11-12-2015
Paolo Marchi’s copy of Guida Michelin Italia 2016 signed by Sergio Lovrinovich. The editor in chief of the Red Guide welcomed us in his office in Pero and discussed all the most noteworthy elements of this debated edition
Right after the presentation of the Guida Michelin Italia 2016 (we reported about it yesterday, in the spur of the moment), we are led to the Michelin offices in Pero, a 3 minutes’ drive from the Mercedes headquarters, where the starred chefs received their prize. We meet Sergio Lovrinovich, the editor in chief whose face is unknown, this year on his third mandate from the Red Guide. It had already happened last year, this year he granted us an exclusive interview. All this before we later found out about Mattias Peri, patron-chef in Livigno who passed away in August and is still in the guide and with a star too. Lovrinovich appears to be very willing to comment on promotions and failures. A proof of the desire to change attitude that is more and more evident and in contrast with the unbridled cryptic approach of the past. What follows is the result of a friendly chat between three people lasting one hour more or less. The news that caused the bigger clamour this year is a bad one. Combal.zero was downgraded from 2 to 1 star. What was the reason? I can tell you that we have a very substantial dossier on the matter, the result of various dining tests. It’s a case we’ve followed for over a year, as with all the restaurants with 2 or 3 stars, doing well or doing poorly. Is it a matter of food or has it to do with other aspects? Stars are always and only food-related. Technically speaking, however, I’d rather tell Davide Scabin first, the reason of this downgrading, provided that he wants to know it. If we notice some défaillance in the cooking, we tell the chef only if he asks us: we don’t work as consultants but we’re attentive to our readers. We spontaneously warn the patron only in the case of very bad problems in the service.
Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guides, sipping his beloved Fernet Branca on Tuesday night at Seta. "If we’re awarding street food restaurants in Asia, it’s about time we start looking at pizzerias in Italy in a different way". According to Sergio Lovrinovich, editor in chief at Michelin Italia, "It’s hard to award a pizzeria because contrary to ‘normal’ dishes, leavening depends on a thousand variables"
Giancarlo Perbellini’s stars (in the photo, to the left) are in fact 3: 2 for Casa Perbellini in Verona, but also one new star for Dopolavoro in Venice (to the right, executive chef Federico Bellucco)
Peter Girtler, chef at restaurant Gourmetstube Einhorn inside hotel Stafler in Vipiteno in Alto Adige, 2 brand new Michelin stars
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by
head editor and editor in chief of Identità Golose