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DIC. GEN. 2017
XII
How did you manage to turn your
restaurant into a meeting point
in the famous Big Apple in such a
short time?
Well, I wouldn’t say it was very
short. It’s been 9 years since I
started putting my heart and soul
into it, every day proud of doing
so, working hard in full respect of
regulations and giving great love to
each and every person that comes in.
You like to talk about your
restaurant as a place for everyone,
even if several celebrities visit. Is
it really so?
Yes, it is and I say it with my heart.
I serve celebrities just like I serve all
other people. Celebrities come and
go, but it’s the returning clientele
that makes the day.
Americans have a very different
diet. Is there a trick to make
foreign customers curious, maybe
using an ingredient they like, or
is the passion of ‘made in Italy’
enough?
Believe me - when you serve nice
high quality food, even Americans
know how to appreciate it. Made in
Italy is always a success, but it has to
be the real stuff.
The newly elected President
Donald Trump is among your
faithful customers. What’s his
favourite dish? Any stories to tell?
I first met him at Cipriani’s. He
used to come very often, but I don’t
remember his favourite dish. Bar
Italia is often visited by Ivana Trump,
his former wife. She loves liver
cooked ‘alla veneziana’ and she is a
very calm elegant person.
I read you would like to return to
Italy and open a restaurant in your
village, Borgo. Would you really
do that?
It is my secret dream... Who knows, I
love dreaming!
AT PAGE 28
IN THE CUPBOARD
Legumes prêt-à-
cuisiner
Canned products considerably reduce
preparation times and allow a better
control over cost/portion. They
couldn’t have been left out from the
Qualitaly range
By Elena Consonni
To celebrate a precious food, FAO
named 2016 as the international year
of legumes. They have to be in the
restaurant menu for more than one
reason: they belong to the culinary
tradition of many Italian regions, they
are an alternative source of proteins,
they can be used in tasty first and
MAGAZINE