Davide Oldani the marathon runner: twenty years of POP cuisine

The year was 2003 and Davide Oldani opened his D’O, in Cornaredo, in the province of Milan, his country of origin. After a year of activity, the most authoritative gastronomic guides include him among the great chefs of Italian cuisine, in 2004 the Michelin Guide awarded him the first star – which became two plus the green one for sustainability. And to say that he wanted to be a footballer and twenty years after the start of his entrepreneurial challenge, it’s time to take stock.
In 2003 in Cornaredo people didn’t know what haute cuisine was, but not so much in the rest of Italy to be honest. Davide had already worked in Italy with Gualtiero Marchesi, and abroad with Albert Roux, Alain Ducasse and Pierre Hermé, but the years of Masterchef and the media boom of cooking were still far away. But Oldani has always been a precursor, on TV before Masterchef, on the radio before podcasts, talking about human sustainability when chefs worked 16 hours and were silent. He was among the first in Italy to understand that, already at that time, the gap between the world of great cuisine based on top quality products and that of everyday poor cuisine, between dream and reality, had to be bridged. , between the price of the first fruits and the economic sustainability of a provincial restaurant – he said during the presentation to the press. He thus invents Pop Cuisine, creating a third way, speaking of seasonality, quality and price as equally important factors and opening a path not yet explored until then. Menu at popular prices for lunch, ingredients considered poor and creativity for what would quickly become one of the most famous restaurants in the country.

90% tradition 10% innovation

«I think about how we started, twenty years ago, talking about POP cuisine and how much the latter has evolved to still be our daily bread which continues to keep us alive, curious and enthusiastic» he says on the occasion of the presentation of his last book, “POP Visions – A 20 year long passion” published by Gribaudo. «After many years in this sector, I am certain of one thing: that to grow in the face of change you need to have fixed points, which I recognize in the great representatives of good food and good hospitality», he explains, illustrating the book, a story of the experiences he had at first person and together with his lifelong collaborators. 20 years, as Massimo Recalcati writes in the introduction which are the path of “a marathon runner, with the flashes of a hundred-metre runner”. Davide Oldani who took his first steps in the world of cooking, inspired by the great examples in his family who passed on principles and values ​​to him (the maternal lesson of respect for the seasons, of flavors that are remembered and the paternal ethic that exalted work and roots). Thus was born the idea of ​​a kitchen that brings with it a project: something that makes not only the guests at the table feel good, but also anyone who works for them. And this book is more for workers than for guests.

No recipes in this book

In the book the starred chef shares from his first and tiring experiences in London restaurants to unique moments, such as the teaching period at Harvard), choices and renunciations (such as the dream of becoming a footballer, shattered after an injury, and the decision not to go to work for Bocuse). It is a book made to consolidate a path but above all to transmit it, given that Oldani has always been involved in the education of young chefs thanks to his long collaboration with Olmo, the Hotel Institute of Cornaredo. There are recipes, in a chapter, but not written to replicate them, instead explained in their deepest sense and in the reasons why they were born and have become signatures, such as the Caramelized Onion with Parmesan Ice Cream or the Rice and Gold. In the book he describes the important presence of great masters who believed in him, from Marchesi – master and second father – to Alain Ducasse, and underlines how all this allowed him to learn to fly while always keeping his feet on the ground. This is how vision is born, that is, “that big dream that leads you to sense the wave in time and catch it at a moment when others have not yet glimpsed it”, words that seem to describe a game strategy and not just in life .

A philosophy of life

A philosophy of life and not just of cooking, the POP cuisine, born from the desire to adapt dreams to the place where they can be cultivated. An ethical and accessible cuisine that knows how to mix tradition and innovation, where everything revolves around the concept of “balance of contrasts”, a balance of flavors, acidity, textures which is however also resilience, a desire for continuous conquest and coherence. A green star for sustainability, Oldani also underlines the importance of living with respect for nature and others and how every action is a driver of change. «I consider the life I live the greatest gift I have received» he writes, and explains how to cultivate talent (99% good will and one step at a time) and the ability to recognize that of young people, as well as motivate one’s team without ever neglecting the details. Oldani is someone who designs plates, cutlery, glasses, plates, tables, chairs but above all paths.

Reinvent yourself step by step

«It is his Lombard character which, while he dedicates himself to the same task every day, invents it as new every time: flight and rooting, earth and sky, dream and work. The dream requires dedication and patience” writes Recalcati in the preface, recognizing how tenacity has rewarded and made a dream consistent. “POP Visions – A 20-year passion” is an autobiographical story and a gastronomic manifesto at the same time. Worth reading to understand the meaning of the profession of a chef, what it means to be an entrepreneur and the meaning of some words such as coherence, creativity, taste. Which we too often misrepresent in our rush to sensationalize. But Oldani, the marathon runner, teaches us that to get far you have to go slowly. And use a rule that one of the game leaders he had as a boy taught him: “Davide, while you do one thing, think about the next three, the ones you’ll do afterwards.” A magic formula.