Newsweek Europe 101 Best Place to Eat: i migliori luoghi per mangiare europei secondo gli chef. Ah, gli italiani sono sette

Jamie Oliver

Molto divertente leggere chi ha indicato cosa

Da Firenze a Bari passando per Cormons (GO). Secondo il settimanale Newsweek sarebbero in tutto sette i ristoranti italiani degni di entrare a far parte della Europe 101 Best Place to Eat. La classifica, redatta da alcuni tra i migliori chef mondiali, è stata stilata per ogni continente. Per ognuno sono stati individuati 101 luoghi migliori per assaporare le delizie locali. Luoghi, non necessariamente canonici ristoranti. 

In Italia, ad esempio, due dei sette best places sono a Cortona (AR), di cui uno è un camioncino della porchetta. Uno strano caso di densità se si considera che Senigallia (in cui i ristoranti di Moreno Cedroni e Mauro Uliassi distano appena una dozzina chilometri) non è citata.  Altra singolarità riguarda gli autori.

Jamie Oliver, alfiere della sana alimentazione, colui che a trent’anni appena compiuti era stato incaricato dall’allora Primo Ministro britannico Tony Blair di combattere la crescente obesità giovanile riorganizzando i menu delle mense scolastiche del Regno Unito, ha indicato a Bari un banchetto di polenta fritta deep-fat-fries.  

E ancora, i migliori spaghetti alla carbonara, secondo Tim Love, chef del Lonesome Dove Western Bistrò a Fort Worth, Texas, si mangiano al Caffè Duomo di Firenze. «È un segno tangibile di quello che succede in Italia – ha dichiarato lo chef Filippo La Mantia – le persone cercano la normalità. Se l’avessero chiesto a me avrei risposto Pane e Panelle».  

«Sono provocazioni che rischiano di sminuire il lavoro di tanti colleghi – ha dichiarato Davide Oldani, chef del ristorante D’O a Cornaredo (MI) – lo street food italiano non è come quello giapponese, meriterebbe una categoria a sè e comunque non andrebbe accomunato alla cucina che si fa nei ristoranti».  

«Come tutte le classifiche – è intervenuto Carlo Cracco – non è poi così affidabile e fa un po’ sorridere. Se da una parte possiamo dire che un paese senza street food è un paese senz’anima dall’altra possiamo asserire con assoluta certezza che il cuoco ha un approccio tecnico-scientifico. Quello che posso dire – ha concluso – è che il titolo della classifica sarebbe dovuto essere Qual è la vera cucina?».

101 best places

CROATIA

KONOBA BATELINA Pula. 3-85-52-57-37-67  Specialty: Mediterranean Fish Stew

“This is a delightful tavern where everybody in the family works. David and his father fish, the mother is in the kitchen making the brodetto, and the sister is in charge of the desserts. In my many years of cooking and eating fish, this is as fresh as it gets. The setting is a sprawling terrazza in a small seaside town where most of the locals are fishermen. Try the spiny crab salad and fish brodetto with polenta.” —Lidia Bastianich, host of Lidia’s Italy

FRANCE

BRAS Laguiole. 33-5-65-51-18-20  Specialty: Le Gargouillou

“Bras is known for its commitment to local cuisine and for chef Michel Bras’s gargouillou [a dish of up to 80 vegetables, herbs, and flowers].”  —Joan Roca, El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain

CHEZ GEORGES Paris. 33-1-42-60-07-11  Specialty: Gigot d’Agneau

“This spring my wife and I took a long-overdue trip to Paris with my parents. One of the highlights was our meal at Chez Georges—a quintessential tiny French bistro, unchanged since the days when Hemingway ate there. Of all the spectacular dishes we had, the ouefs mayonnaise was perfect in its simplicity, followed closely by radishes and butter.”  —John Currence, City Grocery, Oxford, Miss.

