With 15 three Michelin stars, thanks to the new entry La Rei Natura by Michelangelo Mammoliti in the Boscareto Resort in Serralunga d’Alba, in the province of Cuneo, 38 two stars and 341 restaurants to which the Red Guide inspectors have awarded a star, Italy is the second country in the world, after France, for the number of Michelin-starred restaurants with no less than 394 starred chefs. The presentation ceremony of the 71st edition of the Michelin Guide Italy was held in the Teatro Regio in Parma, in the heart of the food valley.
Stars
All 14 three Stars have been confirmed, while two two Stars have entered the restaurant elite: Chef Francesco Sodano’s Famiglia Rana, in Oppeano in the province of Verona. The second is I Tenerumi, on the island of Vulcano in Sicily, by chef Davide Guidara.
A total of 22 new restaurants have been awarded a Michelin star. Among them all, the young chef Mattia Pecis, 29, of Cracco Portofino also takes the special Young Chef Award, who thanked “chef Carlo who chose him five years ago and gave him freedom”. In the ‘red’ firmament, a star was awarded to: Le Petit Bellevue in Cogne, Valle d’Aosta; Liguria gets two awards, both in the province of Genoa, with Cracco Portofino and Rezzano Cucina e Vini in Sestri Levante. In Lombardy, the stars of Senso Lake Garda Alfio Ghezzi in Limone sul Garda (Brescia) now shine together with Abba in Milan, Procaccini in Milan and Olio in Origgio (Varese). While Trentino-Alto Adige wins two awards for the restaurant Porcino in Badia (Bolzano) and Quellenhof Gourmetstube 1897 in San Martino in Passiria (Bolzano). In Veneto, the star award goes to Agli Amici Dopolavoro in Venezia Isola delle Rose. In Emilia Romagna, the Cavallino restaurant in Maranello (Modena) and Da Lucio in Rimini were awarded a Michelin star. In Tuscany, recognition came for Luca’s by Paulo Airaudo in Florence and Sciabola in Forte dei Marmi (Lucca). Three awards in Lazio: Al Madrigale Nuova Cucina Rurale in Tivoli, Ineo in Rome with chef and creative mind Heros De Agostinis, and La Terrazza in Rome. In addition, Al Madrigale Nuova Cucina Rurale in Tivoli also takes the special ‘Opening of the Year’ award, just eight months after its inauguration. From the Marche region, Casa Bertini in Recanati (Macerata) joins the starred selection. In Abruzzo, Zunica 1880 at Villa Corallo in Sant’Omero (Teramo). In Campania, the Alain Ducasse restaurant in Naples and Umberto a Mare in Forio-Ischia have been awarded a Michelin star. And in Sardinia Capogiro in Baja Sardinia (Sassari) now shines. The editors of the ‘red’ underline the renewal of the selection with the entry this year of six restaurants: Porcino, Sciabola, Al Madrigale Nuova Cucina Rurale; Ineo; Casa Bertini, Zunica 1880 at Villa Corallo. Also many young talents: the chef of Cracco Portofino, Mattia Pecis, and chef Emin Haziri of Procaccini in Milan are under 30. Less than 35 years old are Jorg Giubbani who joined Matteo Rezzano at the Ligurian restaurant Rezzano Cucina e Vino, Marco Verginer, chef and co-owner together with sommelier Michaela Mair of the restaurant Porcino, and chefs Riccardo Forapani and Virginia Cattaneo, who work in collaboration under the supervision of Massimo Bottura, at Il Cavallino in Maranello; Jacopo Ticchi chef and founder of the restaurant Da Lucio in Rimini; executive chef Alessandro Lucassino of the restaurant Alain Ducasse in Naples as well as Fabrizio Regine, the sommelier and owner of Umberto a Mare on the island of Ischia.
Other prizes
A tribute also went to entrepreneur-chef Antonia Klugmann, whose Michelin-starred restaurant L’Argine in Vencò was heavily damaged by the floods and mudslides of recent days in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Heinz Beck of Rome’s La Pergola, a three-starred chef for over 20 years, received the Mentor Chef Award. An emotional Beck dedicated the award to all the young people who have worked with him and become great chefs, making a special wish for all young people and the Italian restaurant industry.
Dining and Cooking