The Venice Lido Resort Lionello Cera, chef of two Michelin star Antica Osteria Cera in Campagna Lupia, in the Venice countryside is taking over the terrace restaurant of the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort for an exclusive pop-up restaurant which celebrates local cuisine this summer. The pop-up restaurant opened on 1 June together with the opening of the hotel beach. The pop-up is called “Bistrot del Mare by Cera” and is the latest addition to the catering outlets of the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort which also has the Ristorante Tropicana and the Elimar Beach bar and restaurants, both run by executive chef Damiano Brocchini. Lionello, together with Simonetta Semenzato who is the director of the restaurant have transformed a simple bar and osteria in the Venetian countryside into a research centre where with passion and focus on produce (mainly fish) he has managed to become the first two Michelin star restaurant in Europe to offer only a fish menu. During … [Read more...]
Riccardo Camanini’s magical Cacio e Pepe
Riccardo Camanini's Cacio e Pepe is served at table Go back a few years and few people would have known what Cacio e Pepe was. A staple of modern Italian cuisine, its simplicity was such that it was rarely if ever served in restaurants, especially those outside Rome where the dish seems to have originated. It was one of those comfort food dishes that many would eat at home when they lacked inspiration or ingredients. But, over the past few years, the Cacio e Pepe or ‘cheese and pepper’ as one would translate it from Italian, has become not just fashionable and trendy but also extremely common. The ingredients used to make this simple pasta sauce are water, cheese (pecorino Romano) and lots of pepper. Hunting for the best Cacio e Pepe or comparing one to the other may be difficult though of course the quality of the cheese used can make the difference. It’s akin to searching for the Holy Grail, you seem to be on the right track but it remains elusive. That changed in … [Read more...]
Peck, classic Milanese establishment, opens venue in new high-rise district of Milan
Peck, a temple of classic cuisine that has been open in Milan since 1883 has opened its doors at the CityLife Shopping District, the largest urban shopping district in Italy, adding a new location to the historic shop and restaurant in the centre of Milan. The new Peck, is opening a new space to explore a new concept in food and beverage and merge all its historic distinctive features in a single place from deli shop, restaurant, wine bar and cocktail bar. A temple of haute cuisine, Milanwhich been open in Milan since 1883, has opened its doors at the CityLife Shopping District, the largest urban shopping district in Italy, adding a new location to the historic shop and restaurant in the centre of Milan. Peck brings to the new vertical city - under the skyscrapers designed by internationally renowned architects - all the flavours, aromas and expertise that have made it the benchmark for high-quality foods and a well-known brand all around the … [Read more...]
Retrobottega opens Retropasta in Rome
A week after Alessandro Miocchi and Giuseppe Lo Iudice of Retrobottega got to know that their restaurant has been short-listed for the no reservations category in the World Restaurant Awards they have launched a new project called Retropasta. Ever day, Romans will be able to buy eight types of fresh pasta. These include simple pasta (tagliolini, fettuccine, orecchiette, gnocchi) and stuffed pasta (tortellini, agnolotti del plin, ravioli and tortelli). The pasta is made with organic eggs and flour and reflects the philosophy they adopt for their kitchen at Retro Bottega. They opened the restaurant as a partnership three years ago after working in some of Italy's top kitchens including Enrico Crippa's Piazza Duomo and Il Pagliacio in Rome. Their restaurant has been lauded for its modern cuisine in the heart of Rome. Close to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, food is served on two large communal tables. The restaurant is not only special for its food but it is also possible to eat … [Read more...]
Serica (the Silk Road): Combining two cuisines at a new Milan restaurant
Chinese chef Chang Liu who has just turned 30 is the chef of a newly opened restaurant called Serica in Milan which aims to serve as a bridge between Chinese and Italian food. After three years working at the Michelin starred Yoji Tokojoshi which is known for Italian cuisine that is 'contaminated' with Japanese techniques, he has decided to open his own restaurant named Serica located in Milan, Italy. The young and talented Chinese chef has a range of experiences including at Daniel Boulud in Beijing, as well as an internship at Noma in 2014. The Chinese chef was also a finalist in Italy's Hell's Kitchen with Carlo Cracco. He won the Chinese San Pellegrino Young chef competition in 2016. He worked alongside Yoji Tokojoshi at his restaurant since 2015. The restaurant name is Serica after the ancient Latin name for the Silk Road which is the most important commercial road in human history that connected the Chinese Empire to Western Society through the exchange of goods, spices … [Read more...]
Uliassi gets third Michelin star in Italy
Uliassi was awarded with 3 Michelin stars in Italy when the French tyre company announced the publication of the new guide for 2019 in Italy. The 'seafood' restaurant of chef Mauro Uliassi is by the sea in Senigallia, Italy between the port channel and the beach. His cuisine is defined as simple and contemporary because it uses the best of today's technology while at the same time keeping to its traditional roots. The chef describes his cuisine as one that is continuously evolving and is influenced by his travels and his surroundings. Chef Mauro Uliassi opened the restaurant with Catia in 1990 and has ratings of 19 in the Guida del Espresso (among the highest). He joins the likes of Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana, Enrico Crippa's Piazza Duomo, Niko Romito's Reale and Massimiliano Alajmo's Le Calandre with three Michelin stars. The number of 3 Michelin star restaurants in Italy now stands at 10. The other 3 Michelin star restaurants are St. Hubertus, Da Vittorio. … [Read more...]
Limited edition panettone by Niko Romito on sale
The famous Panettone Niko Romito, that is produced in the bread baking laboratory PANE in Castel di Sangro close to the three Michelin star restaurant Reale is on sale and available for distribution across Europe. Only 2,000 pieces are produced in two versions, the classic and one with chocolate. The daily baking process is long and accurate, the preparation takes place over three days and includes three progressive leavening phases. Flour, natural yeast, eggs, vanilla beans, butter, "Sulla" honey, home-made candied orange zests, chocolate pearls or golden raisins are the ingredients used to make this panettone. The process to make this panettone ensures that it is incrediibly soft and has a creamy texture. The Italian chef, Niko Romito, is known for perfecting the art of baking making bread that has become famous around the world. the bread, created in the same laboratory, is also available in his restaurants Spazio Niko Romito in Milan and in Rome. The panettone is a … [Read more...]
Intentional minimalism at Spazio Niko Romito Roma
Why do restaurants only use their space for lunch or dinner other than to give the owners and their staff time to rest? Is there a more efficient way to utilise a space by offering more than just lunch or dinner? That’s what Niko Romito set out to test with Spazio Niko Romito Roma. His vision was that of creating a space that could serve as a restaurant, a cafeteria, a bakery and a place where Romans could convene in the evenings for an aperitivo or a glass of wine. You can say that vision has materialised. Located in a square in the Parioli district of Rome just two and a half kilometres away from Piazza Di Spagna and the Fontana Di Trevi you can find this space (spazio) which reflects Niko Romito’s vision to offer a space for the young students of his cooking school Niko Romito Formazione to gain experience in a real life restaurant. Today, the restaurant is welcoming Italians and tourists alike to this elegant residential area that became popular in Rome during the Fascist … [Read more...]
Retro Bottega: Modern Italian cuisine in the heart of Rome
The dessert spoon has already been placed on the table at Retro Bottega in Rome. I've been chatting to one of the two chefs Giuseppe Lo Iudice who owns this place in the centre of Rome together with another chef Alessandro Miocchi. He leaves and soon after returns to replace the spoon with a fork and knife. "We've changed plans he tells me. We want you to try another dish before dessert," he tells me. The dish that follows is pigeon cooked in a Peking Duck style. "My business partner and chef Alessandro Miocchi was in China and he got inspired by this dish which you can find everywhere. We love to work with pigeon and thought we could use the method to prepare pigeon this way," he said. It is cooked to perfection. The pigeon is perfectly seasoned, crisp on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside and is served with spinach and savory. In the space of a year I’ve eaten the best pigeon dishes I've ever eaten at Reale in Castel di Sangro and Le Chalet de La Forêt in … [Read more...]
CostardiBros in Amsterdam for one off pop-up dinner at Peroni Risotteria
Christian and Manuel Costardi, also known as the CostardiBros, rose to fame for their risotto. Two brothers that are often considered as twins despite an age difference of 9 years where in Ristorante Hangar in Amsterdam on 9 October for a one evening pop up with Peroni Nastro Azzuro. They brought with them a number of iconic dishes that have made them famous not just in Italy over the past few years. Their focus was on rice, serving two main dishes as well as a dessert using rice that is so popular in their region. They presented Diversamente Tonnato by CostardiBros, a dish that is their interpretation of Vitello Tonnato, one of the most famous dishes of Italian and piedmont cuisine. “This dish came about during the opening of our new restaurant in Torino inside EDIT. It is impossible to open a restaurant in Torino without serving vitello tonnato. However, the meat that is served in this dish never appealed to us so we decided to work on the meat and the sauce using a fillet … [Read more...]