CHEZ YVONNE Strasbourg. 33-3-88-32-84-15  Specialty: Coq Au Riesling

“We enjoyed foie gras (pâté, mousse, seared, brûléed), and our son Conrad had a blast dining on Alsatian goodies.”  —Graham Elliot, Graham Elliot, Chicago

FARMERS’  MARKET Avignon. In the Mmarché des Halles  Specialty: Provençal Charcuterie

“I grabbed some salumi, cheese, a $2 bottle of rosé, and whipped out my knife for an impromptu picnic in the sun, on an old stone wall overlooking the vineyards.”  —Thomas McNaughton, flour+water, San Francisco

GUY SAVOY Paris. 33-1-43-80-40-61  Specialty: ‘Colors of Caviar’

“The perfect definition of Parisian fine dining. In season, his all-black-truffle menu is a must.”  —Alain Ducasse, Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris

LA BIGARRADE Paris. 33-1-42-26-01-02  Specialty: Foie Gras With Cockles

“At this simple restaurant with an open kitchen, by chef Christophe Pelé, you get a meal for $50 to $60 that would cost $350 anywhere else.”  —David Bouley, Bouley, New York

LE CHATEAUBRIAND Paris. 33-1-43-57-45-95  Specialty: Sous-Vide Veal

“The atmosphere is like the best party you’ve ever been to, but with extraordinarily good food.” —Magnus Nilsson, Fäviken, Järpen, Sweden

LE PRÉ CATELAN Paris. 33-1-44-14-41-00  Specialty: Venison Confit

“I particularly love Le Pré Catelan, directed by the chef Frédéric Anton, one of my students. I appreciate the concern for quality and in particular his bone-marrow dish.”  —Joël Robuchon, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Paris

LE RELAIS BERNARD LOISEAU Saulieu. 33-3-80-90-53-53  Specialty: Poulet de Bresse

“I arrive on Sunday afternoons so I can see the lunchtime diners leaving and say to myself, that’s going to happen to me tonight! I did all of my basic training alongside [the late] Bernard Loiseau, so that creates indelible links. Every time I go, I have the impression that his soul is there. The words are very hard to find, but you see why I love the place … those old beams, those old doors, the exceptional cuisine by his wife and chef Patrick Bertron’s team.” —Guy Savoy, Restaurant Guy Savoy, Paris

MAISON TROISGROS Roanne. 33-4-77-71-66-97  Specialty: Pigeon in Puff Pastry

“Dining in this restaurant is a living history lesson that includes the past, present, and future of seasonal foods.”  —Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern, New York
PIERRE GAGNAIRE Paris. 33-1-58-36-12-50  Specialty: Quintet of Langoustine

“I love the way Pierre Gagnaire cooks. It is always modern, and he’s always creating something new and wonderful. He never stops.”  —Michel Richard, Citronelle, Washington, D.C.

GERMANY

HOT SPOT Berlin. 49-30-89-00-68-78  Specialty: Wontons in Chili Oil

“Hot Spot is an authentic Sichuan kitchen with charming service, spicy foods, and a great wine list. Mr. Wu is known throughout Berlin and Germany for his wide selection of German rieslings.”  —Christian Lohse, Fischer’s Fritz at the Regent Berlin

WEINBAR RUTZ Berlin. 49-30-24-62-87-60  Specialty: Périgord Truffle Soup

“At this elegant wine bar, Michelin–starred chef Marco Müller serves a straightforward menu using regional products. His food is paired with wines from sommelier Billy Wagner’s 1,500-bottle cellar. Wagner knows brilliantly how to adapt the wine to the menu.”  —Christian Lohse, Fischer’s Fritz at the Regent Berlin

ITALY

CAFFE DUOMO Florence. 39-55-211-348  Specialty: Spaghetti Carbonara

“Located under the Duomo, this romantic, beautiful, family-owned place has an incredible lamb blade chop, and if you stick around long enough, the live music is sure to get you dancing.”  —Tim Love, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth, Texas

HOSTERIA GIUSTI Modena. 39-59-222-533  Specialty: Tortellini in Brodo

“From the parents cooking in the kitchen to the son who serves the customers, this is a classic, family-run Italian restaurant that everyone should try when in the region.”  —Brandon McGlamery, Prato, Winter Park, Fla.

