Laura Lazzaroni may not win a lot of friends when she says that it is time to metaphorically kill the ‘nonna’ or grandmother philosophy. But she has a point. She writes about it in the introduction to her new book The New Cucina Italiana: What to Eat, What to Cook and Who to Know in Italian Cuisine published by Rizzoli New York. “I meant it to be shocking to get the point across. Of course we all love our nonne (grandmothers) and they are extremely important. Our younger generation of chefs are respectful of tradition but they’re also emancipating and moving away from the stereotype. What grandmothers have done was fantastic particularly when it came to the craftsmanship of their hands, for example making fresh pasta. But, if we have to be honest, some things were not that great because they either did not have the technology or they did not understand the chemical reactions happening within ingredients. We also need to remember that for many young chefs in Italy today, the … [Read more...]
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 regional and traditional family cooking. The Italian chef has taken traditional recipes from Trieste, where she grew up, and Friuli. “Using her memories, she is working on traditional recipes for the first time in her career,” said her sister Victoria Klugmann, who is in charge of communication at the restaurant. “But we are staying coherent to what … [Read more...]
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 ingredients as well as a range of jams, spreads and fruit juices. The Italian chef had to close his restaurant in Castel di Sangro because of the pandemic but has been keeping active with his technical creations including the development of a new product line that is sourced 100 per cent from organic agriculture. These products follow the same philosophy of his cuisine which can be described as deceptively simple. The research on the … [Read more...]
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 Iudice are turning their wine shop Retrovino into Retrocaffè. The idea is to open a cafeteria that serves coffee from 8am to 6pm in the evening serving 100 per cent arabica coffee from different parts of the world. They will be serving the coffee either in the form of an espresso to various types of filtered coffees. "And because we love traditions, we will also serve moka coffee," they announced. Retrocaffè is open seven days a week and … [Read more...]
20 year anniversary menu at Reale to continue in autumn and winter
CASTEL DI SANGRO: The 20Reale20 Menu, the star of Cristiana and Niko Romito's Reale restaurant will continue till the end of the year in its autumn and winter format. Cristiana and Niko have decided to continue the story of their gastronomic path which has been highly acclaimed over the past two months. From September 16 to November 1, the 20Reale20 Autumn menu will include 15 autumn dishes that have been served throughout the restaurant's 20 year history. It will then make way for the winter version which will be served from November 11 to the end of the year. In the first two months after lockdown, Reale has welcomed an extremely heterogeneous audience with not only previous customers but also many new customers including young people who seized a unique opportunity to take part in a gastronomic experience that tells an Italian story through the dishes that have formed part of Niko's unique cuisine. "We've never been as overwhelmed as in the past two months by booking … [Read more...]
Venissa: A vineyard saved and a new wine launched
VENICE: Enrico Rossetti who was born and lives in Burano, Venice, has become a bit of a symbol of Venice's difficult few months. His photo, taken in front of Venissa, the restaurant he worked in, during the high tides went viral. Now, because of the COVID-19 crisis and Venissa closed, Enrico has started working in the vineyard of the winery that owns the restaurant. The vineyard is home to one of the unique grapes of the region, the Dorona of Venice which is used to make the Venissa wine. Enrico worked at Venissa since 2019 and the company gave him an indefinite contract. But with tourism coming to a complete halt, Enrico has been working in the winery in the winery instead. "I cannot complain. I am working in the 'countryside', in the tranquility of the lagoon and being in the contact with nature is something I really enjoy," he said. But it is not only Enrico's job that has been saved. The walled vineyard of Venissa was also saved from the November high tides that … [Read more...]
Massimo Bottura to open second Gucci Osteria in Los Angeles
Massimo Bottura, chef of the internationally acclaimed restaurant in Modena, Osteria Francescana, will open a second Gucci Osteria in Los Angeles. The first Gucci Osteria opened in Florence in January 2018 under the helm of Karime Lopez. In less than two years the restaurant clinched a Michelin star. The second Osteria Gucci will open on 346 Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. The Italian chef made the announcement on his Instagram account: “Knock Knock! Who’s there? It’s me. It’s time to open! It’s February 8th. Get reaady”. There was no announcement as to who will lead the kitchen of the new Los Angeles restaurant but in his Instagram post, Massimo tagged Mattia Agazzi, Tamara Rigo and Marino Monferrato. The first Gucci restaurant is housed inside the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia, which housed the Gucci Museo. Conceived by creative director Alessandro Michele, the designed space features a store with one-of-a-kind items as well as the Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, the … [Read more...]
New experiences in restaurant design: IYO Aalto, unexpected story of contemporary Japan in Milan
MILAN: There is the contemporary idea of Japan in the project that the Italian architect Maurizio Lai has developed for IYO Aalto. This is the second restaurant of the group after IYO Taste Experience. The latter is the only Japanese restaurant in Italy awarded a Michelin star. Subtle references to tradition give way to a contemporary and pure design language, conceiving a place where essential materials and light merge to form a different narrative. Maurizio Lai has created a restaurant where the founding values of IYO are transferred to the space. IYO Aalto offers a dual experience, in an environment designed right down to the smallest detail. There is Tokyo's Edomae zushi culture, in a traditional Sushi Banco, and a boundless and contemporary cuisine in the elegant Gourmet Restaurant. The 320 square meters space embraces the open kitchen, the wine cellar, the exclusive Sushi Banco and the Gourmet Restaurant. Natural materials – walnut, porphyry, brass, leather – were … [Read more...]
Mudec in Milan is 11th 3 Michelin star restaurant in Italy
PIACENZA: Mudec in Milan, a restaurant of chef Enrico Bartolini is the 11th Italian 3 Michelin star restaurant when the results for Italy were unveiled in Piacenza today. Enrico Bartolini, who was already the holder of most stars in Italy for his restaurant was the star of the show as another of his restaurants, Glam in Venice clinched a second star. He also has one star at four other restaurants; Casual, La Trattoria, Locanda del Sant'Uffizio and Poggiorosso. The chef said on his Instagram account: "A unique emotion. Thank you. I feel like crying." Bartolini was born in 1979 as is originally from Castelmartini in Tuscany. He is the only chef in the history of the Michelin Guide to have been awarded four stars at the same time. Karime Lopez, chef of Massimo Bottura's Gucci Osteria in Florence was the only female chef to clinch a Michelin star in this edition. Gianluca Gorini of Da Gorini restaurant, considered to be one of Italy's rising young stars also clinched a star … [Read more...]
No more ‘a la carte’ menu for Enrico Crippa at Piazza Duomo
Enrico Crippa, chef of Piazza Duomo in Alba, one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world has decided that he will stop serving an a la carte menu when the restaurant reopens after the summer holidays on 22 August. The Italian chef said in a letter that he wanted to communicate a very important step in his career and also that of the restaurant Piazza Duomo. “After a long period of reflection and careful considerations, I have decided that the time are ripe to offer three set menus eliminating from 22 August the a la carte menu that has always been available at the restaurant which has three stars and constantly features in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. “This choice comes from a long time observing how clients tastes have shifted over the years. Most of the times, people come to the restaurant to choose a tasting menu that is proposed to them. Only a tiny percentage of clients chose from the a la carte menu,” Enrico said. “My aim is to maximise my focus on the … [Read more...]