Chef Valentino Marcattilii

Chef Valentino Marcattilii. The Ristorante San Domenico was born in Imola in 1970, by the founder Gianluigi Morini. In 1973 he received the first mention of the Rossa, in 1975 he received the first Michelin Star and in 1977 the second. In the second half of the 1980s, San Domenico also opened in New York. The Italian style was also welcomed with great acclaim by famous people, both Italian and foreign. TheSan Domenico NY, in fact, was the first Italian restaurant to receive three stars from the New York Times in 1988. We interviewed for you the Executive Chef Valentino Marcattilii of San Domenico di Imola and we bring you the answers to our questions below.

Chef Valentino Marcattilii

When did your passion for cooking begin?

I was 16 years old, but I didn't want to go to school. Naturally, my father immediately put me to work. Finding work wasn't a problem at the time. I worked for a baker for 6 months, but it was too hard work. Then I moved on to being a bartender for a few months. Finally I started working at San Domenico, where my brother Natale worked as a waiter. I entered the kitchen as a kitchen boy, now they call them kitchen commis.

I took care of spinach, potatoes, plucking various birds, in short I was Gavetta. It became a job, I liked it, I was passionate about it. It should be taken into account that in my house,  mother and father were very good at the stove. Even today some of my traditional dishes have appeared on the menu of San Domenico.

Chef Valentino Marcattilii You introduced the idea of "home cooking" for the first time. What is meant by this term?

The idea of introducing home cooking came from the founder Gian Luigi Morini. Luigi Veronelli, a great friend of his, introduced him to Nino Bergese, chef of noble private houses. He last served King Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy and for this reason he is also known as the "chef of kings" or "the king of cooks". It was my school, my luck to have met Nino. What I am I owe to Him.

What was the feeling you felt when you were awarded your first Michelin Star? And what feeling for the second one?

The first Michelin Star arrived when I was 18-20 years old, I'm not sure. The Michelin guide was well known, but not cited as much by the media as in recent decades. The second Michelin Star arrived after a few years. I was already at the age of reason. A great thing, an immense joy. Rivers of sparkling wine in the kitchen to celebrate. I'll leave it up to you to imagine. I have savored its importance over time. Michelin awarded us the “Quality over time” award in 2018. 2 Michelin Stars for 40 years, and 45 years of presence in the guide. A good record. We certainly aren't giving up. Now my nephew Massimiliano is at the helm of my kitchen and we are aiming for something more.

What is Chef Valentino Marcattilii's dream linked to San Domenico di Imola? And what are your future goals?

We have achieved many dreams in almost 50 years, which we will fulfill in 2020. We had the San Domenico NY for 5 years, where we served princes, presidents, show business personalities,  etc... As above we are aiming for the third Michelin Star. I am currently replying to you from Terrazza del San Domenico “FORTE VILLAGE IN SARDINIA”, where for two months we serve our cuisine in a location overlooking the Mediterranean sea, under the stars of the Sardinian sky. In September I will be in Australia for 4 San Domenico cooking evenings. In October I will be in NY for the Food & Wine Festival, for a charity evening. We are never still and we do not live on our laurels.Cuisine is evolving, and we want to keep up.

As was mentioned by Chef Valentino Marcattilii in the interview, now at the helm of the San Domenico kitchen is Chef Massimiliano Mascia, as well as Valentino Marcattilii's nephew.

Chef Massimiliano Mascia, has had a passion for cooking ever since, at a very young age, he followed his uncle Valentino Marcattilii behind the stove to grasp the secrets of an art which, after a few years, would bring him into the kitchens of the Vissani Restaurant and the Roman restaurant in Viareggio and, internationally, at the Osteria Fiamma in New York and at the French Bastide Saint Antoine and at the court of the multi-starred Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenée in Paris.

Today Massimiliano Mascia successfully represents the new generation of the San Domenico Restaurant, giving continuity to the gastronomic tradition, preserving the two Michelin Stars, without giving up experimentation and novelties, using the best raw materials in compliance with seasonality.

At the Terrazza San Domenico, Chef Mascia, supported by the staff coming from the Imola kitchen, offers the guests of the Forte Village some great classics of San Domenico, such as Egg in Raviolo San Domenico with mountain butter, sweet Parmesan and truffle season.

The menu is enriched with summer dishes designed specifically to enhance the seasonality of the raw materials and the proximity to the sea. Finally, there is no shortage of fresh pasta, stuffed pasta, but also the classic Romagna piadina to bring the passion and vitality of Emilia Romagna to Sardinia.