RESTAURANTS

RESTAURANTS ITINERARY

GOOD FOOD WITH PASSION

THE RESTAURANTS OF CORTINA WHERE GOOD FOOD IS DOWN TO THE FAMILY I RISTORANTI DI CORTINA DOVE LA BUONA CUCINA È UNA QUESTIONE DI FAMIGLIA text Marco Colognese

Cortina has many sides to it and the Ampezzo basin with its timeless charm never ceases to amaze. At the same time, the city and its surrounding areas are becoming more and cantly changed in terms of variation and high quality. But dining is above all, socialising and being together. And when this joy of being together starts in the kitchen, the coming ambience which makes it really special. Whether it be a couple who have just started a new adventure or a family reunion, Cortina proves love is the most important ingredient. Such as in the case of Graziano Prest with his wife Maridilia of the Tivoli. First, they were classmates then colleagues wife and now they have been offering their high-quality cuisine in Cortina for twenty years. Graziano, an experienced chef amusingly tells how Maridilia is the one who compensates for his unrestrained enthusiasm and always shares with him her decisions, even the most demanding ones. At the SanBrite, there is Riccardo Gaspari and Ludovica Rubbini, he is in charge of the kitchen and she is in the dining room. They have created a corner of delightful cosiness where you can enjoy an unforgettable meal. The synergy between them is perfect, with different points of view, but it is exactly for this reason that they work so well and are able to come to an understanding. Then there is the family of Fabrizio Piccolin, who has been managing the Ariston for more than forty years, with his partner Ilinka at his side for more than twenty years. They are both wine connoisseurs who work in the dining room of the newly-renovated restaurant serving traditional dishes with a touch of modernity. At the Cortina Golf Club, there is Pierluigi Orlando and his partner Monica Gottardo: besides Mediterranean-style cuisine, here they serve excellent pizza. Pierluigi prepares the dough and Cortina ha tanti volti e la conca ampezzana, con il suo fascino senza tempo, non smette mai di sorprendere. Allo stesso modo la città e i suoi dintorni rappresentano sempre più un luogo del gusto che negli anni ha moltiplicato la sua offerta, rendendola varia e di alta qualità. Ma la cucina è soprattutto convivialità e condivisione. E quando questa condivisione si trova già tra i fornelli e in sala, assume un sapore ancor più rotondo, grazie a un’atmosfera intima e accogliente che rende tutto più speciale. Che si tratti di una coppia che ha iniziato una nuova avventura insieme o di una tradizione di famiglia, Cortina è la dimostrazione che l’amore è il più importante degli ingredienti. Come nel caso di Graziano Prest con la moglie Maridilia del Tivoli, prima compagni di scuola, poi colle lanciati ormai vent’anni fa nella loro avventura d’alta cucina cortinese. Graziano, chef esperto, racconta divertito come sia proprio Maridilia quella che sa mettere a freno la sua esuberanza e condivide con lui ogni scelta, anche la più impegnativa. Al SanBrite Riccardo Gaspari e Ludovica Rubbini, lui in cucina e lei in sala, hanno creato un angolo di deliziosa intimità dove godersi un pasto memorabile. Una sinergia perfetta la loro, fatta di punti di vista differenti ma che proprio per questo si arricchiscono a vicenda trovando sempre un’intesa. C’è poi la famiglia di Fabrizio Piccolin che gestisce l’Ariston la compagna Ilinka; entrambi esperti di vini stanno in sala nel locale appena rinnovato, che propone piatti della tradizione rivisitati. Al Cortina Golf Club ci sono Pierluigi Orlando e la compagna Monica Gottardo; oltre a una cucina di impronta mediterranea qui si propongono ottime pizze in pala, lui prepara gli impasti e sta in sala, lei si occupa di

RESTAURANTS ITINERARY

CORTINA PROVES LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT CORTINA È LA DIMOSTRAZIONE CHE L’AMORE È IL PIÙ IMPORTANTE DEGLI INGREDIENTI

