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stop!

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Using Michelin-Starred Chefs as a benchmark for international Communications

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I have been gone, dear Reader. I have been with the Chefs. I have been following them, organizing them, studying them. And I have learned a few things that I think I need to share with you now.

I am back to communicating for myself again. By the way, these are not in order of importance.

1. Going out to dinner with the chefs is SUBLIME. They are FUN. They CHOOSE! They ORDER ONE OF EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS INTERESTING! They are not picky. They sniff, they devour. They get excited, they squeal with joy. I LOVE EATING OUT WITH the chefs. My favorites to eat with from this trip were: Chef Aira Piva and Chef Maurizio Lazzarin. Bless you for going veggie with me.

2. Looks matter. Pay attention to detail. Make things beautiful.

3. Have you ever seen anyone really love what they do? Chefs are happy when they are cooking. Giorgio Giambelli was my Italian mother. Walter Potenza too. They love feeding people.

4. An invitation into the kitchen is the highest compliment. Thank you, Chefs, for letting me in!

5. Take pride in your uniform. My chefs Salvatore Bianco and Pasquale Palamaro even wore their chef jackets to a RADIO interview. I loved that!

6. Communication is fundamental. The briefing meeting with the staff. The photos of the food. The website. The press materials. The conversation with the people eating the food. Yes, even food must be communicated to have a rich and full effect.

7. If you use the products from your territory, the food is authentic. I learned that from an interview with Marco Sacco. He also encourages you to use a wooden spoon when you make risotto. He says the grains of rice don't like the sound of metal on metal any more than we do (that was during a master class he taught).

8. You can't make good food with bad ingredients. I learned that from Igor Macchia.

9. You can strip a food down to it's elements and discover flavors you never knew were hidden in there. I learned that from Niko Romito and his Artichoke upon Artichoke experiment. I also learned from him that making something simple can take a lot of time.

10. I learned that food should be full of surprises. That was from Maurizio and Sandro Serva. They surprised me with an egg inside an artichoke. Blew me away. Rosanna Marziale has surprises coming out of balls of buffalo mozzarella (campana dop!!).

11. Good chefs plan ahead. They are organized. They are calm. I noticed this in Lionello Cera. Enrico Bartolini does not cook with a watch, he told me. Instead, he moves with magnetic calm. You just want to follow him.

13. I learned from Claudio Sadler that rice al dente is preferable to overcooked. That goes for pasta too.

14. Chefs love to hang out together. Their restaurants may be competitors, but that doesn't change anything. They eat each other's food. They visit each other. They cheer each other on. There is comraderie there. I loved hanging around with the women Michelin-starred Chefs: Rosanna Marziale, Patrizia Di Benedetto, Antonella Ricci (Ok, Vinod, too, even if he is not a girl), Marianna Vitale. You girls rock!

Makes you want to be a chef. And if you can't do that, at least document them in some way.

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I have been gone, dear Reader. I have been with the Chefs. I have been following them, organizing them, studying them. And I have learned a few things that I think I need to share with you now. I am back to communicating for myself again.

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Blog Tips

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Lisa Larter

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Social Media Marketing | Strategic Planning | Business Coaching and Consulting | Author and Speaker

Content is the secret sauce, the missing ingredient when it comes to most people's social media strategy.

If you are trying to turn connections into leads, and leads into customers, content is the number one way for you to establish credibility and increase awareness, visibility and engagement in your business. If people do not know you, like you and trust you, they won't do business with you.

Your content is the best way for people to learn about you online because, let's face it, most people Google you and check out the content on your website before they make their first point of contact.
Some of the challenges you might face are:
"I don't know what to say."
The best way to approach creating content for your business is with a plan. <---TWEET THIS! "Why would anyone want to read my blog."
* Bonus, take a highlighter and go through the content and pull out quotes and or tweets you can use as sound bites on social media. "How can I make it more interesting and of value to people?"CONTENT is the strategy behind online success. YOUR content is the secret sauce to creating online success
<- TWEET THIS!
"What should I write about, when should I write it and how do I get people to know I exist?"
Why should you spend so much time and effort on content? Because content is what people interact with on social media. It is the first impression they get of you when they land on your website and it is the key to building your list so that you can increase sales.