LA BUCACCIA Cortona. 39-575-606-039  Specialty: Handmade Ravioli

“This family-owned restaurant is a hidden gem I uncovered in Cortona, a stunning medieval-style village tucked in the Tuscan countryside. It’s located in the former wine cellar of a 13th-century castle, which gives the whole experience the feeling of being transported in time. Best chestnut ravioli and chicken-liver mousse I have ever had!”  —Heather Terhune, Sable Kitchen & Bar, Chicago

LA SUBIDA Cormons. 39-481-60-531  Specialty: Stinco di Vitello

“A little Relais hotel in the hills, owned by Josko and Loredana Sirk. The setting is beautiful, right on the border between Italy and Slovenia, and the restaurant reflects this delectable cuisine. If you are at La Subida in the fall, when there is the beginning of a chill in the air, you want to be seated next to the open hearth, where usually a cauldron of polenta is bubbling. Have that polenta served with sautéed porcini mushrooms and braised wild boar.”  —Lidia Bastianich, host of Lidia’s Italy

PORCHETTA FOOD TRUCK Cortona. 39-349-603-72-90  Specialty. Salumi and Suckling Pig

“While roaming the steep and narrow streets of Cortona, I stumbled upon a food truck selling sandwiches with porchetta and cured pork products on the street corner. It was here that I first discovered the incredible possibilities of Italian street food.”  —Heather Terhune, Sable Kitchen & Bar, Chicago

STREET FOOD Bari. Downtown  Specialty: Mounds of Polenta

“There is a very old woman—I think she has just one tooth—and she sits on a low stool with a pile of polenta that looks like a stack of gold bars. In front of her is a cauldron of hot oil. She clanks up one of the bars, deep-fat-fries it, and serves it in a paper cone with sea salt. Amazingly delicious.”  —Jamie Oliver, author of The Naked Chef

TRATTORIA SOSTANZA Florence. 39-55-21-26-91  Specialty: Butter-Fried Pollo

“They serve the most perfect, beautiful steak Florentine. Trust me.”  —Fergus Henderson, St. John, London

MONACO

LE LOUIS XV Monte Carlo. 3-77-98-06-88-64  Specialty: Gâteau Au Chocolat

“My first visit was in 1990, and I was completely blown away by the magical dining experience. It was the first place I discovered white truffles. Another memorable dish was légumes de Provence, very simple with shavings of black truffles.” —Hélène Darroze, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught Hotel, London

CAFÉ BY WINDMILL (U MELNITSY) Bugrovo. Near Mikhailovskoye  Specialty: Clay-Pot Soup (Shi)

“The owners have achieveda balance between the food of Alexander Pushkin’s era (Pushkin’s home is around the corner) and organic cuisine. Only here can you understand how wonderful it is to fry potatoes and brown onions inside a Russian stone stove or taste fish that’s so fresh, it’s been fished out of the neighborhood pond for lunch.”  —Alexei Zimin, Ragout Café, Moscow

CHAIKA Nizhny Novgorod. 7-831-292-19-00  Specialty: Kamchatka Crab

“At Chaika, they thoughtfully play around with traditional Russian flavors. The chef, Dmitry Shurshakov, builds national motifs into a global context—cod liver served with apples and nuts, or herring with nori seaweed.”  —Alexei Zimin, Ragout Café, Moscow

SPAIN

ASADOR ETXEBARRI Atxondo. 34-94-658-30-42  Specialty: Iberian Chorizo

“Sure as hell one of the most luxurious eating experiences ever. Chef Victor Arguinzoniz grills things—and in ways—never dreamed of before. Just the best ingredients in the world, grilled by the very best grillmaster on the planet.” —Anthony Bourdain, host of the Travel Channel’s No Reservations

BAR BERGARASAN Sebastián. 34-94-327-50-26  Specialty: ‘Falsa Lasaña’

“Perfect for a glass of wine and some flavorful pintxos, like the mushroom-langoustine txalupa.”  —Wolfgang Puck, Spago, Los Angeles

