03-09-2013
The window shops and the entrance to De Feo at 29 in via Adelaide Ristori in Cividale del Friuli in the province of Udine, tel. +39.0432.701425. Previously owned by Romano De Feo, in December 2012 it witnessed the entrance of 33 year old Giulio Grotto, from Schio in Veneto. His food is a bridge between North-Eastern Italy and Japan where he lived
His passion for food began when he was a child, while he watched his uncle cooking for the whole family, at the weekend, «he cooked as a hobby, he certainly wasn’t a professional. I watched him as he prepared scallops, I observed his gestures, to me it was like magic... I wanted to learn myself ». So he attended catering school in Recoaro. Then came some ups and downs: 33 year old Giulio Grotto, from Schio, in Veneto, after Dolada (both on Alpago and in London), he worked for a long time in Japan and beyond, and then arrived at Enoteca De Feo (Romano De Feo is Antonia Klugmann’s partner but he sold this business, even though the name stayed, Editor’s note) in Cividale del Friuli in December 2012, tel. +39.0432.701425, with the idea of staying here only a few months, «I had had a few disappointing experience, I really wanted a career change. I wanted to import Japanese knives».
Confused beef tartare, wasabi, misticanza salad and red turnips
Of course there’s still work to be done, the results, however, seem to be all there: for instance there’s a delicious and balanced Lamb tagliata with the aroma of cherry smoke (Grotto orders the chips from his beloved Japan) with an aubergine and courgette millefoglie, a fine demonstration of his technique and skill in mixing the aromas harmoniously. It is also a proof that the double approach works («sometimes I look for classic, sometimes for fusion pairings»), opening the horizons is good for the creativity of the chef from Schio, and his spotlights today are set on Friuli, the region hosting him: «I want to understand the essence of this cuisine, with the aid of some great masters such as Emanuele Scarello and Raffaello Mazzolini».
Lamb smoked wit cherry wood withn millefoglie di melanzane and zucchini
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief