Fabrizio Mellino
Credits Brambilla-Serrani
One could say that Fabrizio Mellino was born to the sea. The story of his family, and hence of restaurant Quattro Passi in Nerano, is deeply marked and drawn by this fascinating element. Fabrizio is very young: born in 1991, he’s already the manager of the two-starred family restaurant and of the consulting by Quattro Passi project. An important heritage that he leads with assertiveness, thanks to the experience acquired by his father Antonio, in the business for over thirty years, and to a significant experience he himself acquired with great chefs around Europe.
He studied at Institute Paul Bocuse in Lyon, then he arrived at Les Terrases D’Uriage in Grenoble; his experience with Alain Ducasse in 2013 is incisive and enlightening, just like the one with Quique Dacosta at Denia in 2014. In the peninsula of Sorrento there’s a strong restaurant and fine dining tradition. The work on cruise ships is as popular – this is where Antonio first begun – as the one with seaside tourism. All these elements are part of the important story of Quattro Passi and of Fabrizio’s DNA.
His daring attitude, led by his young age and contaminated by geniuses like Ducasse and Dacosta brought new energy to the restaurant, and at the right time. Clients have very high expectations, they’re prepared and want something new on top of quality. The style of Mellino jr could be compared to rock music with a few melodic notes, faithful to the territory and to the raw materials he generously uses. That is to say: excellent seafood is always matched with vegetables, two constant protagonists in the cooking on the coast of the sirens.
There’s a close and deep relationship with trusted fishermen and around 40% of the products used come from their kitchen garden. This is the direction towards which Fabrizio and his family are increasingly aiming. And their objective is (also) that of creating a farm. People expect very much from him, given how much he’s already managed to express and how much he travels abroad, with great curiosity, during the winter.
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Born in Naples in 1966, she's a wine sommelier and Onaf cheese taster. She writes about food and wine