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Meeting Alessandro Borghese… is always an unexpected (and pleasant) surprise. We have crossed paths several times and not only in Italy, once it happened in Mauritius, where the Chef gave two gala dinners at the Constance Hotel & Resort and then again in New York, to promote the Italian Cuisine as a UNESCO heritage site. A
Alessandro is an eclectic and innovative chef, undoubtedly one of the most authoritative and influential figures in the Italian gastronomic scene, after graduating from the American Overseas School in Rome, he embarked on cruise ships for three years. His culinary experiences continued in restaurants in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Copenhagen, Rome, Milan and Venice, while his gastronomic “investigations” continue up and down Italy in the television program “Alessandro Borghese 4 Ristoranti” of which he is the author, producer and host.
In person Alessandro is pleasant, helpful, ironic and lively just as he appears on TV, an interview with him is like meeting up with a dear friend, spontaneous, radiant and cheerful.
Hi Alessandro, you’ve traveled the world. What’s your favorite restaurant?
I can’t say I have a favorite restaurant or a memorable dish because I surprise myself every time. I have beautiful memories of special dinners in Cape Verde, Japan, San Francisco, where I was born and where I experienced unforgettable romantic dinners with my wife. I ended up in unexpected places, like that little shack near the beach in Maui, Hawaii, where I not only tasted one of the best sushi of my life, but I also learned about preparations I was not aware of, an indelible memory.
With “Alessandro Borghese 4 Ristoranti” you visited many places, which one remained in your heart?
All of them! Each place with its restaurateurs and its inhabitants left something in my heart and contributed to enriching my experience in the kitchen. I met wonderful families united in a common passion or young guys who aim to invest in the restaurant business. Everywhere the black van with the program’s logo has become a must for selfies… when it is parked or stopped at the traffic light, it becomes the protagonist and photos next to the door go crazy on social media. I live with immense pleasure the reality of those places and the daily life of the inhabitants I meet, they are all in my heart
Can you tell us a little bit of the new season of “Alessandro Borghese 4 Ristoranti”?
We are filming the tenth season and the new episodes are on air on TV8, a new graphic and new stops for a tasty tour around Italy to discover and rediscover many territorial identities. We travel far and wide across the Belpaese trying to give viewers a wide and sincere window on the varied world of Italian catering.
What about the new itinerary?
We started from Lucca, followed by Monza, Mantua and many other locations and many restaurateurs, each with their own business idea: there is the philosopher who has made cooking a creed, those who think of it as if it were a poem for the palate and those who want to keep alive the tradition of a typical recipe or simply their favorite dish.
How would you describe your cuisine?
Inventive and generous, a cuisine that wants to tastefully satisfy the palates of those who love refined things, but do not want to give up tradition and combines quality raw materials with refined simplicity in the preparation of its creations.
What is “Your” favorite dish?
It’s not a simple answer, tomorrow I could answer differently… My Cacio & Pepe is an ancient dish, poor in ingredients, but rich in flavor. It was born with the ancient transhumance of cattle, but I wanted to give it a unique and personal touch. Thanks to my travels and my experiences I wanted to enhance it by adding Tasmanian pepper, which gives the dish a truly unique flavor.
Is “TV cooking” a current trend?
Of course! Food has captured the attention of television networks and the Internet. Today everyone at home puts themselves to the test after seeing a recipe on TV or on the web. It was about time there was more cooking on Italian television, abroad they had started communicating it a long time ago.
When does food become “glamorous”?
When food, like music, has the gift of giving travels, dreams and emotions, when it is sharing and continuous exchange of experiences and when it flows into other similar universes, such as music, fashion, image and above all art of which I am a great enthusiast, in fact in my restaurants and in my new bistro “ABKS Break Time” I often host works of art.
Which artists did you choose?
Michelangelo Galliani and his works in marble, lead and steel are a research focused on two fundamental themes: the anatomy of the human body and symbolism. Currently in Venice I host the works of Sara Forte, who, between canvases full of meanings and sculptures in Murano glass, transports us to a dream world populated by planetary shapes, starry skies and intricate patterns that evoke the mysteries of the universe.
Fashions change, even in food. What dish you think will always be in vogue.
Creativity. It is not a tangible dish, but I like it because it is an absolutely free concept, without end.
Do you have a dream in the drawer?
(smiles) Becoming a Rock Star! I also really like writing because when I write, often in English, I rearrange scenes, music, faces, smiles and moments, I am only sorry that I have not yet managed to get beyond the fifth chapter of my erotic novel … it is stuck in a folder on the desktop!