CAL PEP Barcelona. 34-933-10-79-61  Specialty: Pescado Croquetas

“Cal Pep is a place I’d be happy eating in every day. The tapas are inventive and inexpensive enough to order a tableful.”  —Bobby Flay, Mesa Grill, New York

DOS CIELOS Barcelona. 34-933-67-20-70  Specialty: Foie Gras Ravioli

“Chefs Sergio and Javier Torres strike a perfect balance of traditional Mediterranean flavors and innovative modern cuisine. The use of gorgeous local produce (some actually grown on the roof) makes each dish more spectacular than the next.”  —Curtis Stone, host of Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters

EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA Girona. 34-972-22-21-57  Specialty: Steak Tartare Dish

“The most amazing meal of my life. Everything about it, from the ingredients, preparation, execution, and the taste, remains unmatched.”  —Thomas McNaughton, flour+water, San Francisco

HOTEL ELS CASALS Sagàs. 34-93-825-12-00  Specialty: House-Made Sausage

“Authentic local cuisine. They supply themselves with the products from their own farm and vegetable garden. The chicken dishes are particularly noteworthy.”  —Joan Roca, El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain

LA BODEGA DONOSTIARRA San Sebastián. 34-934-01-13-80  Specialty: Bocadillos

“I have visited La Bodega Donostiarra dozens of times, and it always remains informal, with a popular atmosphere that makes it special. Try the very traditional gilda [anchovy and olive skewer]. It is the classic pintxo of San Sebastián, and this bar makes it extraordinarily well.”  —Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz, Errenteria, Spain

LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO San Sebastián. 34-943-43-54-46  Specialty: Foie with Apple Compote

“Always very animated, and the quality of the pintxos is very good. They also serve a fabulous gin tonic.”  —Joachim Wissler, Vendôme at the Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg, Germany

MUGARITZ
Errenteria. 34-943-52-24-55  Specialty: Edible Stones

“Mugaritz is not about one dish—it’s about the total experience.”  —Wolfgang Puck, Spago, Los Angeles

NOU MANOLÍN Alicante. 34-965-20-03-68  Specialty: Jamón Ibérico

“When I am in Alicante, I go to Nou Manolín for the conviviality, the open kitchen, and the langoustines à la plancha!”  —Joël Robuchon, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Paris

SWEDEN

FÄVIKEN MAGASINET Järpen. 46-647-401-77  Specialty: Scallops Over Juniper

“Most Swedes haven’t even been here. Chef Magnus Nilsson’s vision for new Scandinavian food is inspiring—he shows that you don’t have to live in a big city to create an authentic, delicious experience. To go there and stay and eat for a few days is a truly relaxing experience.”  —Marcus Samuelsson, Red Rooster Harlem, New York

ROLFS KÖK Stockholm. 46-81-01-696  Specialty: Pickled Herring

“One of my favorites for casual eating—great 1989 décor by Jonas Bohlin and super-delicious food.”  —Magnus Nilsson, Fäviken, Järpen, Sweden

UNITED KINGDOM

BOROUGH MARKET London. 44-20-74-07-10-02  Specialty: Fish and Chips

“They fry everything in animal fat for crispy goodness.” —Tim Love, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth, Texas

BUSABA EATHAI

London. 44-20-79-30-00-88 Specialty: Thai Calamari

“A great concept right here in London is Busaba Eathai, especially the one located in Soho. You can get great, authentic Thai dishes quickly and affordably.”  —Atul Kochhar, Benares, London

SWEETINGS FISH RESTAURANT London . 44-20-72-48-30-62  Specialty: Dover Sole

“A work in chaos and a marvelous lunch.”  —Fergus Henderson, St. John, London

THE FAT DUCK
Bray. 44-16-28-58-03-33  Specialty: Snail Porridge

“I recall with special affection meals at the Fat Duck. I like the ambience, the team, and above all the gastronomic approach—brilliant, bold, and tremendously stimulating to the senses. The dish Sound of the Sea will be in the history books of gastronomy.”  —Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz, Errenteria, Spain

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