Claudio Pregl

If you can’t meet Claudio Pregl working into his family restaurant’s kitchen, Baita S.Lucia by "Fritz" in Bezzecca, on the Trentino banks of Garda lake, it’s only because he must be running on his treadmill or volunteering as a fireman in Ledro town. This guy, born in Trento in 1974, shows passions which are strongly interweaved with his land and its strict connections: from raw materials to the forests, to the history of a region where several cultures have intersected. He himself hides behind different origins: his mother's Italian, his father both Slovenian and German. Most of all, Claudio loves the assets offered by the local cuisine, apparently poor.

In a restaurant set in a typical mountain barn, he offers traditional dishes with a contribution which turns out to be creative both in the choice of products offered and in the combinations given. Pregl shows a personal vision of cuisine, given by his school education that has marked his style and philosophy: he was supposed to study law and become a lawyer in Bologna. But, as it often happens, food prevailed: he quit being a student and took the reins of the Baita, making it his headquarter. His respect for tradition is seasoned with the constant search for raw materials which must be able to tell the history of Trento region. This is how dishes like salada deer meat, purple potatoes and storo polenta are born, the latter being his favorite ingredient: he uses it not only to side goulash meat but also to shape delicious ravioli.

Claudio does not end here his creativity: while in search of a dressing for his summer salad based on smoked trout, he devoted himself for some time to stabilize an emulsion made of extra-virgin olive oil and honey. After repeated attempts, he came to successfully decode it and put it in his menu. According to him, unlike his colleagues he never follows preconceptions or school rules whatsoever. This openness allows him to be able to draw on the techniques and methodologies he comes into contact. He simply works to leave a part of himself in what he cooks. To be the perfect link between his land and customers.