16-11-2017
Antonio Santini of Dal Pescatore in Runate a Canneto (Mantua) offers his congratulations to the new triple-starred Norbert Niederkofler: "The lesson for cooks?" said the chef from St Hubertus in San Cassiano (Bolzano) right after the ceremony, "you don’t need ingredients from afar to reach such a goal"
«Now everything changes, my dear Norbert, you’ll see», whispers Antonio Santini of Dal Pescatore in Canneto, while he embraces him, a few minutes after the ceremony is over. Niederkofler is the ninth triple-star to appear in the current Guida Michelin Italia, 4 years after Niko Romito, the latest in the series. The chef from Alto Adige is thrilled but shows his joy with the moderation of a wise man: «I dedicate this reward to my mother, who turned 90 last week. She has always believed in it and never stopped supporting me». There’s one concept the cook from St.Hubertus in San Cassiano repeats again and again to the journalists rushing at him: «I’d like people to understand this message, above all: in order to reach such goals, Italian cooks don’t need raw materials from distant lands». It’s the turning point of ‘Cook the Mountains’, the now famous philosophy thanks to which the bearded chef put aside once and for all any variation on foie gras and sea bass, and focused on Arctic char, trout and mountain herbs. «To the young people I say: always trust what you’re doing, but be ready to question yourself too». There’s something else confirming that this is Niederkofler’s big day: 3 of the 22 new stars where his pupils, more or less recently. First of all Matteo Metullio of Ciasa Salares, 29 in March next year, one of the 3 new 2-stars in 2018: «I still can’t believe it», he says, «I thought they were going to give me a special prize, not the second star. I arrive on stage, get the award and right after that, I see my master at the top. Norbert taught me everything: method, organisation, discipline. Today we follow two different roads because I chase delicacies from afar as well, what we call the good kilometre: why should I give up on Raffaele Barlotti’s buffalo milk mozzarella?». Praise to the Red Guide: «In Italy we don’t even know how to spell ‘meritocracy’. They’ve shown that your name doesn’t count if you’re not good. But now please let me go because I can’t understand a thing».
Matteo Metullio, Ciasa Salares in Alto Adige, two stars at 28
Between Andrea Berton and Raffaele Lenzi, chef at Berton al Lago, new-star, there’s Andrea Aprea of Vun at Park Hyatt, promoted to a second star
Matias Perdomo of Contraste (Milan) is in tears. It’s not the first time: it happened already in the days of Pont de Ferr and of the famous chequered table cloth. «We’re great». Even German Christoph Bob of Il Refettorio at Monastero di Santa Rosa, on the Coast of Amalfi got a star, except in August he no longer thought he would: «The other day, I was resting in Miami after taking part in the New York marathon. When they called me, I packed everything and came home. I took four flights. I had no idea».
Roberto Conti is the third chef to bring a star to Trussardi alla Scala in Milan, after Luigi Taglienti and Andrea Berton - the latter was there to celebrate the first star at Berton al Lago, on Lake Como, with Raffaele Lenzi. «For two years now I’ve left the essential pieces in my team unchanged», Conti rejoices, «It clearly helped». Never stop: «The award is for what you’ve done, not for what you’ll do. It’s a starting point».
1982-2007 Tantris, Munich (Germany), chef Heinz Winkler See also Niederkofler story: 20 years (in fact 21) to get to the top
HAT TRICK. Alessio Longhini of Stube Gourmet at hotel Europa in Asiago (Vicenza), Young chef of the year and new-star
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born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt