Meet the chef!

Food talk with 4 of Coronado’s most talented chefs

Nado Republic has an enchanting “through the looking glass” quality - step beyond the vine-entwined archway and you enter a whimsical world of teal and ruby red velvet with vintage gold accents, Marilyn Monroe smiling in a mural, a mirrorball glinting in the flood of sunlight, fizzing sparklers for diners celebrating a birthday, and owner/vibe maestro Sandro Lattenero pulsing ambient house music after dark.

And then there is the food - flavorful, authentic, personal Italian cuisine created by co-owner and chef Giorgio Corletti. “Nado is a European dining experience. No rushing You can spend hours here - enjoy a cocktail at the bar, then dinner and conversation I love to talk!”

And then there is the food - flavorful, authentic, personal Italian cuisine created by co-owner and chef Giorgio Corletti. “Nado is a European dining experience. No rushing You can spend hours here - enjoy a cocktail at the bar, then dinner and conversation I love to talk!”

Speaking of which, Giorgio says this is his first English language interview so imagine a strong Italian accent as you enjoy the charm of his phrasing!

”In general I try to be funny. I am smiling. I am humble. In the kitchen, when I focus, I am a little bit too much My facial expression doesn’t help me because I look angry, but I can’t do anything about that!”

It may have even helped him fit in at the Michelin star restaurants in Italy “It is another culture - the chef barely say hi or bye to you. They don’t want your opinion. One time I was playing with the food and he order another line cook to take my hand and cut my finger, I still have the scar here! Even my mother said it was my own fault!”

Giorgio is not one to be easily deterred His love of cooking began as a child By the age of 14 he was working for free in local restaurants in Rome to learn more about the craft, and winning national pizza making contests, even going on to compete internationally in Las Vegas!

TOUGH COOKING

“Rome is the best city in the world but the people are crazy!” Giorgio laughs “If you want to grow up, you have to leave ” He chose to go to his father’s favorite city - San Francisco - but it was far from the American dream. “My English was at zero I went from being somebody people wanted to work with to a nobody It destroyed me a little ”

Giorgio was homeless for a spell, then worked in Italian restaurants in exchange for a place to sleep. HIs persistence and talent led to culinary success before relocating to San Diego where his pasta-making skills became so coveted he now supplies many esteemed establishments! The best part? Sandro inviting him to become a business partner in Coronado “I took a video from the bridge, down Orange Avenue to Nado Republic and now I am so proud to say I have a restaurant on the island!”

PUTTING THE ROMA IN ROMANTIC

Giorgio first saw his amore Elsa at the gym

“She was also boxing but she was never talking with me Then one day we were in closer proximity and after an hour of working out she said, ‘Why do you have marinara sauce on your leg?’ And then she left!

But I never give up hope! I organize a party at Nado Republic, and to everyone at the gym I offer all the cocktails you would love to drink, but you must invite this lady! If she doesn’t come, you must pay!” he laughs.

Everyone came but her His heart was heavy But then she walked in... “And I hide myself in the kitchen! Finally I came out and we start to talk. She didn’t know I was the owner. After a few months, when I was sure of our relation, I told her, ‘I made this party just for you!’ We still laugh about it, now 3 years together.”

Giorgio Corletti at Nado Republic

“I am not lying if I say that my lasagne is maybe the best in San Diego because of the bolognese sauce recipe my mother teach meeveryone is in love with it! Even people from Bologna say congratulations!”

What about the most iconic Roman dishCarbonara? “I removed it from the menu because people would ask me to add shrimp or chicken! It is made with egg, pecorino cheese and guanciale (pork cheek) I am so proud of my origins, I want to keep it pure classic!”

PIZZA GIORGIO

“Roman pizza is crunchy, not soft like Neopolitan. It may be controversial but I prefer to cook pizza in an electric oven, not wood fire! You have control of the timing and temperature ”

BEST DESSERT

“Tiramisu - because we put a little touch of Baileys liqueur in the marscapone!”

COMPLIMENTI

“The best compliment is if you finish your dish! Especially the lasagneit is a generous portion!”

WHEN IN ROME

“The first dish I order is artichokes! We fry it or you can stuff with bread, pork cheek and cheese In Sardinia you slice thinly and add olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice - no cooking Travel 150 miles to the next region and the artichoke even looks different. I can talk about artichokes for hours...”

JasonWitzl at JolieCoronado

Jolie’s understated, neutral decor may have you feeling like you’ve stepped into a minimalist movie set, but the minute your food is set before you and your tastebuds engage, your world will turn a gourmet technicolor The presentation is sheer elegance, and the freshness and innovative flavors will have you rapturising over every bite. You may, however, find yourself momentarily distracted by ebullient chef and co-owner Jason Witzl grooving to Barry White as he creates culinary masterpieces in the tiny on-view kitchen, or strolling out in camo shorts and apron to chat with his beloved Coronado clientele

“It’s such an asset having ADHD as a chef because you have a million things on the go but each of them only needs your attention for two minutes at a time! Especially if you’re the prep guy, switching between cutting vegetables and 20 pots and pans!” He pauses to meticulously slice and spice a slither of sea bass “If I have a reputation, its that I like to change thingssince June last year we’ve had 12 full menu changes!”

Does the variety help keep regulars intrigued?

“Well, regulars are often called that for a reason - they want to come and eat the same thing Here we’ve managed to flip the script so that now they want to be surprised and have that ‘first time dining’ feeling every time they come in ”

One of the most fun ways to do this is with the Trust the Chef experience.

“There is no menu and the dishes arrive family style It can be 7 courses, or 9 if we spontaneously add something! The wine pairings are chosen that night by the servers who know our flavors ”

It sounds like a rare treat but is available daily

“Aside from our oysters, it’s the number one bestseller on our menu - in the past 9 months we have served over 1,000 Trust the Chefs in our 29 seat restaurant!”

Do you have a Roladex in your brain so you can access every recipe?

“I actually have a Logistics Manager who has been logging every dish for the past 4 years!”

One unforgettable Jolie menu star is the Shrimp & Melon Salad - Winner of Chef of the Fest at the 2023 San Diego Food & Wine Festival Grand Tasting!

Created in “chaos”, Jason says the combination evolved from contemplating an excess of lobster and melon and asking the question, “What can we make from this?”

“We switched out lobster for shrimp, then I felt it didn’t have enough fat so in came the crème fraîche, crispy quinoa for crunch, a slight kick of heat from serrano chili pepper and cool cucumber, coming together in a refreshing bite! I always work with my line cooks because they will say if something sucks, but this time we were all in agreement, ‘Wow, that’s insane!’”

Even with this in-house praise, they took rave reviews at the festival with a pinch of salt - “A lot of people had had 50 glasses of wine at this point!” Jason laughs. But they were triumphant, won first place, and the dish is one of the few eternals on Jolie’s ever-changing menu

HOME COOKING

Jason is married to fellow chef Alexandra - they met working as young line cooks

“I didn’t even know what she looked like under her cap - I was surprised to discover she was a redhead!”

Can you remember the first meal you made for her?

“Her parents were out of town and I cooked her a 7 course dinner She loved the food They did not enjoy my lack of clean up!”

The couple has two young kids that Alexandra cooks for from scratch every night

“She is currently on her bread journey and yesterday she baked fresh focaccia. She is incredibly talented but we have one child of 18 months (Maxwell) who will consume anything, including coffee, and a 6 year-old (Aidan) who seems to have been on hunger strike for three years! He will eat raw tuna and eat caviar, but not a Slushie because he doesn’t like the flavor of ”red”!”