Name: Niko Romito
Home Restaurant: Ristorante Reale
Home Restaurant Location: Castel di Sangro AQ (Italy)
Gelinaz! Shuffle Location: Secret
Everybody loves Gelinaz.. What do you love best about it?
I love its craziness! I work and live on the mountains of Abruzzo, a region that even many Italians can’t quite place on the map: it’s pretty isolated, and that’s what I love about it, because it allows me to really focus and go deep into the study of the ingredients. There I am in my comfort zone. Gelinaz takes me out of my comfort zone, completely, and I appreciate it. Creative juices start flowing when you are isolated but also when you test your limits. Also I love the camaraderie: it’s like having an extended family, with very peculiar members who inspire you and understand the pain and beauty of this job.
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What are you looking forward to most for this Shuffle?
Obviously I can’t say anything specific about it, but let’s say that I love researching ingredients and I love people who share my passion for this, and I’m headed to one of the best restaurants in the world for that. So I’m looking forward to studying, and spending time with an exceptional crew.
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What’s your message for the guest Gelinaz chef who will cook at your kitchen?
My sister Cristiana and the Reale brigade are very excited to have him/her and he/she will be staying at Casadonna, the monastery where I live and work: so I hope he/she will have a great time and most importantly I hope he/she will fall in love with Abruzzo.
