Twenty four new first stars have been awarded, well scattered throughout the national territory.

After Gualtiero Marchesi in 2008, also Ezio Santin, chef of Antica Osteria del Ponte, in Cassinetta di Lugagnano left the scoring system of the guide books. Among the most relevant exits is the closing of the restaurant “Il Gambero Rosso” of Fulvio Pierangelini in San Vincenzo (Li), together with another 13 restaurants.
Among the new comers we point out big hotels whose restaurants & bar went from being the Cinderella of gastronomy to the benchmark for gourmets.
It’s also interesting the section that Michelin dedicated to the “Big Gourmand”, that is those restaurants featuring a good quality for the price – 234 in this edition.
The most prestigious and complete Guide book for this edition took into consideration 6,306 business (2,392 restaurants, 3,914 hotels, 394 countryside B&B) in 2,076 venues.

All the new comers:
THREE stars added
Da Vittorio – Brusaporto

TWO stars added
Piazza Duomo – Alba
Antica Corona Reale da Renzo – Cervere
Il Mosaico (Terme Manzi Hotel) – Ischia-Casamicciola Terme
La Madia – Licata
Il Pellicano – Porto Ercole
Trenkerstube (H Castel) – Tirolo
Met (H Metropole) – Venezia

ONE star added
Andreini – Alghero
Ortica – Bedizzole
Roof Garden (H San Marco) – Bergamo
Vicolo Santa Lucia (H Carducci 76) – Cattolica
Baldin – Genova/Sestri Ponente
Al Vigneto – Grumello del Monte
Sissi – Merano
Castel Fragsburg – Merano/Freiberg
Le Robinie – Montescano
Hostaria del Mare – Modena
La Fornace di Barbablù (R. Palazzo Vescovile) – Noli
La Locanda di Bu – Nusco
Il Piastrino – Pennabilli
Cafè les Paillotes – Pescara
Meridiana – Piove di Sacco
La Fenice (H Villa Carlotta) – Ragusa
Glass Hostaria – Rome
Antonello Colonna – Rome
Savino Mongelli – Santa Vittoria d’Alba
Osteria del Pomiroeu – Seregno
Cinzia da Christian e Manuel – Vercelli
L’Accanto ( GD H Angiolieri) – Vico Equense

Italian version

Refined though informal atmosphere and delicious though not pretentious food. Matteo Fronduti explains to Luxgallery the philosophy behind Manna restaurant, a paradise corner just at the outskirts of Milan.
Class ’77, Fronduti worked for Armani, Trussardi and many others like D’O Cornaredo, selecting the best to learn the technique and fuel the passion.

The dream of opening his own restaurant became true in 2008. During this first year, his popularity grew significantly, and Manna’s too, of course. Curious dishes, not only for the palate, but also for the soul: half portions for who can not choose between ‘Mbhe ?! and Curiosity Killed the Cat

How did you come up with the idea for this restaurant?
The idea of the restaurant originates from a project and a prerogative: quality above all. After years of experience gained working side by side with great chefs, I felt the need to own my own place where I could entirely free my idea of cuisine.
The first objective of our restaurant is that to get the quality rid of excessive prices. We want our guests to enjoy our food not only once a year, or for important events, but every time they want.

How did you choose the name?
When we were about to choose the name of the restaurant we wanted it to be harmonic and effective, though not tied up to the environment. We liked Manna for the sound: it is catchy. And Manna is a lymph, extracted from bark, that, once properly cut, becomes food. It is recognized by  high quality Presidium Slow Food and some recognize it from the Bible as the food sent by God to feed the Hebrews during their 40 years in the desert.

What about your staff?
My staff is young though professionally highly qualified. The key factor to work here is that to be ready and willing, and hard workers without taking things too seriously, as I believe we also have to have fun.

Your dishes feature quite expressive menu names: where do you take inspiration from?
I wish to underline the fact that we first create the dishes and then get inspired by them, so to put a smile on our guests’ faces, when they read the menu. It is a sort of captatio benevolentiae, necessary to cut the distances and make out of the convivial moment, a time of true pleasure.

What do you believe cannot be given up when cooking?
Quality. When cooking, you can make different choices regarding the type of ingredient to use, but you can never come to a compromise with products’ freshness. Thanks to the experience and the technique I gained throughout my previous jobs, we are able to offer dishes that are simple though realized at the best of our capabilities.

Culinary art: what does it mean to you?
The cuisine for me is not art, if anything, it is craftsmanship, a high standard one, but eventually it is just a job.