Most people overlook content because it feels overwhelming.

Want to know the secret? Here it is...

Here are Seven Simple Steps to Turn One Piece of Content Into Five:

1. Make a list of 10 questions clients ask you about your business.

2. Have someone interview you and ask you those questions, and be sure to record the interview. Your first piece of content is a recording of the interview.

3. Send the recording to someone and have it transcribed.

4. Have the entire transcription edited into a special report or eBook and offer it as a piece of premium content in exchange for an email address so you can build your list. Be sure to brand it nicely so you make a great first impression (I like KillerCovers for this). This is your second piece of content.

5. Next, take the transcription and break it into ten sections based on the ten questions you started with. Now, you have ten blog posts or a ten-day training program you can set up as a free offer. This is your third piece of content and allows you to get into your potential customer's inbox ten days or weeks in a row - which is kind of awesome, right?

6. Then, take the content, open up a PowerPoint presentation and create slides for each chunk of content. Use this as the basis for a free webinar offer where you basically read your transcript and walk others through your presentation. This would be your fourth piece of content.

7. Record the webinar using some type of screencast software (Camtasia, QuickTime Player Pro, etc.) and offer a recording that people can download and watch on their own. This is piece of content number five.

Do you ever wonder how some people have created so much success online and wish you could do the same?

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by creating content, it's ok. You are not alone and, I have a gift for you that can help.

Just go to www.lisalarter.com/contentgift and download this free ebook to get started creating your content plan.

Social Media Marketing | Strategic Planning | Business Coaching and Consulting | Author and Speaker

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7 Simple Steps to Creating Great Content

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Content is the secret sauce, the missing ingredient when it comes to most people's social media strategy. If you are trying to turn connections into

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Fiat Ad

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Heros and Gurus

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Heros and Gurus

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Robin Sharma.com - One of The Top Leadership Experts

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Robin Sharma is one of the top leadership experts in the world. His work is embraced by rock stars, royalty, billionaires and many celebrity CEOs. With over 15,000,000 books sold, clients such as Starbucks, Nike, GE, The Coca-Cola Company, NASA and Microsoft are using his leadership methods to drive real growth + top performance.

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Malcolm Gladwell/Ekman

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You are here!

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My Thoughts Exactly!

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Fluency Soup

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Top stories in the U.S. and world news, politics, health, science, business, music, arts and culture. Nonprofit journalism with a mission. This is NPR.

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Do you want to be seen as a social media leader in your industry?

Is content marketing part of your strategy?

Providing valuable content to your audience can help you stand out on social channels.

In this article I'll show you six ways to raise your social media influence with content.

Listen to this article:

Listen now: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | Google Podcasts | RSS

#1: Target Readers, Not Buyers

Marketers hear a lot about the importance of a buyer persona, but have you ever considered creating a reader persona?

A reader persona describes a person who may never buy anything from you, but wants to read and share your content. Targeting reader personas is just as valuable as targeting buyers, because it extends your reach-and that's what being an influencer is all about.

For example, online store experts AmeriCommerce created an infographic about the history of web design. Not only does this content appeal to someone setting up an online store, but it also attracts a larger audience of people with a general interest in how web design has changed.

In the tweet below, AmeriCommerce targeted huge influencers in the web industry to help give their content further exposure.

Use your understanding of your reader persona to create the content you need to expand your social media influence.

#2: Make It About Your Niche

No matter what content you create, keep it tailored to your niche to set you apart.

Whether you specialize in sales, design or marketing, you want to be the go-to person in that niche. You can help establish yourself as an influencer in your field by creating valuable content that people can learn from.

