My passion for cooking blossomed at an early age, thanks to the long afternoons spent with my grandmother Juliet, of Romagna origin, passed to roll out the dough on the floured cupboard. For several years, I nurtured and cared for it, just like a flower. It was curiosity that fueled it, to the point of realizing that cooking and Italian cuisine would soon become my life choice. From Ostia, a coastal district of Rome, I arrived at Alma, the international school of Italian cuisine. Here, beyond discovering the secrets and techniques behind the world’s most famous cuisine, my aspiration finally took shape. After an initial training period, I was chosen as an assistant chef – basically, the link between students and instructors – and soon after my first opportunity arrived: to join the brigade at Enrico Bartolini’s Glam Restaurant in Venice, a two-Michelin star establishment led by Resident Chef Donato Ascani.
After returning to Alma, I took on the role of chef de partie under Chef Bruno De Moura Cossio (Resident Chef at L’Andana – Enrico Bartolini, awarded one Michelin star), unexpectedly discovering a certain affinity for teaching. It was here, during an ordinary dinner, that I met Silvio Salmoiraghi, the soul of the Michelin-starred Acquerello restaurant, born from a lived incardinated in a deeply Marquesan thought, who wants to explore a concept of new cuisine, called “Kaiseki Italiano”. The chef challenged me: to fly across the ocean, specifically to San Diego, and become the executive chef of Ambrogio by Acquerello, the fine-dining restaurant born from the partnership between Ambrogio15 and the Acquerello Restaurant. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for. To give a turning point not only to my professional career but also to my life. But the memory is still vivid: crossing the threshold of the venue in San Diego, I wondered if it was truly what I desired. Soon, the doubts gave way to enthusiasm, thanks also to my new brigade, or rather, I should say my new and very young family with an international accent. We soon found ourselves dealing with customers who adore authentic Italian food but struggle to understand an anchovy, a snail, or a pigeon on the menu.
With my idea of cooking, following the philosophy learned during my stay at Acquerello, I try to show new flavors to San Diego customers, born from the combination of my desire to experiment and the desire to explore the Marquesan tradition, based on preparations à la minute – a line preparation made day by day avoiding any form of preservation, expressed cooking, choosing highest-quality raw materials. One of the dishes that is pleasantly enjoying great success is linguine with Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and mint.
However, at Ambrogio by Acquerello the stars of the scene are “Dancing in the Sky and Walking in the Garden.” I’m talking about the two tasting menus – the first one explores meat or fish dishes while the other one is completely vegetarian and, on request, vegan – coming from my history and the philosophy of Chef Salmoiraghi. Ambrogio by Acquerello’s cuisine is also about contaminations, which nourish creativity and drive experimentation. Thus, there’s room for techniques and ingredients typical of Asian cuisine and Californian flavors skillfully mixed with typical products of Italian cuisine such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, white truffle, or Pachino tomatoes. An iconic dish telling this philosophy is the Italian Tandoori Pigeon (pictures), a perfect union between the intensity of the meat and the Mediterranean aromas. It’s really capable of winning over even the most discerning palates at the first bite.