Brunch together with writers? Where does this idea come from? What is the importance of events for a restaurant like yours?
Events represent what the restaurant aims to be, that is a meeting venue, pleasant and dynamic at the same time. It is not a particularly original idea that to merge gastronomy and literature, what we do is to offer such events under an entertaining light, as the brunch can be, giving room to young emerging writers.

Now you are the creator and Chef at the Manna, what do you want to do as a grown-up?
I would like to bring up and develop this restaurant and my staff. So, yes, as a grow-up I want to be a chef.

Here is what you could be tasting during this 1009 winter, but watch out: at Manna’s, nothing is given for granted and you may happen to taste a different specialty a day. Try to believe it.

Hors d’oevre
POVERTY AND NOBLENESS
Bread, mortadella, stracchino (soft cheese), and toasted pistachios
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
Carrot pie, ginger and squid
ALMOST LIKE AT MIRANDOLINA’S
Rock mullet in “saor” sauce
THE MIGRANT
Onion omelette

First Courses
MBHE?!
Pasta with beans
CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT
Pumpkin toasted ravioli, raw red prawns and lard
NOW OR NEVER
Cream (with butter) rice, porcini and Bagoss cheese
ALDO FABBBBBRIZI
Bucatini with cheese, pepper and lamb liver

Second Courses
LAKE SUMMARY
Roasted eel, salted pike and trout terrine
CHEEK TO CHEEK
Guanciale (Italian bacon) with gewurtztraminer and braised Belgian endive
A STEAK
Beef sirloin, spinach and grape sauce
THE TURTLE WON
Lightly marinated hare with butter smashed potatoes

Desserts
GO AWAY DOCTOR!
Overturned apple cake with vanilla icecream
IF ONLY GRANPA KNEW!
Soft chestnuts, pine nuts and rosemary
NOW OR NEVER
Creamy banana and cocoa sorbet
CACOLATO
Hot dark chocolate with persimmon

Manna Restaurant
Tel +39 02.26809153
P.le Governo Provvisorio, 6 – Milan
www.mannamilano.it

Francesca Zottola

Italian version

A section of the space, with a seven-marble qualities wall on the background, coming from India, iran, China and South America, is dedicated to flowers: clients can admire a rich variety of orchids exclusively distributed by Trussardi 1911. The new concept store is open at night as well: it’s open everyday until 10 pm. Conceived and designed by the creative directore of Trussardi 1911 Milan Vukmirovic, able to interpret with his contemporary sensibility the excellences of the maison of the Greyhound, the new shop re-creates all the ground floor of Piazza della Scala.

The Café Trussardi as well, inaugurated in April 2008 (with the déhors designed by the architect Carlo Ratti and the vertical installation of green created by Patrick Blanc) now unites and shares its spaces with those of the boutique, creating a unique 400 s-m environment whose floor is made of over a thousand wooden staves painted with craftsmanship. On the first floor of the building lies the restaurant Trussardi Alla Scala, decorated with two stars from the Michelin Italia 2009 guide book, which has recently re-opened after a complete restoration.

Each of the group activity is directed by a young international talent: Milan Vukimirovic, creative director of Trussardi 1911, Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of the Foundation Nicola Trussardi, Andrea Berton, director of the restaurant Trussardi Alla Scala and of the Café Trussardi. All the activities are created and coordinated by Beatrice Trussardi, who is managing director and head of the group. In particular, in fashion department, Trussardi 1911 represented for the group a great revolution but is a synthesis of the values that have always characterized the Trussardi world: craftsmanship, made in Italy production, use of prestigious materials, definition of the cuts, care of the tiniest details but also an eclectic and contemporary taste redefining the idea of luxury.

Milan Vukmirovic represents a way of working very close to today’s rhythms and values: as a  designer, director of a magazine like L’Officiel, buyer for a multibrand like The Webster in Miami and as a photographer has a wide overlook over all the variables of the fashion world. It’s rather the perspective and the outlook rather than Trussardi’s taste that have changed: Trussardi today is much closer to new generations whose values he represents (mobility, eclecticism, speed but also the great care for details and the taste for prestigious craftsmanship) and it is a luxury brand whose quality is easily be recognized.

Besides Trussardi 1911 there are Tru Trussardi and TJ: both expressing a more informal world, the former dedicated to the city and its rhythms, with its soft but elegant style, the latter for the spare time. Variety is one of the elements of the winning formula by Trussardi: each moment of the day and each occasion can be accompanied by a Trussardi experience.

