In the world of cooking there are many stereotypes. But there is one certainty: Anna Ghisolfi, 64 years old from Tortona (we say this straight away, not out of disrespect, but because it is indispensable to the story) does not fall into any of these. And so its creation in the city center: welcome to the Anna Ghisolfi restaurant.
In the first life, Anna took a degree in foreign languages and literature, started a career as an interpreter and translator, played at basketball a lot and well to the point of reaching Serie A. But as a backdrop to everything, a great passion for cooking and an insatiable curiosity for “other people’s kitchens”.
Thus, after a past of dinners prepared for the family, cooking lessons for friends and gastronomic journeys intended as self-taught training, At 40, Ghisolfi became a professional chef in the catering sector (with the management of prestigious events such as the reception for a thousand people set up for the inauguration of the Turin Book Fair from 2008 to 2014).
«I was convinced by a course at CAST where Ferran Adrià passed: he had already dazzled me as a customer in ’97 during a lunch at El Bulli. After the experience in Brescia I made the big leap” he says. But she will wait until 2016 to open her first restaurant, together with her husband Enrico Merli – a distinguished civil lawyer who deals with the dining room and cellar with great class and competence.. Fifteen years of waiting and preparation is a lot, especially when thinking about people who decide to throw themselves (often hurting themselves) into a club, with presumption and approximation. «In addition to working in external services, I never stopped between conferences, tastings in the best restaurants, continuous study on books: to those who told me “but do you open a restaurant at 55? Do you think you can do it?” I replied that it was the perfect moment» he remembers smiling. His restaurant, Anna Ghisolfiis in the center of Tortonaa deconsecrated church rearranged with essential elegance, with a large kitchen island within which an all-female and foreign brigade moves.
«I have girls, more or less young, who come from Cuba, Ukraine, the Philippines and Belarus: I’m not here looking for redemption but for a job that involves them. We have organized ourselves so that no one gets into difficulty with everyday life, one even has three children: obviously there is discussion like in all kitchens in the world but the important thing is to find balance in times and work well. It’s logical that we only do seven services – four at the weekend and dinner from Wednesday to Friday inclusive. It’s correct for a place like this, for me and for them.”
«For the place I had in mind, it was right to focus on people like that who learned everything from me. What I know, speaking with colleagues, is that today’s kids are better prepared on average than we were at their age but with less “competitive nastiness”. But maybe we are the ones who are too protective” he replies with a smile.
How to eat at Anna Ghisolfi
In the Anna Ghisolfi’s restaurant – which bears her name – you eat well, you drink just as well with lots of high-quality Piedmont and Val d’Aosta (but also large bottles from beyond the Alps) and you relax as soon as you enter, thanks to a young and attentive but not affected service.
Delicious cuisine, readable but not ancient. Indeed, more “fresh” and with many little ideas in excess of what you might expect (sorry) from a cook over 60, a happy grandmother among other things. No tasting menu (hurray!), everything à la carte: two courses of appetizers — The products And Tradition with lots of tastings — then four choices for each race, first courses, second courses and desserts. The basis of the offer is made up of dishes more typical of the tradition of this part of Piedmont which is influenced by Ligurian and Lombard influences. But they are revised in an innovative way, always with grace and a sensitive, we would say almost romantic, touch. We tell Anna. «Romantic but practical. Maybe precisely because I grew up making food for events and lots of people, I always try to give a pleasant moment to those who come to visit us. And I think I don’t work in an operating room to save lives.”
The dishes reach the palate and the heart. They are not creative in the sense that is given to the term in cooking, but they have that aforementioned touch. Very little fish, enough meat and lots of vegetables practically at zero kmbecause they are provided by a «widespread vegetable garden»in the hands of a network of local producers: rightly so, here in Tortona. We go through Trout on its skin at Maialino tonnato; from the exquisite Agnolotti served with drops of Barbera sauce al Rice with pumpkin, courgettes, hazelnuts and Passito drops; from the Cod, onions and spring onions al Spicy pigeon, orange and red turnip. Among the sea of pre-desserts and small pastries, a perfect one emerges chestnut semifreddo and marron glacé.
How much do you spend? Wine aside, happy with the very rich starter and two dishes, it costs 75 euros: this also explains the success in a period in which fine dining is clearly in difficulty.
Anna puts her fun on the plate. «I work a lot, I don’t hide it. I come here at seven in the morning to study the ingredients, experiment with new techniques and start the line for the evening dishes. In the end, it is unlikely that between the laboratory and the kitchen you spend less than 15 hours in the kitchen. I know that there are simpler and more profitable professions than a chef but I like what I do and I have never seen myself in an office: we also do a service to the public, but a beautiful one, for people who expect an experience. Then there is another aspect: you cannot ask others for maximum commitment if you don’t set an example. And this has nothing to do with age: it is a natural predisposition” he underlines.
Many wonder how it is possible that the Michelin Guide (the others do, and with excellent ratings) has not even noticed the placelet alone the Star. «Honest: I would be pleased and my collaborators would be even more enthusiastic. But I don’t think about it, also because everyone tells me that there are unwritten rules to follow when you get the Star and not just for cooking. I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to change my vision at 65 years oldthe”.
By the way, let’s talk about the future. «I know I will have to pass the baton, hoping to find the right one or the right ones but now I’m thinking about creating rooms so that my guests can stop in Tortonawithout running away from the table if they want to stay. Rest? I do it when I go to conferences or to dinner with colleagues. Then, believe me, the best ideas in any job come when you work hard and are happy, not when you are calm and almost bored». Well done Anna.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
