Our chefs
Ask Roberto
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"Signature Pasta" book
to describe himself, and the first word out of his mouth will be Florentine. The second will surely be chef.
Roberto Bernardoni,
Florentine chef and food enthusiast, came to the world of cooking late. In 1977, at the age of thirty one he decide to leave his civil service job in Florence and open his first restaurant Ganino.
Ganino started
as a family business. Soon After Roberto experienced great success with Gianino, he opened LīOsteria delle Tre Penche with his current wife Patrizia.
In 1991 Roberto moved
to California, where he fulfilled, along with other business partners, a lifelong dream of running a restaurant in America.
At La opera caffe,
which is located in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, Roberto continues to offer his public the same traditional Tuscan dishes that won him a following in Florence.
Soon Following La opera caffe
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"Signature Pasta" book
was La opera caffe Bonita, Due to his success in California, Roberto sold his restaurant in Florence, allowing him to put all his efforts into La opera caffe.
Summer brings
spaghetti with saffron, cream and zucchini blossoms. Winter brings rigatony in hearty duck sauce and a mouthwatering osso bucco as well as many of Robertoīs favorite dishes.
"Once a Florentine,
always a Florentine, I may live in California now, but itīs what I learned to eat and cook with my grandmother Alba that defines who I am. For this reason I go back to Florence every six months to rekindle my romance with the flavors and scents of home."
Roberto credits
his grandmother with teaching him to cook, and says it is through watching her that he learned the secret to great food. "Itīs all about maintaining simplicity. Food can become very complicated if you let it.
But, to keep it
simple-to keep it genuine-that takes real experience and talent.
Chef Roberto Bernardoni recommends
Bussotti, Vendemmia 1999
A beautiful blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Sangiovese Exclusively produced in a very limited quality (Only 300 bottles made)
By Romano Bussotti from:
Enoteca Bussotti, in Florence
Try that with our:
- Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
- Agnello Al Rosmarino
- Any of our special game meat on the menu.