The restaurant Trussardi Alla Scala is acknowledged as one of the greatest experiences of the new Italian Cuisine and, while it has been growing within its own walls cultivating an informal, elegant and cosmopolitan environment, it has also contributed to renovate the centre of Milan, offering a new outpost of absolute quality. The chef Andrea Berton has been able to combine experiments with a certain rigour in his proposals: the restaurant Trussardi Alla Scala is, in fact, a place where the culinary technique is never showed off and where the pure taste gets the better of complexity or of the research per se.
One of the keys to the success of the restaurant Trussardi Alla Scala has obviously been placing again the clients at the centre of the gastronomic experience: The great novelty of the restaurant has been the recent restoration of the room to make it even closer to the new identity of the brand. With a new inspiration, taken from the urban atmospheres of the contemporary world, the clients can now choose whether to spend the evening looking out on the spectacular view of Piazza Alla Scala, comfortably seating on soft armchairs, or in a more dynamic environment, right at the centre of an open kitchen with a monumental golden wall in the background. It is very important for Trussardi to keep the public away from the idea of a classic starry restaurant where one can almost be in trouble because of the gastronomic research.

Eventually the Trussardi Foundation is currently busy organizing a project which is still at an early stage when it’s preferable not to spread news. The Foundation became popular in the city because of quick and sudden events, but also because of more private and introspective projects, like the last exhibition at Palazzo Dugnani showing the films by the English artist Tacita Dean. The Foundation has a gipsy and varied identity that led it to gain over the past years an important role not only among the institutions of contemporary art in the world, but in the collective imaginary of the city.

Alessandra Iannello

Italian version

Luxgallery is partner of the Park Hyatt Milan, the fine 5 Stars Luxury Hotel, Via Tommaso Grossi, just next to the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery.

Luxgallery readers that wish to try the experience of a luxury and comfort stay, can make reservations at special prices, just for them. Here how to do:

-    go to the website www.milan.park.hyatt.com
-    click “Room and Rates”
-    select the dates of your intended stay
-    insert in the “Group/Corporate #” section the following code: CR51529 . The special rates reserved for Luxgallery readers will appear.
-    Conclude your booking

Italian version

An elegant and refined atmosphere surrounds innovative dishes, deeply rooted in the Sicilian tradition.
All this finds its perfect balance at the new restaurant of the Majestic Hotel in Rome, headed by Chef Filippo La Mantia.
The historic hotel in Via Veneto becomes a place, suspended between the past and the present, where to spoil your palate with traditional ingredients and original and genuine dishes.

The rooms, beautifully renovated, are well set into the classic-liberty style of the hotel. Quite innovative is the entrance, overlooking the kitchens and leading to the grand internal lounge, in fin de siècle style, passing through a wine cellar hosting the best wines and ending on the 500 sq m terrace from where you can enjoy a wonderful view over Via Veneto.
Open view is also the style of the pastry laboratory so to allow guests to have a look at the preparation of the delicious recipes that the Chef and his sous-chefs prepare on the spot.

“My wish is that to revive the feeling of enjoying the restaurant of a grand hotel through a simple cuisine at affordable prices – stated Filippo La Mantia. The owners of the Majestic Hotel believed in me and in the philosophy of my cuisine that draws from and revises the flavours and scents of the old Sicilian tradition: my goal is to recreate a cozy atmosphere, with dishes that take our diners up on a journey, while comfortably sitting in our restaurant, and that fill them with unique emotions. In fact, sometimes the memory of a trip does not really stand in a work of art, but rather in the atmosphere of a restaurant and its tasty dishes.”

The renovation of the restaurant was curated by the Studio of Architecture Violante & Associates, in collaboration with the staff of the Chef and with the Studio Lissoni of Milan. The latter is the author of the open view pastry lab and of the bar. The goal of the renovation was to harmonize all the functions of the facility: restoration, cuisine, bakery and bar.

The project by Filippo La Mantia aims to provide the guests with a warm and cozy atmosphere where to eat or simply spend some time sipping tea with friends. From September the terrace will also host a great number of artistic and charity events.

Info: www.filippolamantia.com
Italian version

The Seven Stars Galleria represents, since 7th March 2007, excellence in Milan, with its seven suites overlooking the heart of the city: the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Flagship of The Small Leading Hotels of the World, the Seven Stars Galleria by Town House set its main objective in providing the best of services to clients. The butler becomes an all-round personal assistant and the chef becomes a tailor able to design tailor-made menus, unique in the world.

We are talking of Giacomo Gaspari, Chef Executive of the “La Sinfonia” restaurant that, only for its guests, prepares tasty seven stars dishes.

The relationship with clients starts upon their arrival, with a little test to understand the characteristics of each person so to create an ad hoc menu. “To achieve total wellbeing, it is good to follow the directions given by Ayurvedic Dosha – says Gaspari – that are of three types: Vata, Pita and Kapha. According to the person, a number of matching characteristics are looked for.”

