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JUN. JUL. 2021 V has only accelerated innovation in this field. Olio, a fish restaurant with vegetable garden in Origgio (VA), opened by investing in an aeration system with active sanitisation that uses natural oxidising ions to destroy bacteria, viruses and pollutants. “We have guaranteed customers a new level of safety, suited to the changing world and the unforeseen events that disrupt our lifestyles. Now we hope that the institutions will implement the necessary distinctions at the regulatory level, allowing those who have equipped themselves to work with greater continuity,” says owner Luigi Milini. A new need that has also been grasped by historical locations: the Milanese Boeucc (open since 1696) has adopted a system for the treatment of indoor and outdoor surfaces capable of reducing organic pollutants in the air through a process of photocatalysis. EVERYBODY OUTSIDE And it’s immediately dehors (but also lawns, gardens, beaches and countryside). The desire for en plein air is undoubtedly one of the factors behind the upturn. According to Fiepet, in 2021 750 thousand square metres of outdoor spaces capable of hosting 180 thousand tables will be set up. Umbrellas, green partitions and tables of all shapes - which, in addition to the “rustic” use of wood, have seen the return of the Art Nouveau style with wrought iron, scrolls and floral motifs - have transformed Italian cities. But open- air experiences are also multiplying, from dinners under the stars to picnics in the meadows, opening up new ways of consumption. The Palazzo di Varignana resort in Castel San Pietro Terme (BO) offers picnics under the stars in an ancient olive grove with a blanket, pillows, water and glasses for the aperitif and four gourmet courses, prepared by Francesco Manograsso, chef of the Aurevo restaurant, served by the staff, with live music. At weekends, the San Domenico di Imola also offers a ten-course brunch ranging from sweet to savoury, prepared by chef Max Mascia, in a covered and heated outdoor area. At midday, the restaurant “switches” to the classic lunch menu. NOMADIC CHEFS Spin-offs and pop-ups flourish in the summer of 2021. Viviana Varese of VIVA from Milan “descends” to Noto with her brigade to “occupy” the kitchens of the summer residence Country House Villadorata, a late nineteenth-century rural structure with an organic farm. And the 2-star Agli Amici di Godia (Ud) crosses the border into Istria with its entire kitchen and dining staff and opens Agli Amici Rovigno on the Marina di Rovinj. A change of location but not of philosophy: Michela and Emanuele Scarello selected local artisan producers, breeders and fishermen who can guarantee economic and organic sustainability. GOODBYE PAPER Simplifying the menus is almost a must. “I’ve replaced the menu with two tasting itineraries to avoid QR codes, which I don’t like, but also to avoid waste,” explains Marianna Vitale of Sud di Gaeta, “and I’ll maintain this approach for now. The recovery? I see that people want to go out again, but I perceive an underlying sadness. At the heart of this is the human relationship, sought for and desired, and which has led to the return of the role of the host, a symbol of “analogue” hospitality and simple but genuine cuisine. In the background, the difficulty of finding qualified personnel, as Aurora Mazzucchelli of Marconi complains: “For now, the bakery next to the restaurant is active, and has been open since December for breakfast and bread-making. In order to open the restaurant, I need qualified staff to guarantee a service to match. We are searching for them, but it isn’t easy”. ETHICAL APPROACH Sustainability is the leitmotif of many new openings. Starting with Anima e Vertigo in the UNA Milano Verticale hotel, designed by the “creso” of fine Italian dining, Enrico Bartolini. In the kitchen, the resident chef is Franco Aliberti, who has been working on sustainability since time immemorial, “a word that is overused nowadays,” he says, “but Covid has changed people, people have now realised that it’s not a choice but a necessity. It is unacceptable that a chef today does not have a culture of ingredients to share with customers. As well as the ingregients, the green approach is in the processes Viviana Varese