serves in the dining room, while Monica is in charge of the toppings for the pizzas using high quality ingredients. Baita Fraina has been run by the same family for two and a half generations. In thirty years, Adolfo Menardi, his brother Alessandro and his wives Anna and Tiziana have been able to transform this mountain hut that sold dairy products into a gourmet restaurant, which also boasts an extensive wine cellar. However, there is a golden rule established by their father: on Christmas Eve, the restaurant must stay closed so that they can spend time with their family. Another family run establishment is the Rifugio Ospitale with Claudia Alverà in the dining room along with her partner, her daughter is in the kitchen and their husbands carry out management duties. They took over the lodge at the right time, and made it a huge success in such a short time, also thanks to the cuisine based exclusively on locally-grown products. Carlo Orlandi tells us the story of Beppe Sello, which a small hotel with a restaurant. His wife Michela De Martin, who has an eye for attention to detail, helps him in the dining room in the evening. He manages this business with passion, which is well-known and appreciated by all for its excellent dishes. Lorena Lorenzini met her husband Fabio Pompanin in Al Camin, a small comfort she never gets tired and is of fundamental help when “setting objectives together and achieving them”. Carlo Festini Cucco is the owner of the restaurant in front of the beautiful Lake Scin. It was here that he met his wife Patrizia, who was a former colleague in the dining room, and has now become a partner for life. The cuisine is based on wild game recipes and risottos made to perfection. Tofana Michel Oberhammer renovated the restaurant of the Baita Piè as well as the kitchen together with his younger partner Federico Rovacchi. He and his partner Elisa Prudente worked in a famous South Tyrolean restaurant and now she is in charge of the dining room and helps him to have a more complete vision: as “we both have our own ideas, but it would not be the same without her”. condire la basi con ingredienti di prima qualità. Baita Fraina si trova tra la seconda e la terza generazione di famiglia. Adolfo Menardi, il fratello Alessandro e le mogli Anna e Tiziana hanno trasformato in trent’anni una baita con rivendita di prodotti caseari nella solida realtà golosa di oggi, che vanta anche una grande cantina. C’è però una regola d’oro, voluta dal padre: il giorno della vigilia di Natale il ristorante è chiuso e si passa in famiglia. Un mondo familiare anche quello del Rifugio Ospitale, con Claudia Alverà in sala insieme alla socia, la gestionali. Preso in mano il rifugio a tempo di record, in breve ne hanno fatto un successo, anche grazie a una cucina basata quasi esclusivamente su prodotti locali e a chilometro zero. La storia di Beppe Sello, ci racconta Carlo Orlandi, trasforma in piccolo albergo con ristorante. Insieme alla moglie Michela De Martin che con il suo occhio attento ai dettagli lo aiuta in sala la sera, porta avanti con passione un’attività nota e apprezzata per gli ottimi piatti. Lorena Lorenzini incontra il marito Fabio Pompanin Al Camin, piccolo confortevole locale con un’offerta gastronomica di pregio. Lui ci racconta di come lei sia instancabile e fondamentale gni”. Carlo Festini Cucco è invece il titolare del ristorante di fronte all’incantevole Lago Scin. È qui che conosce la moglie Patrizia che da collega di sala è diventata compagna di vita. La cucina si basa su piatti di selvaggina e risotti preparati a regola d’arte. A Baita Piè Tofana Michel Oberhammer ha rinnovato il locale ma anche la cucina con il giovane Federico Rovacchi, che da un famoso locale altoatesino ha portato con sé la compagna Elisa Prudente, che si occupa della sala, aiutandolo ad avere una visione più completa: perché “ciascuno ha le sue idee, ma senza di lei non sarebbe la stessa cosa.”

RESTAURANTS ITINERARY

food with tipical products

AL CAMIN A good choice for a culinary experience renowned for its dishes able to satisfy even the most demanding palates. Al Camin features a comfortable and cosy ambience as well as a good selection of wines

BAITA FRAINA This long-standing family run restaurant features a splendid panoramic terrace with some beautiful rooms, offering guests authentic traditional cuisine and a wide selection of prestigious wines ARISTON After recently renovating the Ariston, the centrally-located restaurant stopped serving pizzas to focus on traditional dishes with a touch recipes. All prepared with seasonal ingredients

BEPPE SELLO A very traditional restaurant belonging to the ‘Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo’ boasts excellent gastronomic cuisine just outside the centre. There are also some comfortable rooms available BAITA PIÈ TOFANA This recent renovation has made this small restaurant on the edge of the slopes even more special. It offers delicious new dishes as well as being the most well-stocked winery in Cortina

RESTAURANTS ITINERARY

and also ‘starred’ experiences

CORTINA GOLF CLUB Open both in summer and winter in the beautiful setting of the Golf Club. It serves a variety of dishes from the excellent light and crispy leavened focaccia to Venetian Adriatic style dishes, the chef’s place of origin

OSPITALE A historic inn, the Rifugio Ospitale restaurant dates back a mountain dairy hut, then a hospice for travellers, now it is a cosy place with excellent Ampezzo cuisine LAGO SCIN You can reach it by taking some hairpin bends. It is well worthwhile as it is cosy and the local cuisine is excellent

SANBRITE

In only a few years, this elegant restaurant, although not close to the centre, has become a symbol of sustainable catering and innovative cuisine where products from the mountains are used at the highest levels

TIVOLI in Cortina, the Tivoli is the gastronomic heritage of this place and is still today enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs, thanks to its extensive wine cellar