QUALITALY

AGO. SET. 2017

like those in the catering sector.

The flag bearer of this

industriousness is Lucrezia

D’Arcangelo, chef and manager (one

of those “matrons” who know how

to make things work perfectly) of ‘Il

Focolare’, the symbol restaurant of

Collecorvino.

“We started about 25 years ago – says

the hostess immediately – we started

with a pizzeria but the desire to look

at new activities and expansion was

always here.” A will that led to the well-

established success of this restaurant

and one of which is spoken about not

only within provincial boundaries

or regional borders, but well outside

of Abruzzo. And you can hear very

positive comments, starting from the

location, described as a rural setting

but cared for, with a rustic look that

reminds one of home, capable of

combining refinement and elegance

that, as always, make a difference.

The green hills of Abruzzo and the

panoramic terrace complete the whole.

How was this adventure born?

Our story starts about 25 years

ago with a pizzeria bar, in another

place though, not where the current

restaurant stands. After a year and

a half, we decided to build a new

structure on our own land, near home

in Collecorvino, opening a premises

where, not only could you eat pizzas,

but also Abruzzo specialities par

excellence: arrosticini. We kept this

activity open for about 6 years.

The decisive turning point came

when I dedicated myself further

to cooking refresher courses, a

fundamental step that led me to

become fully occupied with the

catering, working a lot with banquets.

Almost 20 years have already

passed...

What was the added value,

in culinary terms, of the new

restaurant opened two decades ago?

My passion for regional cuisine has

always been present, coming from a

family of restaurateurs. In addition,

I continued to follow specific

confectionery courses - one of the

strengths that today the clientele

recognizes to ‘Il Focolare’. The variety

of personally-prepared desserts gives

important added value - in addition

to those baked: I love to spoil guests

and the people who come to try

my cuisine with different types of

bread from different dough, such as

sesame or lime, or walnuts and olives.

I think it’s a great welcome. Even

with the first courses I love to have

fun: I create them from scratch or re-

adapt the traditional ones by adding

ingredients which tie-in well with

those already existing, or revisiting

the recipe in a more modern way.

What have you changed since the

opening?

Last year we took a step further.

Many people ask for the venue for

parties and weddings and that is why

we decided to expand by building a

large banquet hall with 250 seats.

The cuisine of ‘Il Focolare’ is focused

on the traditions of Abruzzo: what is

the most popular dish and which is

the signature dish?

In addition to the traditional menu, if

we so call it, we focus very much on

dishes prepared with the ingredients

from within our territory. Among the

most requested dishes

are the ravioli with Farindola ricotta

cheese, courgettes, saffron and crispy

bacon. In the summer we also make

a dumpling with cream of eggplant,

butter, cherry tomatoes and basil.

We also have a rich choice of

appetizers and many dishes from

Abruzzo such as the Pallotte ‘cace e

ove’ revisited maybe with truffle and

saffron.

Among the positive reviews, as

previously mentioned, the desserts

stand out...

Confectionery a great passion, I

really enjoy making special sweets,

maybe of the season. In addition

to the desserts of Abruzzo, we

have a dessert called Triumph of

Sweets, which is a kind of mosaic

composed of different qualities, in

small portions, so that you can have

a complete selection. In this way we

can vary a lot even according to the

seasons. Alternatively, we receive

requests for semifreddo, maybe

with coconut or with a heart with

raspberries.

What is the difficulty of being a

restaurateur today?

With regards to the clientele, as

opposed to difficulties, I would say

commitment, that is, the desire to

always offer the best, presenting a

cuisine which is never predictable but

always carefully prepared and able

to surprise, even if it comes from an

old regional traditional recipe. For the

rest... well, often it’s the bureaucracy

which doesn’t really help us. This is

a subject that involves everyone and

is absolutely relevant. The passion

and the desire to work push us to

overcome these daily obstacles.

How do you deal with the subject

of vegan and vegetarian cuisine?

The cuisine of Abruzzo is rich, even

just considering only the cold cuts

and meat that are used as the basis of

many dishes. Despite this, however,

I also enjoy creating different menus,

suitable for those who want vegan

and vegetarian dishes. This aspect of

catering is also taken into account, it

is a part of a growing clientele and

it’s right to indulge and satisfy them

with a flavoursome cuisine. Maybe

I start with the dishes that I know

but modify the ingredients, assemble

them and adapt them, always with a

tasty result.

How do you organise yourselves

for supplies?

We always aim for quality, from meat to