Interview with Enrico Bartolini.
When we decided to dedicate this web magazine to excellence, we did it thinking to moments like this. We are therefore happy and honored that a Chef of the fame of Enrico Bartolini, dedicated us a small part of his precious time to answer an interview that we now proudly offer to our readers.
A brilliant career, that of Bartolini, that led him to conquer his first Michelin Star when he was just 29 y.o. and when 33, the second too. Now the stars have become 5 (Just talking about Michelin’s awards): the two stars for the “Mudec Restaurant” inside the Museum itself in Milan, one at the “Casual” in Bergamo, another one at the “Andana” in Castiglione della Pescaia in Maremma, and one more at the “Glam” in Venart Palace, Venice. So today not even forty, he can well be considered the Top among Italian Chefs and one of the best in the world.
That said it seems easy, but behind these successes there is a very long and constant time of formation, there are countless experiences, study, commitment, passion, and imagination. In other words, one of those cases, where hard work is repaid.
From his many experiences, Bartolini has coined the philosophy of the “Contemporary Classic”, aimed at creating recipes made with simple ingredients, but extremely refined on the palate. Bartolini’s cuisine is a contemporary one, that devotes particular attention to the products and the gastronomic traditions of the territory, interpreting in a new and original way and with its creativity, flavors and particular consistencies.
But, let’s now give the word directly to the “Man of the Stars”, Enrico Bartolini, in this interview realized by our collaborator Daniela Barone.
Good Morning Enrico and thanks for your time.
Q) How important is the imagination in the creative process of one of his dishes?
A) A lot. It is very important to have a good feeling and connect it to experiences through careful imagination.
Q) In addition to your roots and the link with the territory for the raw materials you use, what inspires your recipes?
A) The desire to extract a balance and turn it into a successful experience. Sometimes there is a brilliant recipe to adapt to the territory. Others, vice versa, I try to find the ingredient on the territory to adapt it to my idea. Difficult to explain, but it is more or less like that.
Q) Do you remember a particular food or an ingredient that you loved as a child?
A) I loved the “Bomboloni” (italian fried sweet pastries). Among the ingredients, extra virgin olive oil.
Q) When you travel abroad, do you then experience tastes and suggestions of cultures that are very different from ours?
A) Yes, I absolutely love our culture and our eating habits, but abroad, especially in Asia, I remain very enthusiastic about the accuracy of the recipes and their flavor.
Q) The training schools in the sector are very expensive and then require long training periods. Is there any advice you would like to give to a young chef?
A) Commitment. Give confidence to chefs and employers by building together a complicity, suitable to increase the attention for the kitchen that you, or those for you, have decided to live and produce.
Q) How is having a Multi Star Chef in the family? 🙂
A) The absences are numerous. I love my children and I hope that one day they will love being close to me.
Thank you again Enrico Bartolini and we’d like to conclude by quoting your slogan:
“Love for Life is also a desire to eat it”
Enrico Bartolini’s cuisine can be enjoyed in many restaurants, both in Italy and in the world, where the Chef works directly or with the collaboration of his trusted Resident Chef.
In Italy
– Enrico Bartolini MUDEC – Milano
– Casual Restaurant – Bergamo
– La Trattoria Enrico Bartolini, presso l’Andana – Castiglion della Pescaia
– GLAM Enrico Bartolini Restaurant – Venezia
– Locanda del Sant’Uffizio – Monferrato (New Open)
Abroad
– Ristorante SPIGA un omaggio alla cucina italiana – Hong Kong
– Ristorante Roberto’s – Dubai
– Ristorante Roberto’s – Abu Dhabi
Texts © iBestmag – Interview © Daniela Barone/iBestmag – Images courtesy of Enrico Bartolini – Reproduction Forbidden
(The first image is a photomontage made for editorial reasons)