Here is what the famous Chef recounted to us.

How did your collaboration with the Seven Stars Galleria originally start?
I have collaborated with the Rosso family for over 20 years and we have always tried to offer our guests a focus nutrition, in the search for total wellbeing. After years of study, today I can design a menu based on each person’s characteristics. My philosophy is “give to your body what it needs, not what you want”. In nutrition it is very important to separate body and mind.

Which ingredient should never be missing in your kitchen?
Water, it is the source of life, a primordial element whose purity reminds us of the importance of life.

For your creations, where does inspiration come from?
Observing the people for whom I cook. Each of us has different characteristics and as a consequence different needs. At the base of my theory there the relationship that every person has with the five elements: water, earth, fire, space and air. If we could use sports terminology, the Pita is a sprinter, the Vata is a marathon runner and the Kapha is a weightlifter. A Pita, for instance, will need a spice-less menu, preferably fresh, able to satisfy his distinguished curiosity. I would suggest a starter consisting of salmon carpaccio and scallops, a first course consisting of gnocchi made of ricotta and fresh tomato coli, a main course consisting of citrus black sea bass fillet and finally a strawberry cold soufflé.

Fine taste and dish design: how do you find the right balance?
The keyword in my kitchen is naturalness. What I do is offer healthy and simple dishes that my guests can do themselves. For this reason we thought of creating one-to-one cooking courses. What makes the cuisine of the “La Sinfonia” Restaurant so special and priceless is, in fact, its uniqueness in the world. There is no other place in the world where the Chef designs a tailor-made dish as if it were a perfect suit; this is possible thanks to the fact that the Seven Stars Galleria is a small and extremely luxurious home.

Wellness first?
To have a long life, caring for what we eat is essential and I’m not only talking of quality. What our body needs to survive is air, water, salt and potassium and our nutrition has to be well-balanced so to contain all these elements without forgetting the climate factor and life habits. I will never give out an orange juice or a centrifuged apple because what our body really needs is fibre. This theory becomes practice every single day for myself and my family, and our guests too. What I can say is that my children eat an apple and a piece of parmesan cheese before their basket matches and manage to run throughout the entire match while their team-mates find it difficult, and here, at the Town House, during the past year, nobody had to ask for sick leaves.

And what about body silhouette?
Reward yourself with a raspberry soufflé. Egg whites, sugar, a spoon of Philadelphia and a few raspberries. Sprinkle cocoa on it as garnishment. Your greediness will be satisfied and the calories will be equal to a coffee with sugar.

Francesca Zottola

Italian version

Projected by the architect Volkmar Burgstaller, the great structure made of maple and crystal has a private collection of airplanes, owned by Dieter Mateschitz, head of the Red Bull and big fan of luxury jets, but also events, a bar and a restaurant.

Built to host the collection of old airplanes of the Flying Bulls, besides hosting numerous exhibitions it does homage to the culinary art through the restaurant, “Ikarus”, directed by Roland Trettl and based on the good idea to appoint each month a different worldwide famous chef to take care of the kitchen.

The month of July 2009, for instance, it is run by Antonino Cannavacciuolo of “Villa Crespi” Orta San Giulio that will astonish the guests with his creations.

If you visit Austria you can’t miss the occasion of stopping at the Hangar 7. Until 13th September you will also be able to visit for free the exhibition “A force of the past”: eight artists – Francesco Lauretta, Francesco De Grandi, Valentina D’Amaro, Alessandro Ceresoli, Pietro Ruffo, Gabriele Arruzzo, Francesca Pizzo, Sibylle Trafoier – together to talk about the painting of Italy.

Italian version

Inside the prison of High Down, in the English countey of Surrey, recently has been inaugurated a very original restaurant. Run totally by the prisoners, under the supervision of the former chef of the exclusive «Mirabelle» of Mayfair- London, Alberto Crisci, “The Clink”, la Gattabuia, dedicates unforgettable nights based on impeccable food and service.

Besides taking reservations, the penitentiary police will take care of all the due controls. Only fault, the cutlery: made in plastic…for obvious security reasons.

Italian version

The world’s most expensive curry comes from the central London curry house Bombay Brasserie.

Head chef Prahlad Hegde presents The Samundari Khazana, or Seafood Treasure, a mix of Beluga caviar, sea snails, a whole lobster and edible gold accompanied by rice flavored with saffron.

“There are still people out there with money to spend and this curry is a real experience” said Prahlad Hegde. “The fish and seafood is marinated in chili and tamarind paste, then I slice truffle over the top to give it a nutty flavour.”

