MASSIMO BOTTURA (OSTERIA FRANCESCANA IN MODENA) AND GIANFRANCO VISSANI (VISSANI IN BASCHI) SCORED 95/100 IN THE 2012 GAMBERO ROSSO “RESTAURANTS OF ITALY”. FOCUS – THE “THREE FORKS”

Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana, in Modena) and Gianfranco Vissani (Casa Vissani, in Baschi) were both awarded a score of 95/100 by Gambero Rosso’s 2012 edition “Restaurants of Italy” guide, which gave the two chefs the highest scores in the “Three Forks” category (90/100 and up). Next on the list, at 94/100, Heinz Beck’s La Pergola at the Rome Cavalieri Hotel; then with 93/100 Massimiliano Alajmo’s Le Calandre in Padua, the Iaccarino family’s Don Alfonso at Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, Enrico Crippa’s Piazza Duomo in Alba and Niko Romito’s Reale in Rivisondoli.
Three new entries in the “Three Forks”: the Pellicano in Porto Ercole; La Gazza Ladra in Modica and La Stua de Michil in Corvara (this is actually a return). “All three are no surprise,” say the staff of Gambero Rosso, “since they are all in hotels and the “combination” hoteliers / chefs is excellent”. Three Italian regions, Campania, Piedmont and Tuscany, with three restaurants each, take top “Three Forks” positions, followed by Veneto, Lombardy, Sicily, Marche and Friuli. Lazio took the top awards from “Three Bottles” with three local taverns and Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Lombardy took the top “Three Shrimps” positions.

A rating and a guide that narrate a healthy Italian food industry, which is also trying to adapt to the current economic climate, with numerous low cost solutions even in high-end restaurants and special offers on the menus and wine lists. And the new guide reviews the score in the cellar and no longer evaluates the wine list on absolute number of labels, but on the variety of wines the restaurant offers or even the skill of the sommelier, in order to give an additional service to readers.

Among the special awards, the newest one is in partnership with Moretti Beer, dedicated to the restaurant that has a “Sommelier with an eye to the world of beer”, Giuseppe Palmyra’s Osteria Francescana in Modena. The 2012 emerging chef, Damian Donati, 25 years old at the restaurant Serendepico in Capannori (Lucca), awarded by Gambero Rosso in collaboration with Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino. The best 2012 wine list among the “Three Forks” is La Stua de Michil at the Hotel La Perla in Corvara (Bolzano), while the “Three Shrimps” (for taverns) went to Caffè La Crepa in Isola Dovarese (Cremona). Special prize “Tre Marie” was awarded to women managers at “Three Forks” restaurants: Valeria Piccini at Da Caino in Montemerano (Grosseto); Fabrizia Meroi at the Laite do Sappada (Biella); Lina and Maria Fischetti of Oasis Spori Antichi in Vallesaccarda (Avellino) and Nadia Santini of Dal Pescatore in Canneto sull’Oglio (Mantua).



Focus - “Three Forks” 2012

95 points

Osteria Francescana - Modena

Vissani - Baschi



94 points

La Pergola at Hotel Rome Cavalieri - Rome



93 points

Le Calandre - Rubano (Padua)

Don Alfonso 1890 - Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi (Naples)

Piazza Duomo - Alba (Cuneo)

Reale Castel di Sangro (Aquila)



92 points

Laite - Sappada (Biella)

Oasis Sapori Antichi - Vallesaccarda (Avellino)
Dal Pescatore Santini - Canneto sull’Oglio (Mantua)

La Torre del Saracino - Vico Equense (Naples)

Villa Crespi - Orta San Giulio (Novara)



91 points

Combal.Zero - Rivoli (Turin)

La Madia - Licata (Agrigento)

La Madonnina del Pescatore - Senigallia (Ancona)

St. Hubertus at Hotel Rosa Alpina-San Cassiano (Bolzano)

Trussardi alla Scala - Milan



90 points

Da Caino - Montemerano (Grosseto)

La Gazza Ladra at Hotel Palazzo Failla - Modica (Ragusa)

Lorenzo - Forte dei Marmi (Lucca)

Il Pellicano - Porto Ercole (Grosseto)

La Stua de Michil at Hotel La Perla - Corvara in Badia (Bolzano)

Uliassi - Senigallia (Ancona)