QUALITALY 138

Januar y/Februar y 2024 VIII MAGAZINE Paolo Lavezzini, 45 years old, born in Salento, studied at Ipssar in Marina di Massa where his father, a football coach, works. Demi chef at the Hotel Plaza Athenees in Paris, sous chef at the Enoteca Pinchiorri, chef at the Hotel Plaza e de Russie in Viareggio, executive chef at the Fasano in Rio de Janeiro, since 2018 he has been head chef at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, first in São Paulo in Brazil then in Florence. The Carpaccio at the Royal Monceau in Paris, the Hotel Byron in Forte dei Marmi, the Locanda dell’Angelo in Ameglia and the Akelarre in San Sebastian in the Basque Country are some of his most constructive experiences. To these are added shorter stays in New York and Miami. These steps are alongside illustrious hands: Angelo Paracucchi, Alain Ducasse, Riccardo Monco. HOW DID YOU BECOME A COOK? PL:- I’ve always dreamed of being a cook, ever since I played football with the Parma youth team. I was with Buffon. He became world champion. Me, a chef. The misted- up windows, my grandmother cooking, the magic of the dough, they have captivated me since I was a child. FROM THE HOTELIER IN MASSA TO MICHELIN-STARRED CUISINE. PL:- I started with seasons on the coast where I ‘just did the food’. Then at Enoteca Pinchiorri I learnt that cooking is something else: rigour and discipline above all. I learnt the same lesson from Ducasse and from French cuisine. I was then seduced by the charm of the soul, or rather, the souls of Brazil with the richness of its cuisine. YOU WERE EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE ‘AL MARE’ RESTAURANT OF THE HOTEL FASANO IN RIO DE JANEIRO. PL:- Right on the beach in Ipanema during the Olympics and the World Cup. It was a unique experience because of the buzz in the city. São Paulo’s Neto opened up other horizons for me in a city that does not have the grace and lightness of Rio. Brazil didn’t only educate me on taste. The importance of the team and the social relationships within the brigade are all Brazilian. Brazil overwhelms. AT THE FOUR SEASONS YOU CAN WORK IN VARIOUS OUTLETS PL:- We have a variety of dining experiences: from the poolside terrace for a relaxing day with fruit juices, homemade gelato and our slow-rising pizza to the starred restaurant where traditional Tuscan dishes are enriched with a more contemporary aspect. We can finish with a gourmet picnic in the open air in our park, a romantic dinner in the shade of our beech tree or a tasting on the private terrace of the Cardini jewellery shop overlooking the Arno from Ponte Vecchio. And if we want to sleep late then room service is always available. VARIOUS DINING EXPERIENCES ARE COMBINED WITH A FULL IMMERSION IN THE TERRITORY TO DISCOVER NOBLE INGREDIENTS AND ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE. MMT:- What better occasion than the San Miniato White Truffle Fair to take our guests on a day of truffle hunting? The egg from the Maiano farm, which we serve at the Palagio, leads us to discover the rustic world of the Fiesole hills among cypresses and olive trees. Free-range chickens are a rediscovery that excites many Americans; watching the preparation of home-made pasta always fascinates. PL:- Our products tell stories about roots