The curry has been created in coincidence with the DVD launch of Oscar-winning flick Slumdog Millionaire, which is set in India, and is served with a glass of champagne for a sumptuous price tag of $3,281.

Chef of the Year is Dan Barber, pioneer of the “farm-to-table” who won to the veteran Tom Colicchio from New York, Jose Andres from Washington and Paul Kahan from Chicago.

With his two restaurants, Stone Barns, located in a farm north of New York and Blue Hill, in the heart of New York, Barber made his early fortune thanks to the dishes made of season products coming from local farmers.

The bistreau Jean Georges, three stars in the Michelin guide and feather in the cap of the Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, won, instead, in the category of restaurants, while Momofuku Ko, with two Michelin stars, won the award for the best new restaurant.

Among the emerging chefs triumphed the Nate Appleman, of the A16 of San Francisco while Gina DePlama, of the Babbo of New York, won in the category of pastry chef, single woman to win a nomination except for Jennifer McLagan who with her “Fat:An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes” won the award for the best cooking book.

The James Beard Award were born in 1990 and built up their authority thanks to a jury, made of workers in the catering industry, assigning awards both for culinary professions and for media dealing with the culinary world.

Italian version

In the coming weeks the Nahm, prestigious restaurant of the The Halkin Hotel in the Belgravia area, will organize original cooking courses at the discovery of Thai cuisine to reveal its secrets and appreciate even more its flavours.

Patronized by actors, vips and crowned heads that love eating oriental food away from indiscrete eyes, Nahm was the first Thai restaurant to conquer a star on the well-renowned Michelin Guide thanks to the oriental touch characterizing its design and the extremely original dishes, such as the blanched lobster with galangal and lemongrass, or the jungle curry and coriander fish.

Two are the main areas of interest that the head chef Matthew Albert aims at facing:

CURRY:
Saturday 6th June 2009
The lesson envisages an introduction to the main ingredients composing curry doughs and to the traditional methods to prepare them. Moreover, the different kinds of curry will be presented, such as red curry used for the preparation of delicious fish pies and green curry for a tasty chicken. The lesson includes the teaching of how to prepare coconut cream.

THAI MENU WITH WINE-MATCHING
Saturday 16th May – 12th September – 10th October 2009
A Thai lunch is a proper exercise to find balances. Many dishes are served together with rice and rarely, within a meal, flavours are repeated. This way, a curry dish, a salad, a soup or fried food are combined to make out of the meal a very varied and satisfactory one. Each lesson will be realized with the aim of demonstrating various techniques and the dishes used to make lunch. After the lesson, lunch will follow and the Nahm’s sommelier, Troy Sutton, will teach the most appropriate wine matching.

To book:
Nahm Restaurant (London) +44 20 7333 1011 – cooking@nahm.como.bz
The Halkin Hotel (London) +44 20 7333 1000 – cooking@nahm.como.bz

Italian version

From 30th April until 3rd May “Chocobarocco” is on stage, the event consecrated to the local craftsmanship, from arts to delights for the palate.

One of the privileged venues of the event will be Palazzo Failla, the four stars S where expert coiffeurs, beauticians and nail artists will welcome the guests in the sign of the initiative “Bellezza Barocca” (coordinated by CNA).
Conditioners and hair-style products, face and hand treatments and make-up, all made of chocolate: a “very sweet relax” in view of a walk around Modica.

Starting from Palazzo Failla that, despite being today a luxury hotel, maintained the original noble atmosphere. Inside, there are the renowned Restaurant La Gazza Ladra, run by the chef Accursio Craparo, a star Michelin in 2009, and also the Caffè Blandini, where it is a must to taste the handmade chocolate, and the typical restaurant La Locanda del Colonnello.

Not far from Palazzo Failla, a pleasant walk around the streets of Modica will lead to the Cathedral of San Giorgio and to the Castello dei Conti, but the town prepared also numerous paths within Chocobarocco Modica – When chocolate meets arts.

From the exhibition on the origins “Metate: from Mexico to Modica – A long trip discovering the origins of the chocolate of Modica”; to the church of San Francesco, where it will be presented the fair weaving factory of the chocolate of Modica.

In the evening on 2nd May the Stairs of San Pietro will serve as the catwalk to the fashion show “Baroque Glamour”, a combination of high fashion beauty, arts, music and dance.

And of course, this chocolate route couldn’t come without the “Mercato Chocobarocco”, the area where to purchase the local products made by the craftsmen of the Consortium for the protection of the Chocolate of Modica, also protagonists of demonstrations inside their laboratories.

Italian version