New protagonists at Identità Milano: Jessica Rosval, Francesco Vincenzi, Vittorio and Saverio Borgia, Mattia Pastori

It's here; Identità Milano 2021 is starting at MiCo – Milano Congressi in Via Gattamelata, from the 25th to the 27th September (here is the complete programme of Identità Milano 2021) and, in this rich edition, there are many new entries among the speakers. They will discuss this year's theme: Building a New Future: Work.
 

JESSICA ROSVAL - Casa Maria Luigia - Modena
Identità di Formaggio, Monday 27th September, Sala Blu 1, h3.20

Jessica Rosval, born in 1985, is Canadian: that's where she started her career in 2001. She arrived in Italy a few years ago with her fiancé of the time, and first entered Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana as a client. She was struck by the culinary experience and the following day wrote to the chef saying she was ready to cover any task in the kitchen, as long as she could conquer a place in the brigade. 

Since then, she never left the team of Bottura, and has worked first as chef de partie, then as manager of the external events, and since May 2019 as resident chef in Massimo's and his wife Lara Gilmore's latest creation: art resort Casa Maria Luigia. «Casa Maria Luigia – says Rosval – is a sort of time capsule, capable of telling the story of Massimo and Lara, of their family, as well as of Osteria Francescana. You can find there everything that inspired Francescana, this is why this place is so special and why it has such an extraordinary potential. I still can't believe how lucky I am to work there. Every day I arrive there and there's something new that strikes me». 

Jessica is also the manager of a project called Association for the Integration of Women.

 

FRANCESCO VINCENZI - Franceschetta 58 - Modena
Identità di Formaggio, Monday 27th September, Sala Blu 1, 2.30 pm

Francesco Vincenzi, born in Sassuolo in 1992, with his career he's keeping the promise he made when he won the S. Pellegrino "20 anni" award, which was given by the team of Identità Golose to the most promising chef under 30. Today he's the chef at “Osteria Francescana's younger sister”, Franceschetta 58, where he interprets with character the cuisine of Emilia and Italy, blending it with ideas and influences that come from all over the world.

He arrived in Via Stella, in the kitchen of Massimo Bottura, when he was still attending catering school, and stayed there until 2017, when he was given the task of running the brigade at the bistro. «Today's Franceschetta – says Bottura – is the result of an investment made on Francesco Vincenzi: he's been working with us since he was 17, he arrived as a waiter and had an extraordinary carriage in the dining room. We all wanted him to stay in the dining room, but he wanted to be a cook. So he worked for eight years with Taka, before we handed him Franceschetta».

 

VITTORIO E SAVERIO BORGIA - Bioesserì - Milano
Identità di Sala, Sunday 26th September, Sala Gialla 2-3, 2.30 pm

Two brothers who have always believed that taste, health, attention to organic food and sustainability can go hand in hand. Born in Palermo, Vittorio and Saverio Borgia are the founders of Gruppo Bioesserì, which includes 2 organic restaurants and 3 pastry shops Baunilla in Milano and an establishment in Palermo, to which one must add FUD Bottega Sicula, a very successful format serving contemporary Sicilian food in Milan. They were among the first to grasp the worth of the trend that had more and more people interested in eating healthy food when dining out.

So in 2012 they launched the Bioesserì format, a very ambitious project where the focus is on environmental sustainability and respect for strictly organic ingredients. They opened the first restaurant in Via De Amicis in Milano and in 2014 the Borgia brothers opened in Palermo too. Realising that Via De Amicis would not be the last stop, the Borgias focused in 2015 on Brera, in Via Fatebenefratelli. Finally in 2019 they open the third establishment in the futuristic neighbourhood of Porta Nuova in Milan.

In 2017 Baunilla was born, a fine pastry shop in which all the cakes are strictly artisanal and made with careful research and selected ingredients, starting from the flour. The offer also includes vegan pastries.

 

MATTIA PASTORI - Nonsolococktails
Identità di Cocktail, Sunday 26th September, Sala Gialla 1, 11.00 am

Born in Pavia in 1984, Mattia Pastori is now a point of reference in Italian mixology. With lots of experience in Italy and abroad, he was the bar manager in various luxury hotels (Park Hyatt, Armani Hotel, Madarin Oriental), but also a consultant for big brands. 

In his capacity of mixologist and beverage entrepreneur, and with his training and consultancy firm Nonsolococktails, he decided to develop his consulting activity, which included supporting the start-up of successful concepts such as Bulk Mixology Bar inside hotel Viu, the takeover of Camparino in Galleria, and other partnerships with spirits and fashion and synergies with the world of finding. 

With his colleague and friend Amadu Bah, in the summer of 2021 he opened a pop-up cocktail bar called Senza Pensieri, on Piedmont's bank of Lago Maggiore, in Arona. 

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso