La Tortuga, a shining “star” for 35 years

Gargnano is a very particular corner of Garda. It ‘s a village with its own extreme frontier charisma, and there’s stille a sense of special isolation (especially in winter), which makes it a perfect destination for anyone who is on the run from the chaos and contradictions of the world . A restaurant like La Tortuga could only be born here: a local initially fantasized as a den of pirates, which later became a refuge of bohemian and gourmet lovers of the beautiful and the good. From those early days when tourism in Alto Garda was still far from the numbers of today, many years have passed, but the spirit of the old Tortuga is still alive in the eyes of Danilo Filippini, a peculiar figure of restaurateur with music in his fingers (he has been a bass player and a jazz guitarist active in the area many years ago) and the roots of real Garda hospitality in his heart. Today, La Tortuga is announcing an important anniversary: the Filippini family in fact celebrates 35 years of uninterrupted Michelin Star. It was in fact 1980 when the French Red Guide decided to give it One Star for the first time, promoting it in the premier league Garda Restaurants. And it’s surely strange to think that it all started from a simple “osteria” that Danilo’s mother, Teresa, had opened in the 60’s for refreshment for the travelers in transit, and in the following decade it was transformed into “Dani Sport”, a trusted place for a good meal, a good glass of wine, and a few notes of good jazz improvised on cold evenings by the owner and his community of musician friends. And then, the meeting between Danilo and his wife Maria, who was destined to take over the kitchen of the restaurant inspired by the Caribbean island linked to the legendary exploits of buccaneers and privateers … Both had, however already in mind from the beginning a project that was of course more than a folkloric fantasy: so, they begab traveling abroad, for courses in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, to capture the secrets of great chefs and rework them on the banks of the Benaco. Thus grew a gastronomic proposal that, as mentioned, is collecting the unconditional approval of Michelin for 35 years now, without failure. A “lake kitchen” (“We have two fishermen in Gargnano who work exclusively for us,” says Orietta Filippini, who 12 years ago began working with her parents in the restaurant), not excluding the sea and the earth. The dishes flag to try at least once? Fettuccine Dani. The Spaghettini with Ragout of Fish Lake. The whitefish fillet in the pan with Garda Capers. And the historic Pear cake with ice cream. But what is the secret that makes you last 35 years without suffering the blows of time and fashion? “Working, without forgetting to have fun at the same time – responds Danilo Filippini, without thinking even a second -. I was not prepared for success, but I never wanted to go beyond the size that I thought was right for us: the Tortuga remained our home, with the same 25 places, no more. I have devoted so much time to travel, to make experiences and I think it paid me back, and is the basis of the consensus that we continue to collect. And also for that Star that, 35 years ago, changed our life “.