In the tweet below, GoPro highlights their niche: the cameras they sell. Every post includes a striking image taken with a GoPro camera. Not only do these visual posts help push their product, but the eye-catching images also appeal to a wider audience.

Take the time to adapt your social media updates to your niche.

#3: Create a Keyword List

Whether you're sharing a blog or posting a tweet, keyword research can help you optimize your content to build a large following.

There are plenty of web tools you can use to find the best keywords for your content. One of my favorite platforms is Topsy. This tool lets you analyze keywords side by side to find the most popular one.

The graphic below is an example of keyword research using Topsy. It compares the keywords content marketing, B2B marketing and social media marketing. The graphic makes it easy to see social media marketing was the best-performing topic for that day.

Keyword research is a great way to make sure you're creating content that reflects what your audience is talking about. Once you've narrowed down the most popular keywords for your audience, don't forget to use them as hashtags to target your personas.

#4: Find Out What Your Audience Wants

On average, B2B marketers use 13 different types of content. Your best strategy is to focus on content your audience likes to consume.

BuzzSumo is a great platform for finding top-performing content. Also, do your own research and monitor the responses you get from different types of content.

Keep in mind that your audience may just like one type of content. For example, Nike uses a simple but effective content approach. Their social feeds are filled with quotes and images, inspiring their followers to #justdoit.

The more you understand what your audience wants to see, the more success you'll have.

#5: Use Data to Add Value

Many successful influencers use data in their content to reinforce the points they're making. Data educates, adds value to a piece and gives the reader something to take away.

An infographic is a valuable tool to use in this instance. It presents data in a visually appealing way, making it inherently sharable. If you create an infographic, make sure you tell a story and think about your niche.

Check out the snippet below of an infographic from Wyzowl about the rise of video as a valuable marketing tool. Sharing this data in an infographic is more effective than a written post, making it a content type people will want to share.

Adding relevant data to your content is a great way to increase the value you deliver.

#6: Engage With Your Followers

Engaging with your audience is a crucial aspect of becoming a social media influencer. Engagement helps show off the personality behind your brand and demonstrates that you care about what your followers are saying.

A great way to engage with your audience is to ask questions that relate to the content you're posting. You'll build brand awareness and invite people to engage with you.

Ford has mastered the art of engaging with their audience. In the tweet below, Ford asks their Twitter followers a question, as well as invites them to submit a photo of their car, which builds brand awareness.

Find the best ways to engage with your audience on social media.
Conclusion
The biggest takeaways are that your content needs to be tailored to your niche, offer value and, above all, engage your followers.

Becoming a social media influencer takes time, dedication and nurturing, but the results are worth the effort.

What do you think? How do you use content to boost your social profile? Do you have any more tips that offer further insight into how to use content to become a social media influencer? I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

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How to Create Influential Content With Social Media

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Do you want to be seen as a social media leader in your industry? Is content marketing part of your strategy? Providing valuable content to your audience can help you stand out on social channels. In this article I'll show you six ways to raise your social media influence with content.

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The Sustainable Value Report provides a description of the strategies and practices illycaffè adopts in order to ensure sustainability in all of its various meanings: economic, social, and environmental.

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Communications Benchmark

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Hi,

I'm Dima Sharif,

A Dubai-based Food Artisan & Author of award-winning cookbook 'Plated Heirlooms'.

Welcome to my home online, where I share with you my culinary journey, recipes and a shop offering my specialty artisanal goodies, called 'Mooneh'.

Enjoy & let me know if you need any help!

"Food unifies us as human beings, because food is a story, our collective memory and collective sustainability over the many centuries that we have lived on earth. Food is our history, our continuity and our collective voice. Food is the message from those before us, and our message to those after us. Nothing therefore, is more precious than our collective Plated Heirlooms. This is exactly why I find food to be marvelous and why I chose it to be my medium of expression." - Dima Sharif

Which brings me to you

At a very young age, I was very fascinated by all things food and was always around my mum in the kitchen when she cooked. As the years passed, I got busy with a whole lot of other things and so the kitchen was no longer something I was interested in.

