Sent by Providence

Already during the flight across the ocean, a thought was constantly at heart: sitting at the two-Michelin-star table of Michael Cimarusti. And here we are, at 5955 Melrose Avenue, in Los Angeles. Providence is the name of the restaurant, explained by Donato Poto, co-owner together with the chef. The young man welcomes us with the good manners and warmth that are typical of his land of origin, namely Campania, and a Central-European aplomb.

He’s keen to stress that his staff is sophisticated, engaging and fun, all at the same time. «Our guests», he says, «must be struck by a commitment characterised by excellence, from the moment they call to reserve a table to when the waiter walks them to their car». Precious things he learnt from his mentor, Piero Selvaggio, with whom he worked as director in the prestigious restaurant Valentino in Santa Monica.

Setting foot in the kitchen of Providence was the climax in a journey that started at the table. Huge, airy spaces fine-tuned in a fitting way. Michael astounds us with his idea of sustainable cuisine, focused on wild raw materials: «We only use sustainable products, caught in American waters. And we try to enhance their best characteristics. My cooking philosophy is rooted in the veneration of the natural state of raw materials. My goal is to help nature to reveal its divine flavours, its texture and beauty».

For instance, the fish tank with the red prawns from the Bay of Santa Barbara, completely free, is beautiful to see. It’s the prologue to a simple and essential dish: the crustaceans are served with lemon and rosemary. Seafood and countryside ingredients are presented as naturally as possible. The Egg with gold leaf, sea urchins and American caviar or the Oysters cooked in Japanese coal with macadamia are explosive, both in the palate and as a sight.

All of a sudden with get on board a virtual trip around the world, with the Wagyu, with Jerusalem artichoke purée and dates: starting from Japan, we arrive in the Mediterranean area. Marked Asian elements stand out in the desserts: the Matcha tea panna cotta with mango and almonds is elegant and delicious.

In his cooking, Cimarusti mirrors the things he learnt fishing with his grandfather, up till the graduation with honours from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He’s worked at Spago with Wolfgang Puck, éminence grise in Los Angeles, and also at Alain Passard’s Arpège in Paris and Le Cirque with our Sirio Maccioni.

Donato and Michael met 10 years ago at the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica, a destiny shifted into their mission, Providence. They had the ability to maintain and increase their vision, adapting it to the changing culinary landscape of Los Angeles. Their goals is to perfect themselves, to stay different in order to continue to be part of the Olympus of the best restaurants in the world.