17-09-2018
Andrea Ribaldone is, as usual, a wealth of carefree awareness. He’s full of adrenalin, lively, bold, and as focused as ever on the role he’s found for himself a few years ago, that of a modern chef-manager. As such, he manages the kitchen, invents dishes, promotes culinary ideas and selects a competent and suitably trained staff.
A few months ago, however, as the Identità Milano project – to which he contributes with his expertise, signing the menus on the days when a guest chef is not scheduled, and coordinating the kitchen brigade directed by resident chef Alessandro Rinaldi – was taking shape, we noticed in his eyes a touch of the anxiety that comes with crossing the Rubicon. Something normal for anyone, but not for him.
We met Ribaldone in Via Romagnosi 3. The headquarters of Identità Milano are still a building site, the last details must be fixed in view of the grand opening, on September 18th, so we move to a bar next-door. In front of a cup of coffee, we ask him about the culinary offer in the new Milanese chefs’ hub. Andrea is once again the river of ideas we’ve come to know over the years: the project is now perfectly shaped, he’s enthusiastic about it. So here’s his presentation, in 12 paragraphs.
Andrea Ribaldone in June, showing the project plan
A rendering of the dining room
Margherita Sbagliata by Franco Pepe (photo Brambilla-Serrani)
Spaghetto Milano by Andrea Ribaldone (photo by Brambilla-Serrani)
Alessandro Rinaldi, in the middle, last year when he was working in Punta Ala
Gabriele Tangari
A feature on Identità Milano published a few days ago on La Repubblica
Luigi Barberis in action (photo Riccardo Delfanti)
A rendering of the "virtual cellar"
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
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by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief