The white, or black, gold of the table, which has come through thousands of years of history and now looks to the future: from "the food of witches" to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Growing up in the countryside was definitely a part of my love for cooking. During my adolescence in Telese Terme, in the province of Benevento, I lived in close contact with nature and the earth, with its produce. It is certainly no coincidence that the land behind my restaurant, Krésios (one of the names for Bacchus), has been designated for the cultivation of vegetables, fruit trees, aromatic herbs: a large garden, cared for every day, in which, for example, we pick the tomatoes that we use for our tomato paste.
While the sensory memories of the food of my childhood are always present, it is, however, with a scientific approach that I have dedicated myself to my concept of food at Krésios. Maybe my studies in engineering in some way imprinted programmatic precision and meticulousness into me, which I transferred onto both the entrepreneurial and culinary aspects of my work. I like to define myself as "modernist" - I try to bring to life sophisticated cuisine that is full of inspiration, which pushes beyond the boundaries, but at the same time symbolises my strong bond with my homeland, making every experience unique.
This is also why our offer is constantly evolving. Last year, we discontinued our two historic blind menus, Mr. Pink and Mr. White, to focus on just one that is able to best express our entire culinary identity and philosophy.
This is how Mr. Brown was brought to life, as a homage to Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino. It is a tailor-made journey for the guest, who is guided, but not forced to follow it completely. The initial impact is unsettling: there is no menu, and we advise you to put your trust in a one-of-a-kind tasting journey. In the dark. The meal is customised, as it is developed specifically for each diner, adapting to desires and appetites; modular, changeable, variable, it is organised into three main moments: snacks on entry to be eaten with your hands, main dishes, and the finale of the desserts. A journey with no apparent structural logic; every dish is a moment in itself: I do this to keep those eating on their toes. The idea is to establish a special type of empathy with every single guest who guides us in the construction of their meal, even suggesting to us when to stop.
The courses are therefore variable, perfect and specially prepared for every diner, adjusted to best tell the complex story of Krésios with the right language. A direct relationship between the kitchen and the guest.
Mr. Brown is also the fruit of a very specific entrepreneurial choice, involving precise, anti-waste product management, a vision that has always made us stand out, that has never been in such perfect harmony with contemporary living as it is today, and that allows us to affirm that it is ethics that guides us, informing our philosophy. Always. In every area of our work.
I like to think of Krésios as an industrious anthill, where everyone has a role, moving, running back and forth, committed to completing his own work in a professional way, maintaining a constant rhythm, but with the ease of a dance that provides reciprocal help and support. There are no differences between us; everyone works hard to achieve the same goal: making the customer happy.
My anthill works constantly, it never stops. It didn't stop even during the pandemic, in the period when Krésios was forced to close: of course I couldn't leave my kitchen and waiting teams at home. So we found a way to design and develop a delivery system, studying every detail, from practical and sustainable packaging, to transport guaranteed and protected by a cold chain, right up to the development of individual dishes and their possible seamless reconstruction at home.
This is how we created 8pus, fish delivery for seafood lovers.The central player is the fish, offered raw or prepared in dishes that aim to narrate the cultures of the world, and, to complete them, the only thing missing is the touch of the consumer, carefully guided by our instructions.
8pus comes out of iannottilab, a laboratory for culinary science and technology in Telese Terme (BN) where, in collaboration with sous-chef Eugenio Vitagliano, we carry out research, experiments and education in culinary science. An experimental laboratory where technology and design coexist, a place for research and development, but also a space for gathering and sharing.
Because cuisine is the result of a cultural journey, the representation of the regional and social identity of an era and a population. And also the representation of the culinary identity of each of us.
Here, we develop and redevelop ours, for you.
Images Credits:
© Alberto Blasetti
The white, or black, gold of the table, which has come through thousands of years of history and now looks to the future: from "the food of witches" to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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