14-07-2017
The view you can enjoy from the iconic Grand Hotel Europe in Saint Petersburg. The Russian metropolis is betting a lot on its restaurants. We established this during the first edition of Gourmet Days, 4th-9th July
It’s quite impressive when you trace a wider and wider spectrum for the fine cuisine virus. It has climbed up to Saint Petersburg, the megalopolis further to the north after Helsinki, which is only a little north in terms of longitude (and a four hours’ drive) but only has 600,000 inhabitants instead of the over 5 millions of the old Leningrad. We detected traces of good cuisine a few days ago, at the first edition of Gourmet Days, an event that certifies a fact: even Russian authorities have understood the significance of wine and food tourism, the new ally to the white nights, the event that early in the summer attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to the banks of river Neva. Sunset after 10 pm, sunrise before 4. In between, in a dusk that never gets completely dark, swarms of people enjoy the light and walk between ulitsa and bars. Traditionally, to drink vodka, but since some time ago they also go out to dine and taste the dishes made by a generation of enthusiastic chefs. These guys have visited the West, closer than Moscow, attracted by the sirens of fine dining and its mantra: study techniques from the world but then apply them to local products. And what else could they do, given the embargo? Only wines and spirits arrive from Europe, nothing else. «We must make it on our own», is what the wisest entrepreneurs think, a crisis is also a not-to-be-missed chance to awake every producer from the Soviet lethargy that for 70 years (1922-1991) annihilated every initiative.
A mega-barbecue on wheels, in front of restaurant Smoke Bbq, in Ulitsa Rubinshteyna, a popular street at night
The super classic borscht at Terrassa
Kokoko Voznesensky prospect, 6 +7.812.4182060 Ivan Grishechkin this is the most creative ace in town. We’ll soon dedicate it a special post.
Grilled sturgeon at restaurant Moroshka for Pushkin
The vodka top ten from the Museum of Russian Vodka, on Konnogvardeyskiy 4
Gabriele Zanatta’s opinion: on establishments, chefs and trends in Italy and the world
by
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