MILAN: Italian chef Carlo Cracco has opened a second Milan restaurant last month inside the Hotel Excel Naviglio Milano and will open his third in Portofino in Liguria in June.
“I had to close two restaurants, I have opened one new one and a second will be in Porto Fino so I hope to be at a par again. The pandemic has all hit us hard. We could complain and discuss on many things but I am from Veneto and we have always been taught that instead of complaining you should be working on the future,” Carlo said.
He was answering a question by Food and Wine Gazette at a masterclass organised by the Italian Belgian chamber of commerce as part of a True Italian Taste initiative.
Carlo Cracco is an Italian chef famous for his flagship restaurant Ristorante Cracco in Milan in an iconic space inside the Galleria just off the Piazza Duomo.
“The new space allowed us to be able to open immediately because it has a very big garden. This was not only essential for me but it also gives a sign of hope. We are able to cater for 80 per cent of people using the outdoor space. So the space for Carlo al Naviglio is functional immediately,” the Italian chef said.
The second new restaurant will be at the heart of the Ligurian idyllic village of Portofino. He has reached ab agreement to take over il Pitosforo.
“It is important to have courage even when times are hard. During this pandemic we found ourselves in a difficult situation but while respecting all the rules we had to continue to work. “For me, being able to be in this microcosm, working in a restaurant and with food is the best part of my life. We need courage, we need to be hopeful and we need to be optimistic.”
The Carlo al Navilgio is a collaboration between Dino Scaggiante, an entrepreneur from Venice and Carlo Cracco with the aim of giving live to the space creating an oasis of peace in the city.
The new restaurant is open from Monday to Sunday for lunch, dinner and aperitivo.
The resident chef of the new bistro is Luca Pedata, a young chef from Naples.
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