In fact, during my teenage and early adult life, I refused to cook or learn cookery despite my mother's constant request to teach me. At that age, I thought I don't want to be one of "those women stuck in the kitchen"! I thought of cooking as conforming to a gender role, which I am totally opposed to.

However, as I grew older and a little wiser, I decided that everyone has the right to choose what they like to do, and just because I am a woman who wants to live her life fully did not necessarily mean I should not cook. That understanding changed my life and eventually connected us here.

"Always keep a lookout for basic recipes that are open for your interpretations. Then have your say with those recipes to own them." Dima Sharif

"We learn from the basics, we build on them then we fly once we have mastered them, and that is when we start creating. So make sure to invest your time in the good basics. That is all you need to do to own your kitchen."

Dima Sharif

"SHOP" - VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE & BUY ALL DIMA SHARIF PRODUCTS THERE 🙂

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UAE-based Food Artisan, Author of award winning cookbook 'Plated Heirlooms', Owner of food brand "Dima Sharif" and Founder/Managing Partner of MOONEH FOODSTUFF SUPPLY SERVICES LLC. This is Dima Sharif's home online where she shares recipes, articles, videos about all things food, culture and travel & an online shop.

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A Fabulous Bash in celebration of the official launch of the Italian Cuisine World Summit 2014. #ItalianCuisineWorldSummit 2014 officially launched at Rixos The Palm, Dubai. A gala party the Italian way, where Italian Michelin Chefs, local and international Food Celebrities, Italian gourmet food brands, Fashion Designers as well as Italy's favourite Swing Band, Opera Singer and Pianist all gathered to celebrate the official launch of the summit.

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Throughout November 2014, Dubai hosts the 6th edition of the Italian Cuisine World Summit, the most important appointment in Dubai celebrating high end Italian cuisine. Over 40 Master Italian Chefs, among whom are over 25 Michelin starred chefs, will take over the city's most upscale Italian restaurants, making Dubai during this event the most star-studded culinary heaven.

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A chat with Italian Michelin Chef Niko Romito*** (Italiano & English)

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Chatting with Michelin Chef Niko Romito about his food philosophy and how an originally economics student, with a heart set on being a broker, turned into chef only to become Italy's best!

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Cultural Mediation

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What Kids Around the World Eat for Breakfast

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Parents who want their kids to accept more adventurous breakfasts would be wise to choose such morning fare for themselves. Children begin to acquire a taste for pickled egg or fermented lentils early - in the womb, even. Compounds from the foods a pregnant woman eats travel through the amniotic fluid to her baby.

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Why Americans Drink Cappuccino AFTER Dinner

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Why Americans Drink Cappuccino AFTER Dinner

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A true story

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Dear Italians, I want to share a little story with you. I hope this will help you understand where we are coming from a little better.

Once upon a time, before Starbucks came to every block in the United States...

there was a small town along the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin called Racine. In the olden days, if it was your grandma's birthday you went to the fanciest place in town, the Corner House, for Prime Rib. Now, you Knew this was a Fancy Supper Club because even grandma got a "Cocktail" before dinner there. And by "Cocktail" I mean anything with Brandy in it, because that is the main ingredient in cocktails in Wisconsin. Gramma Jeane, never banal, had a "Dry Burbon Manhattan on-the-rocks-with-a-twist," however. This can be used as a tongue twister by those too young to actually drink them. In fact, from a young age, we practiced rattling it off fast, many times in a row while drinking our "Kiddie Cocktails" as we pulled the marascino cherries off the plastic sword resting on the rim of our glass with our teeth. Good times, people, when servers were called "waitresses" and "waiters". Earth tones reigned and the lighting can best be described as "amber".

