ITALY ON MADISON - Italian Restaurants in America: Where are We Heading?
Mary Grenchus
Where are we heading….?
Per Mega & the discussions
We engaged in a wonderful conversations with the amazing Chef’s below with them discussing the ebb and flow of the restaurant business and ways forward for Italian Cuisine. We loved Chef Marisa’s recounting of offering something unique in your restaurant.
When posed with the question by our founder on how does quality, loyalty and the exotic relate and where is it present…. every chef did an amazing job answering her question as well as explaining in detail what they find to be the pieces in their Italian cuisine that touch on each one of these areas. One of the biggest take aways from this was that there are many exotic Italian pieces… that being, foods that were traditionally served in Italy…. but need to be rediscovered … as they are actually today, quite exotic… certain cheese with saffron in them, as well as other foods that were part of different regions of Italy in the past, could be added to the menus or added to some of the dishes to bring more of the exotic. However, the exotic is also already present through some of the truffle dishes they offer as well.
Focusing on quality products is also of greatest importance including PDO and PGI products. Discussions continued about fraudulent products as well ..labeling themselves as a certain product when the process in which they go through actually isn’t quality and actually creates an impure product. Loyalty to the regulations is important so that quality products are used, and so that those just starting out know which products are best to use, have the best flavor and are truly authentic Italian products. Quality includes some of the types of pastas and manufacturers of pasta …
Discussions of why prices were high also occurred… and most of the discussion revolved around the costs of shipping certain items… as well as the cost of a quality product vs. a non-quality product. Although prices for certain dishes may seem high… it is relevant to where you live, the cost of living, and the cost to obtain the products used in the dishes, it is an accurate price reflection (not inflated etc) given all of these areas. Using products that are within the appropriate season was also recommended, although it is noted also that many also engage in canning as well, so that they can still share some of their favorite rare products during months they would not usually be available.
Discussions on training and education of quality products, and the importance of conversations with staff as well as with customers about the ingredients used and Italian Culture and Heritage opens up the individual to Italian Culture even more, as well as to quality of life.
Conversations on diversity in the workplace also took place.
Star ratings were also discussed… with it being noted that individuals should go and try different restaurants and decide for themselves as some of the ratings are inflated, or are created before a restaurant even opens… because of who they know… Some did state New York Times reviews can help save a restaurant if it is having difficulty with reopening or getting clientele… because not enough people know about them etc… New York Times can help one to become visible when they seem invisible. Also noted was the hope that New York Times does more reviews of Italian food.
Per ITA:
Fabrizio Facchini
Fabrizio Facchini is a chef and restaurateur that has been recognized and published in the Michelin Italy Guide since 2012, as well as in other prestigious guides, magazines, and press around the world. He has been recognized by the Italian American Chamber of Commerce in New York for his work in bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the United States, and is a member of the Associazone Italiana Ambasciatori Del Gusto and Slow Food Chef Alliance in both Italy and the United States. Fabrizio has opened and developed several restaurant concepts throughout both Italy and the United States, and most recently has founded the Cucina Italiana in Chelsea’s new Renaissance Hotel and Stellina Ristorante in Oyster Bay.
Marisa Iocco
No one has done more to introduce the Boston region to creative, authentic fare than Marisa Iocco. A native of Southern Italy’s Abruzzo region and trained in architecture, fine art and the fine art of cooking, as Boston’s only Italian-born female executive chef, Marisa’s decades-long legacy of soulful, edgy, groundbreaking interpretations of traditional Italian has tempted, tickled and filled the stomachs of loyalists who have followed her remarkably crisscrossed path of restaurants across the city. Her restaurants include Galleria Italiana, La BeKola, South End Galleria, Bricco, Umbria, and Mare, among others.
As Boston’s foremost Italian-born female executive chef and restaurateur, Marisa is a role model for female cooks entering the field. Her passion, talent, and strength of body and spirit—both in the kitchen and in the community—have broken barriers for females in top city kitchens.
John Mariani
John Mariani is an author and journalist of 40 years standing, and an author of 15 books. He has been called by the Philadelphia Inquirer, “the most influential food-wine critic in the popular press” and is a three-time nominee for the James Beard Journalism Award. For 35 years he was Esquire Magazine’s food & travel correspondent and wine columnist for Bloomberg News for ten. His Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink was hailed as the “American Larousse Gastronomique”.
Fabio Parasecoli
Fabio Parasecoli is a Professor in New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. He has a Doctorate in Agricultural Sciences (Dr.sc.agr.) from Hohenheim University, Stuttgart (Germany), MA in Political Sciences from the Istituto Universitario Orientale, Naples (Italy), BA/MA in Modern Foreign Languages and Literature from the Università La Sapienza, Roma (Italy). Fabio’s research explores the intersections among food, media, and politics, in particular in the fields of food heritage and intellectual property. Fabio also served for many years as the U.S. correspondent for Gambero Rosso, Italy’s authoritative food and wine magazine.
Gianfranco Sorrentino
Originally from Naples, Italy, GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO carries over 35 years of experience in restaurant management, some of these include Quisitana Hotel in Capri, Dorchester Hotel in London, Four Seasons Hotel in Tokyo, Bice Restaurant in New York, Sette MoMA Restaurant at The Museum of Modern Art of New York, Union Bar and Grill in Great Barrington, MA, Mozzarella & Vino, and Leopard at Des Artistes, in the New York landmark the Hotel des Artistes. With his wife PAULA BOLLA- SORRENTINO, and his talented Executive Chef VITO GNAZZO, they also run IL GATTOPARD Restaurant and MOZZARELLA & VINO enoteca. Gianfranco is the President of Gruppo Italiano (Gruppo-italiano.com)