Nothing against tradition. Indeed: it is the basis for Marco Visciola. At Marin di Eataly, this young cook who loves his land is rewriting one of the most underrated kitchens in Italy, with lots of sea on his plate. And pleasant designer touches: here they are
Making one contemporary regional cuisine in addition to technical skill and knowledge of history, it requires a fair dose of madness. The custodians of the (often fake) truth are ready to impale progressives, always citing Tradition. This happens mostly in those regions where there are no flagship restaurants that even if they focus on creativity, at least manage to move the system. There Liguria it is one of these, poor in starred places for a long time, and substantially little suited to changes, not only in terms of cuisine. A shame considering the validity of the products (fish, oil, vegetables are the first that come to mind), the historicity of some recipes – the focaccia and the savory pies are there to confirm it – and the pleasant contrast between seafood and land cuisine, which is the most interesting. This is why what a young chef – from Liguria, this is important – is doing, does not go unnoticed Marco Visciola at the Marin, Eataly's restaurant on the Porto Antico. Curiosity: the sign bears the name of the breeze that crosses the Maritime Alps and reaches the Langhe, the beloved land of the Farinetti family.
He worked in Korea
Son of Bogliasco, 35 years old, Visciola entered the Eataly world at just 22 years old. He worked with Fabrizio Tesse and Enrico Crippa, moved to Korea to open and manage the Seoul office (an experience which he considers essential) and returned to Italy. A couple of years in Turin and in 2011 here he is at the Marin, first alongside Enrico Panero and autonomously since 2016. Little by little he built his vision of cooking, linked to tradition, but with a new gear. "I love this land and its products, and I am lucky enough to work with a lot of instinct and intuition thanks to the experience that, from an early age, I was able to live following the teachings of my grandfather cook: he transmitted to me a memory of the ingredients that is very important for my work explains Visciola, whose family continues to produce oil. The place is in tune with the idea: the light enters through the huge windows from which you can see the Porto Antico, the large ships and Renzo Piano's bigo that seems close at hand. The beautiful tables, the essential and refined mise en place, the hospitality make you forget in a few minutes that you enter through the shelves. Eataly's shops and restaurants. It's not a drama, sure that a direct entrance from the port would be the final touch of class …
Great reinterpretation
Visciola interprets the culinary symbols of the territory very well. Ultimately, only the focaccia (round in any case and not rectangular) is faithful in taste. Instead, a good part of the card hides behind familiar names the pleasure of a light, precise reinterpretation, without prejudices. We mention only a few dishes, so as not to spoil the surprise: Tortelli stuffed with pesto, creamy potatoes and green beans; Capponmagro 2.0 (complex, with many innovations starting with vegetables that are not pickled, but fermented, in the Korean way); Finanziera from the sea where the fifth quarter of fish that remains in the kitchen is used, with separate cooking and a substantial addition of snails. But the chef also knows how to paint on white canvas, separating himself from tradition, as in the case of Sepia (marinated as lard and accompanied by fennel) or Spaghetti Martini where the olive and the Taggiasco gin interact perfectly with the caviar. Fantasy and technique, with an oriental rigor as found in Fried in two servings (one part in flour and the other in tempura) that immediately wins over.
Local winery
Two tasting: eight freehand proposals (80 euros) and Fuoco (minus Liguria and flavors of embers mostly at 65 euros) with the possibility of choosing three or four dishes from the menu. All accompanied by a cellar where along with the Pigato and Vermentino series labels, there are also surprises from Levante and Ponente. Trust the good sommelier. Moral: hats off to the Farinetti family who chose this guy for the restaurant in the Porto Antico. The Gran Mercante Oscar, famously, considers Ligurian cuisine as one of the best ("if not the best") in Italy, so he couldn't go wrong. And they say the quotations on Genoa and Liguria by Fossati, De André and so on, over the open kitchen, let it be his sack flour. Very credible.
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