The other context clue that indicated you were in someplace special was the timing of the Coffee. At the Corner House, you ordered it AFTER you finished your Soup, Prime Rib, potato any way you like (except for fried, which is not sophisticated) which meant baked with sour cream, and salad with cottage cheese or, alternatively, spinach salad with hot bacon dressing.

Yes, coffee came after supper and the server would come back 4 or 5 times for a "warmer" while you sat around talking because no one was chasing you out to serve the next group of eaters (another fancy restaurant "thing").

THEN SOMETHING MAGIC HAPPENED!

I think it was around 1988.

THE CAPPUCCINO MACHINE ARRIVED.

This revolutionized Fancy Dinners FOREVER!

This large and noisy machine did make EXPRESSO (which is what we still call it), of course, but who would drink that crap? Too small for $1.75, no free refills and by the time you put enough sugar in it to make it drinkable it was a sludgy mess. And there seemed to be some sort of unwritten rule that said you were not allowed to put milk in it, so it was to be avoided.

CAPPUCCINO (when you said this word the heavens used to open up and the angels would start singing from on high) was another story.

It was still $1.75 and there were no refills, either. But it was DELICIOUS! Who KNEW that froth could taste so good? Is that a hint of COCOA in there?? Paying once for it just made it all the more CHIC and fancy. Again, a once a year affair.

Flash forward. We can get cappuccinos anytime we want now... but when we come to Italy, something special happens. We bounce back to high school and OUR FIRST CUP OF CAPPUCCINO. It is magic. We want to drink them all day because we can. And we do.

And who can blame us. Full with dinner or not, the Cappuccino tastes really good. It is like dessert for us. Yum.

I have lived here for many years now, but I do not judge my fellow Americans when they order a cappuccino after dinner. I even recognize the micro-expression the waiter elicits at the order. It is a mix between an eye roll and a wink of physical pain. But then he or she remembers that you are Americano or Tedesco, and they find it in their heart to forgive you.

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Why Americans Drink Capuccino After Dinner

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Dear Italians, I want to share a little story with you. I hope this will help you understand where we are coming from a little better. Once upon a time, before Starbucks came to every block in the United States... there was a small town along the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin called Racine.

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A little self-marketing never hurt anyone, right?

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With all new things, you start and just don't notice the details. They escape your attention. Your eye doesn't know where to look. I felt that way when I learned to drive in Italy after 16 years of driving in the States. The stop lights were in the wrong places. While at home I was trained to look ahead for the signals, in Italy I had to look at the painting on the ground more, and stop lights are in line with where your car actually needs to stop in the road. So you may have to look ninety degrees to the right to see whether it is red or green. At some point, however, I knew where to look. It was about the time I understood how long the car was and how wide, so that parking became (relatively) easier.

The same is true (trust me on this one, I know it's a stretch) for languages. At first you learn the basics, and it is sort of exciting, until it gets frustrating. That is the moment when you realize this is going to be harder than you thought. Then we get angry, blame our teachers for not being very good, or not being this or not being that (it's always the teachers' fault, isn't it?). Most people stop here, when learning becomes uncomfortable. We have the feeling that all of the time and energy we put in (years of classes in some cases) were for nought. We don't understand a thing. We can't talk. Hmmmph!

Some people do not give up, though. They get determined. They realize that they need to have more contact with the language so that it can become more familiar to them, so they start to recognize expressions, speak them little by little until they get to the point where they understand most everything and can express what they want to say.

Here is what those people do.
1. They have patience with themselves and are confident the language will one day "make sense" if they just stick to it.
2. They create their own world with that language at the center.
3. They put their phone and other devices into the target language.
4. They make any t.v. watching deliberate and in the target language.
5. They watch movies with audio and subtitles in the target language and don't care if they do not understand. They know this is normal.
6. They listen to talk radio in the target language. They look at it as an exercise in intonation and musicality. They do not try to understand.
7. They read at least ten minutes a day OUT LOUD in the target language. Understanding is not important.
8. They speak the target language with anyone they can as often as possible. They do not worry about making mistakes. Sometimes they find a buddy to speak with.

