One, ten, a hundred Refettorio

Giuliano* storms inside wearing shoes that are 3 sizes larger than he’d need. He’s a little out of breath: «I was on the 43, the ticket inspector got on, I ran away. I didn’t have the ticket or the money for the fine». He sits at the table and immediately finds a bowl of soup steaming under his nose. Vegetable broth with mushrooms, burnt and toasted lime, onions, pumpkin, courgettes, basil, thyme and bay leaves. «It’s delicious», he’s back smiling.

«I cannot eat the beef burger», says Zuhair, sitting by the dish for ten minutes, and pretends to scowl, «my teeth still need to grow», he smiles showing off a front tooth on the upper arch and a canine on the lower one. He knows the world of advertising inside out: «Years ago I attended a copywriting course. I learnt to write headlines and subheads but then life took me somewhere else». «As if», his friends at the table tease him.

Marco, instead, has just enrolled in Medicine «It’s too hard, though, I’ll move to physiotherapy», he explains while he saves the last drop of sorbet with bruised strawberries. «Chef, today you’ve exceeded yourself», he says to Massimo Bottura, a temporary maître, «this dish was like fireworks». «You have to thank him», says the chef from Modena, and points towards the open view kitchen. Rene Redzepi lifts his head above the pot and waves. «Grazie», he says in Italian. And goes back to mixing.

Refettorio Ambrosiano is the restaurant in which every client would like to stay. The tables seating 8 people facilitate socialization but you can also sit by yourself. While you munch some bread a hot dish immediately arrives. You just need to wave and four people are there. The glass is always full (of water). The empty dish is removed within five seconds. You can ask for as many helpings as you wish. And, while you wait, you look up and feel in the middle of a painting.

Before the service – a couple of hours between 6 and 8 pm – the dynamics in the kitchen are the same as those at Noma and Osteria Francescana: everyone is dramatically intent in his role. Some peel, some cut, some bake and some prepare the sorbet. And then there’s someone slicing bread so hard he get cramps in his hands, that’s me: 8 slices for 18 baskets, compulsively taken from two giant loaves, a kind gift of baker Jean Marc Vezzoli. «All those who come here», Bottura pointed out «need to help in some way». Unfortunately, after the preparation I continue helping with the table service: I’m the fifth waiter slowing down the movements of a harmonious quartet at work in the previous days.

The Danish chef arrived in the morning to learn on what wastes from Expo he could base the menu. He had brought some left overs himself, from the dinner at hotel Bulgari the previous night: «We need to take care of those 10% guests who don’t eat pork», he advised the team, a care that comes from his Macedonian-Muslim origins. At the end of the service he later inspected from below the gigantic copper hood in the kitchen: «It’s impressive. I believe it costs more than one of Alain Ducasse’s restaurants as a whole».

As soon as you mention le roi his right arm Christian Julliard suddenly appears. Here’s here to help Redzepi and understand how this special canteen works. His boss has already promised he will come to cook on 14th July, on the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille. While on 12th October, Columbus Day, Mario Batali, the chef from the two worlds, will fly here.

Others have already been here: Mauro Colagreco, for instance. And Daniel Humm, who especially arrived from New York for the opening. Together with his friend Massimo they discussed if this format could be replicated in the Big Apple, in the Bronx, perhaps. Peruvian Gaston Acurio is already thinking about something similar in the boundless suburbs of Lima. And soon, we can bet on that, new ideas will blossom with Andrea Berton, Moreno Cedroni, Carlo Cracco, Pino Cuttaia, Gennaro Esposito, Alessandro Negrini and Fabio Pisani, Mauro Uliassi and all the other Italian chefs who accepted.

Meanwhile Redzepi ends the evening full of energy: «At the end of the last meeting with Mad we were speaking about the need to stop discussing and start to do something. This is the answer». The Refettorio’s fever could spread. First however Bottura needs to check that the napkins are not too worn. «We recycle everything!», he says. Tonight we start again.

*all the names of the guests at Refettorio Ambrosiano are made-up

See also
The first day at Refettorio Ambrosiano, 4th June 2015

The project is announced, 16th April 2014 (Italian only)