Giovanni Ricciardella

Use simple ingredients to create an elegant gastronomic offer, capable of standing out thanks to an impeccable execution. This was the ambition of Giovanni Ricciardella at the beginning of his culinary career, when he first tasted Caramelised onion by Davide Oldani, one of his masters and inspirers. This is still his motto, his philosophy in the kitchen. Clearly successful.

Paolo Marchi is convinced of this, and for the first time reviewed Cascina Vittoria where Giovanni works with his brothers in the Guida Identità Golose 2018. And they received even more praise: L’Espresso gave them two hats, Gambero Rosso two pizza slices and they won Pizza Talent Show... All these acknowledgements came the same year, in 2017, and confirm his talent and love for cooking which started a long time ago, helping his grandmother after school, making fresh egg pasta and cakes. He then attended catering school in Pavia and worked in local restaurants, “cutting his teeth” until in 2012 he took over the family restaurant, Cascina Vittoria, in the province of Pavia, with braveness and determination. The achievements never questioned his desire to grow and to learn, next to expert masters such as Antonino Cannavacciuolo, Iginio Massari, and the above mentioned Davide Oldani.

The result is a fresh, personal and substantial cuisine. Tradition is not an end but a starting point from which he dares play with unusual textures, flavours and presentations, resulting in a pleasant surprise in terms of shape and flavour. As with Aubergine millefoglie with three textures of parmigiano, hot, cold and crispy, a modern take on parmigiana. Or Bollito misto…ma due volte.

These recipes show his enthusiasm and humility as well as his wisdom, given the young man is aware that you cannot grow without roots.