Little by little the language becomes less gibberish. They start to understand little expressions, they can say things at certain times. The few things they say are understood. That gives them courage to continue.

These people understand that it is necessary to go through the period of not understanding before we get to the period of understanding and that is okay. They start to have those magic CLICKS of understanding. Sometimes they are big, sometimes they are small. But they happen.

Learning a foriegn language takes time, but it is one of the greatest feelings of pride and satisfaction that we will ever feel.

And if you think you are too old to learn a language, it is not true.

I learned English at birth.
I learned French at age 17.
I learned Portuguese at age 25.
I learned Italian at 30.
I am trying to learn Slovene at 40.

The process never changes, but with each new language we relax a little more and mind less feeling like a kid again. We even become more creative with how we express ourselves. Oh, I forget my languages sometimes. They do come and go depending on how much I use them, but they are still there and wake up when I really need them. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

My advice. Don't wait. Give a new language a try.

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With all new things, you start and just don't notice the details. They escape your attention. Your eye doesn't know where to look. I felt that way when I learned to drive in Italy after 16 years of driving in the States. The stop lights were in the wrong places.

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What are micro expressions?

Micro expressions are facial expressions that occur within 1/25th of a second. They are involuntary and expose a person's true emotions. They can happen as a result of conscious suppression or unconscious repression. These facial expressions are universal, meaning they occur on everyone around the world.

Why are micro expressions important?

Everyone flashes micro expressions and no one can hide them. Reading micro expressions is the key to enhanced emotional awareness and deception detection. Learning to spot micro expressions gives you an edge in any social situation.

Who can learn to read micro expressions?

Anyone can learn to spot concealed emotions with proper training. Dr. Ekman, the world's expert on emotions, created seven training tools to teach you how. Now you can join ranks with agencies such as the CIA, Scotland Yard, Pixar, Apple, McKesson, and more.

Understanding Micro Expressions

All around the globe we express the same seven universal emotions. They include: anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, contempt, and happiness. Learn the universal language of micro expressions to gain insight into the world of emotions.

Spot concealed emotions

When someone conceals an emotion, "leakage" often occurs on that person's face. In other words, micro expressions often flash across their face without their knowledge. Most people do not recognize these important clues, but with Dr. Ekman's tools, you can learn to spot them.

Improve your emotional intelligence

The face provides a universal system of signals in the form of facial expressions. These expressions reflect the real-time fluctuations in a person's emotional state. Learning to read micro expressions helps you recognize feelings in yourself and others.

Enhance your relationships

Improve your ability to recognize others' emotions to increase your connection with others. Research has found that people who can spot micro expressions are liked more by co-workers.

Develop your capacity for empathy

When you recognize others' expressions you become more sensitive to their real feelings. You also become more skilled at distinguishing whether certain emotions are being concealed.

Understand others

Dr. Ekman's research shows that we often miss facial expressions when they contradict what someone says. When you learn to recognize micro expressions, you can spot the discrepancies between what you hear and what you see.

History of micro expressions

Haggard and Isaacs were the first to describe micro expressions in their study of psychotherapeutic interviews. They first referred to them as micro momentary expressions. They explained their appearance as the result of repression. Haggard and Isaacs also implied that these fleeting expressions could not be recognized in real time. However, Ekman and Friesen later showed that with proper training anyone could learn to see micros as they occurred. Ekman and Friesen also broadened the explanation of why micros occur.

In 1967, Dr. Ekman began to study deception. He started with clinical cases in which the patients falsely claimed they were not depressed. These patients later committed suicide when not under supervision. When patients' films were examined in slow motion, Ekman and Friesen saw micro expressions which revealed strong negative feelings that the patient was trying to hide.

Micro expressions happen when people hide their feelings from either themselves or others. Importantly, both instances look the same. You cannot tell from the expression itself whether it is the product of suppression (deliberate concealment) or repression (unconscious concealment).

