long time and has finally materialised," they said. Among others, they … Continue reading
Time to learn, play and grow your wine knowledge with Somm360
Are you in a country that is already in lockdown or heading towards another lockdown? Do you have some time on your hands? Maybe because you cannot visit your local bar, gym or restaurant? Then Somm360 has the answer for you. If you want to improve your wine knowledge, Somm360 have designed a free-to-play educational platform for mobile, tablet and desktop microlearning that not only educates you but rolls out a barrel of wine fun for all those who participate. Somm360 has teamed up with top sommeliers and wine experts from around the … Continue reading
Bottura’s open letter to Italian Prime Minister: ‘Politics is like to poetry. It’s about providing courage and dreams’
MODENA: The most influential Italian chef, Massimo Bottura has published an open letter to Italian premier Giuseppe Conte suggesting five immediate measures to avoid a catastrophe. He fears that without a positive sign from the government, the restaurant sector is set to suffer a fatal blow that will lead to the closure of many restaurants across Italy and will lead Italy to lose one of the pillars that is essential to its identity. "Politics is about courage and dreams, it is similar to poetry. It is made of imagination and the future. … Continue reading
The last supper for restaurants in Italy
This evening Italian restaurants will serve their last supper. From tomorrow and until 24 November, restaurants, bars and cafeterias will be closed as from 6pm. Chef Niko Romito, the three Michelin star chef of Reale and entepreneur with a number of restaurants across Italy and also outside Italy said that for many restaurants in Italy this will really be their last supper. "Many of us will not have the strength to fight against the government's decision to close bars and restaurants at 6pm and to force a sector to renounce to over 50 per … Continue reading
Stand-by mode for Hisa Franko as it closes for ‘second lockdown’
KOBARID: When the first lockdown was announced in Slovenia, the team of Hisa Franko, Ana Ros and Valter Kramer's acclaimed restaurant, all stayed in the Slovenian countryside, some out of choice and others because the borders were closed and they were stuck there. Together, as a multinational team, they faced lockdown, helping each other and using the time to work on new projects, to train and prepare the restaurant for the reopening in summer. Now as winter approaches and another closure of restaurants has been enforced by the Slovenian … Continue reading
Learning from the lockdown: “The most important value is being human” – San Degeimbre
LIERNU: When Sang Hoon Degeimbre was forced to close the restaurant, the first time and the Belgian government announced a lockdown amid the pandemic way back in March he did not hesitate to move to the countryside. He took one of rooms that normally welcomes guests and which would remain empty throughout the course of the lockdown in the Belgian countryside in Liernu and spent most of his time there. Returning to Brussels from time to time, where he normally lives, some 45 minutes by car away from the restaurant felt surreal to him. In the … Continue reading
L’Air du Temps opens temporary farm shop as restaurant lockdown returns in Belgium
LIERNU: Chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre and Carine Nosal, owners of restaurant L'Air du Temps in Liernu, Belgium have announced the opening of a temporary boutique shop that will sell produce that was set to be delivered to the restaurant over the coming days and weeks. L' Air du Temps is one of the top restaurants in the country that has been hit by a second wave of COVID-19 infections in the past weeks. The shop will open between 1pm and 7pm at L’Air du Temps in Liernu as from Tuesday 20 October. “Yet again, the restaurant sector is impacted … Continue reading
Small is beautiful: What we learned after closing Hertog Jan and how we plan to start again
ANTWERP: When Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens announced the closure of Hertog Jan at the end of 2018 it was a shock to the Belgian gastronomy scene. At the helm of a three Michelin star restaurant, one of just two in the country, they were at the top of their game. Many could not understand how two relatively young entrepreneurs, a chef and host, could quit at the peak. But the two had very clear ideas and over the past years they have emerged as two exceptional entrepreneurs that have created a unique L.E.S.S. Eatery in Bruges (the … Continue reading
Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp: ‘A once in a 20 to 30 year project’
ANTWERP: When Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp opens in Antwerp next year, it will be an extraordinary location and in the words of Marc Alofs, the manager responsible for the development of the hotel, it will be something that is developed once every 20 to 30 years. It will be the first five star superior hotel in Antwerp and the first hotel in the city to be a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. “We have managed to find lots of people and staff members who like craftsmanship, who have one thing in common which is an incredible eye for … Continue reading
New chapter for Hertog Jan: Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens to open 12-seat restaurant in Antwerp
ANTWERP: Almost three years after closing Hertog Jan in Zedelgem on the outskirts of Bruges, Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens have announced their return to fine dining with “Hertog Jan at Botanic Antwerp”. The new concept will be a ‘cosy’ 12 seat restaurant that will be open two weeks every month. The restaurant will be housed in the site of Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, a 5 star superior hotel with wellness and meeting facilities that will open its doors in the historic centre of Antwerp in June 2021. (Interview with Marc Alofs … Continue reading
Zonfrillo closes Orana: “When we closed in March, none of us thought it would mean the end”
Jock Zonfrillo, the Scottish chef who opened Orana in 2013 as a way of researching Australia’s indigenous cuisine has announced that the restaurant will close for good. “With the lease ending in a couple of months and with the current restrictions meaning we cannot break even, our closure has become permanent,” he said. "The current uncertainty in the tourism and hospitality industry means that it is not the right time for Orana 2.0. The plans we had started discussing have been put on hold,” he said. “My journey doesn’t stop here. I’ll … Continue reading
Al Meni’s message of hope in the times of the pandemic
RIMINI: Al Meni, the food festival created by Massimo Bottura and his Osteria Francescana team in Rimini returned at the end of September for its seventh edition. But unlike previous editions that were held in June in the world famous 8 1/2 circus tent in front of the Grand Hotel in Rimini where film director Federico Fellini spent a lot of his time, this year's edition was not just held in September but also also moved to the city centre from just in front of the sea. Originally intended to be a big food festival to celebrate the 100 … Continue reading
Albert Adria temporarily closes all his restaurants in Barcelona including Tickets and Enigma
BARCELONA: Albert Adrià has decided to temporarily close all his restaurants in Barcelona due to COVID-19 which has proven to be lethal for the restaurant sector. Albert has a gastronomic empire in the city with five restaurants including four that have a Michelin star. These are Tickets, Enigma, Pakta and Hoja Santo. Albert, who rose to fame together with his brother Ferran at el Bulli created these group of restaurants in the same area of Barcelona and he called them “a gastronomic amusement park with differentiated concepts in the same … Continue reading
René Redzepi tops Best Chef awards 2020 list
René Redzepi, chef of Copenhagen restaurant Noma has won the Best Chef top 100 award that was announced in the first ever virtual show on September 23. The event, which had to take place in Rotterdam but was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic features chefs from 31 countries and includes 34 new names. Spain is the top performer with its 15 chefs in the list. Last year’s winner Bjorn Frantzen placed second while chef Dan Barber (who also won two additional awards) placed third. The full list can be found here. This annual … Continue reading
Tedeschi’s harvest begins in the name of sustainability
VERONA: “Today being a sustainable entity has become a moral obligation, and we are convinced that the entire production process can only benefit if we can achieve our goals to be sustainabile. We have chosen the right path as is evidenced by Italy’s work towards the development of a national certification that will be recognized at the local level,” said Sabrina Tedeschi from the Tedeschi winery in Verona. With Italy in harvest mode, the winery has begun to pick the grapes for the 2020 vintage. Tedeschi is among the first wineries in Verona … Continue reading
El Celler de Can Roca to temporarily close as staff test positive for COVID-19
El Celler de Can Roca, the famous restaurant of the Roca brothers in Girona has announced that they will be closing the restaurant until further notice after some members of staff tested positive. This is not the first top restaurant in Spain that has been forced to close temporarily because of COVID-19 but goes to show the plight of restaurants as they try to resume their normal activities. Considered to be one of the top restaurants in the world, the restaurant announced in a statement that the closure was a voluntary decision taken in … Continue reading
Madn77: Making fresh blended tea to match your mood one cup at a time
BRUSSELS: Naina Madan developed her concept of making fresh hand-blended teas, tisane and chai customised to match moods when things were taking a negative turn in the world. That was not in March this year when COVID-19 brought about a major disruption to the world we knew. “I came up with the concept of Madn77 around three years ago. There was Trump, there was Brexit, there was too much negativity around me and I recall that my mother would have a tea for every moment,” Naina told Food and Wine Gazette. Her original plan was to focus on … Continue reading