Michele Lazzarini

«It’s a dream come true» Michele Lazzarini told us a while ago when announcing – back in March 2022 – that he would leave Val Badia after many years, to "go back home", that is to say to start a completely new adventure all ready to be shaped at Contrada Bricconi in Oltressenda Alta, in the province of Bergamo, in Valle Seriana, the area where he was born. We had titled our article with "Leaves 3 stars to cook in a farm in the mountains", read here, because this was the essence, and after all it also represented a sign of the times. In fact, it may seem like a paradox, but this was also the dream-come-true for someone else: Norbert Niederkofler who, in forming his Cook the mountain concept-ideology, had the aim not only of getting the locals involved, but also of developing a school of gastronomic thought that could, through his pupils, spread all over the peninsula, and perhaps even further, why not.

And so: the fact that Lazzarini – the niederkoflerian pupil par excellence, nine years spent beside the chef from South Tyrol – left but married a project that was fully in line with the philosophy of his maestro was in fact a small win even for Norbert.

Lazzarini is also the ideal interpreter – in terms of age and neatness of thoughts – to give continuity to Cook the mountain. Originally from the Bergamo region, he was born and raised in Gandellino, a 15-minute-drive from Oltressenda. He appears determined, humble, dedicated to work and silent like the people of the valleys near Bergamo. Still very young but with lots of experience, having already started a very bright career especially at St.Hubertus – of which in the recent years he was much more than an executive arm – and with internships and various experiences all around the world, «I was lucky enough to travel a lot and meet many great masters. Like Virgilio Martinez, who passed the love for the traditions of the Andes and for the research of Amazon products; or Rodolfo Guzman, who taught me how to cook the Patagonian lamb al palo; and Eneko Atxa for Basque culture; and then Magnus Nilsson for the wild cuisine of Northern Europe. And finally René Redzepi: going to his Noma was like entering Hogwarts».

Many stimuli and only one great point of reference - Norbert, of course – and clear ideas, «Cook the mountain is a cooking philosophy that we hope can inspire many young cooks to develop a sense of respect for nature, wherever they are», in other words a sort of appeal to the green generation, coming from him who was born in 1991 but has plenty of maturity (and talent).