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Micro Expressions | Facial Expressions | Paul Ekman Group

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Micro expressions are facial expressions that occur within 1/25th of a second. They are involuntary and expose a person's true emotions. They can happen as a result of conscious suppression or unconscious repression. These facial expressions are universal, meaning they occur on everyone around the world.

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"There's a flip side to everything," the saying goes, and in 2 minutes, Derek Sivers shows this is true in a few ways you might not expect.

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Niko Romito è sbarcato con Spazio a Roma all'ultimo piano di Eataly.

Non è il ristorante Reale, tre stelle Michelin, ma il figlio nobile dell'avventura imprenditoriale di questo chef abruzzese che ha realizzato CasaDonna a Castel di Sangro.

Spazio è un ristorante format che nasce dalla scuola di formazione di Niko Romito. Prima a Rivisondoli (sua base naturale nei locali di quello che era il Reale), poi a Salina e ora a Roma.

E cosa prevede questo format?

Lo dice il manifesto affisso prima del menu (ma se siete impazienti, potete andare subito al come si mangia e quanto si spende).

1. Giovani cuochi

2. Materie prime d'eccellenza

3. Formazione

4. Passione

5. Ricerca

6. Prezzi contenuti

7. Novità

8. Itinerante

L'idea di base è la semplicità. La capacità di semplificare senza banalizzare. Sembra facile, ma per catturare l'attenzione di Roma e dei turisti che sono in transito sul nodo Fiumicino - Ostiense ci vuole qualcosa oltre la promessa di un ottimo rapporto qualità - prezzo.

Niko Romito non vi offre un liofilizzato del Reale ( per gustarlo al momento dovete per forza arrivare in Abruzzo), né un succedaneo, ma un percorso diverso. Qui mangiate il seme piantato da un giovanissimo chef di cui tra qualche anno potreste sentire parlare perché ha conquistato una stella Michelin. Spazio è una nave scuola, in pratica, in cui voi siete cavie privilegiate. Perché potete chiedere tutto di un piatto che vi sarà spiegato con dovizia di particolari dai giovani chef.

È l'asso nella manica di un progetto che annulla tra l'altro uno dei malesseri della ristorazione italiana denunciati insistentemente da molti protagonisti: la scarsa rilevanza della sala nei processi di affermazione di un ristorante. Ad ascoltare alcune voci, è necessario rifondare per intero un comparto che si è ripiegato su se stesso sotto i colpi di show cooking e programmi tv. Esisterà mai più un giovane che vorrà diventare cameriere invece che chef?

Una dicotomia che Spazio azzera in questo luogo che diventa una sorta di Stoa Pecile della ristorazione italiana. Gli chef escono in sala e la loro professionalità si fa liquida, ibrida, sostenibile. Prendono le comande e raccontano, spiegano inalando il sentiment della sala che elaborano in cucina. Si creano dubbi e si confrontano con i giovani colleghi che invece hanno nella sala il loro punto di riferimento e il futuro lavorativo.

Una squadra giovanissima diretta dall'esperienza di due trainer che stanno riscrivendo i sistemi di tutoraggio: Gaia Giordano in cucina e Enrico Camelio in sala. Due "vecchie volpi" che indirizzano e risolvono dubbi. Gaia Giordano è al 100% sul progetto Spazio. Enrico Camelio è docente all'istituto Pellegrino Artusi, consulente tecnico per la sala di ennemila ristoranti e funziona da sportello lavoro con suoi ragazzi impegnati al Noma, alla Pergola, al De Russie, a Dubai, Londra e Sidney.

