It’s one of the historic quality restaurants on Lake Garda: a place that for many years has been a bulwark in defense of local typical flavours and products and of the cuisine most authentically tied to the traditions of the lake. Now the Antica Trattoria alla Rose in Salò is about to change hands in exactly thirty years away from its opening: Gianni Briarava, the chef who inaugurated it on January 30, 1986 along with the mother-in-law Rosanna Faè, has chosen the evening of January 30, 2016 to formalize, with an exclusive dinner for customers, friends and insiders, his decision to leave the restaurants in the hands of three new owners.
“It ‘s the end of my personal journey, but the experience of the Rose will continue – says Gianni, who has become one of the main characters the enogastronomy Garda scene thanks to his role in Slow Food Garda, in which you he has fought for the preservation of such important products such ad the Garda Carpione and Tombea -. I thought about it for months, because emotionally I am profoundly tied to this restaurant. Then I met Marco, Andrea and Monica, three young well-prepared professionals from Como and Bergamo, who have worked in such very important restaurants such as Gualtiero Marchesi to the Cambio in Turin through Bulgari in Milan: I must confess i saw myself in theri dreams, And so I realized that maybe the time had come, and I decided to leave it in their hands through a lease.”
Gianni still remembers perfectly the first day of opening of the Trattoria Le Rose. “It was Thursday: 14 places at noon, 3 in evening. But on Sunday at noon we were already sold out. ” Since then the restaurant has only collected positive comments guides, thanks to a kitchen that from the beginning rested on two pillars: good quality local products and respect of the territory. That is to say: so much lake fish, which often Gianni fishes personally, only extra virgin olive oil produced by himself in Polpenazze, inimitable kids sourced from small farmers in the area who still have the taste of thirty years ago.
“Of course, much has changed since then but not all – reflects Gianni -. The way of eating has evolved, the way of cooking has lightened, but the tradition remains the same. It is said that consumers are more careful about what to eat, but often when I go to the supermarket and cast a look at the products with which people fill their trucks I’m not so sure. Certainly, people has lost the desire to conscientiously manage their time: there are too many truths to be spent, and little desire to return to a more human dimension.”
Memories go back to the ’80s and’ 90s, “when perhaps really money was thrown away much too easily”, but then comes the desire to look ahead and especially to Locanda del Benaco, the hotel “mit café” (13 rooms) acquired in 2009 in which Gianni, together with his wife Cristina and their children Federico and Martina, is concentrating forces since the now forthcoming re-opening planned for early March.
“It’s a place I love very much, that I feel particularly mine, and where, with the help of the whole family, I can finally bring out the full potential remained unexpressed until now. From the beginning we set a on a kind of more fresh, creative and innovative cuisine, but I’d like to be able to merge this dimension with the philosophy and the flavors of the Trattoria la Rose. We will have two spaces, including the terrace, which will allow us to diversify the proposals. ”
Antica Trattoria alle Rose instead restart with the new management from mid-February.
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