Cosa vuol dire in concreto per uno chef passare dai fornelli alla sala? Lo spiega un piatto del mio percorso: Pane e cioccolata. Un nome che a molti richiama la morbidezza di una merenda a base di crema spalmabile. Invece, a Spazio troverete un dolce che si odia o si ama. Contrasto del cacao al 70% con l'acidità del pane imbevuto nel lemon grass e menta e con i morsi dolci dei fichi secchi. Lo propongono guardinghi, quasi lo sconsigliano e dopo l'assaggio spiegano perché quel risultato. E modificano atteggiamenti e ingredienti senza intermediazione.

Sia chiaro che sono attrezzati anche per non essere invadenti ed evitare che una cena diventi una lezione di gastronomia non richiesta. Anche se i ragazzi imparano dal vostro imparare.

Come si mangia e quanto si spende da Spazio?

Benissimo soprattutto se si guarda al rapporto qualità - prezzo (e detta tra di noi affrettatevi perché non so per quanto tempo i prezzi potranno restare così bassi). Antipasti a 13 €, primi piatti a 12, secondi di carne e di pesce a 15 (quelli che potrebbero più facilmente cambiare), dolci a 8 €.

Dopo l'entrée di alici fritte con crema di pecorino profumata di limone e menta, ho assaggiato due antipasti.

Ottimo il consommé di cavoli con centrifugato di sedano e mela. Quattro tipi di cavolo (romano, siciliano, cappuccio e nero) in un brodo con salsa di visciole e aceto di bella freschezza. La cucina "povera" dei nostri giorni.

Super il manzo marinato 48 ore appoggiato sul pane e insaporito da due consistenze di salsa tonnata e misticanza. Anche qui attenzione alla soddisfazione con il pane che accompagna benissimo la carne.

Piacione come solo un piatto di pasta ripiena sa fare: Tortello porri e pecorino che ha dalla sua giusta cremosità e spinta verde. Da consigliare agli amanti della "diversamente" cacio e pepe.

Un po' di delusione dal pollo e peperoni, così me lo riassumono. Non per idea o aspetto (la pelle del pollo è "ricostruita" con le patate), ma per il sale fuori misura delle patate che spegne il contrasto con gli spinaci e il caramello di peperoni.

Del pane e cioccolata ho detto e vi aggiungo solo di classificarlo come un quasi dolce.

E a contrasto arrivano le castagnole alla crema (con un po' meno di zucchero delle classiche) accompagnate da un distillato di agrumi e menta. Si chiamavano bombe, ma mi spiegano che i clienti si aspettavano di vedere arrivare in tavola le famose bombe romitiane invece di un'interpretazione del dolce di Carnevale. Cambiato il nome, non cambia l'apprezzamento.

Che ci rimanda a bomba: saranno gli chef che vanno in sala (e cito a Roma anche Kotaro Noda e Dino de Bellis), i professionisti come Enrico Camelio che si dedica alla formazione e al recruiting della sala o gli chef come Niko Romito che, pur con tre stelle Michelin all'attivo, si inventano nuovi formati popolari a salvare la connessione tra cucina e cliente?

O non vi interessa nulla di tutte queste discussioni e in fondo pensate che un primo e un secondo a 27 € e un calice in mescita a 4 € siano una cena da provare al netto di chi porta il piatto in tavola?

Spazio c/o III piano di Eataly Roma. Piazzale 12 Ottobre 1492, Roma. Tel. +39 06.90279240

- venerdì, 23 gennaio 2015 | ore 12:56

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Qualità e prezzo: ottime ragioni per mangiare da Spazio di Niko Romito a Roma

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Niko Romito è sbarcato con Spazio a Roma all'ultimo piano di Eataly. Non è il ristorante Reale, tre stelle Michelin, ma il figlio nobile dell'avventura imprenditoriale di questo chef abruzzese che ha realizzato CasaDonna a Castel di Sangro. Spazio è un ristorante format che nasce dalla scuola di formazione di Niko Romito.

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Michelin Guides ( French: Guide Michelin ) are a series of guide books published by the French tyre company for more than a century. The term normally refers to the annually published Michelin Red Guide, the oldest European hotel and restaurant reference guide, which awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments.

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Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy