Very attached to his land, after the Molfetta hotel management some experience in hotel restaurants he returned to Trani. Here in 2011 with the three brothers (pastry chef, head nurse and sommelier) he opened the Quintessence restaurant, awarded with the Michelin star in 2017 and this year classified Best of the best (best restaurant in Italy) from Tripadvisor. The name evokes the mysterious fifth element, the ether or rather the vibrant "atmosphere" which according to the chef is a very important strength for a restaurant. In fact, to make the experience of a meal in a relaxed, intimate and almost family environment even more evocative and enjoyable, Stefano has just moved to the center of Trani, in an enchanting seventeenth-century building.

The spa of haute cuisine
A place of all-round well-being, almost a haute cuisine spa, which required an accurate and very delicate restoration. Because, explains Stefano, “you cannot ruin what the ancient inhabitants left us. Just as it is not good to waste (perhaps due to the chef's excess of protagonism) the work of talented farmers, breeders and fishermen who offer excellent ingredients ". His cuisine, in fact, is focused on the simple processing of products that are born a few kilometers from him. As the son of farmers, Stefano knows about raw materials and with his father he is thinking of cultivating one new olive variety to expand the range of oils that embellish his dishes. Like herb rice, salted lemon and sea urchin; buttons stuffed with oyster, leeks and potatoes; marinated amberjack with tomato and beetroot or beef steak with green beans and potato. And finally, the "farmer's breakfast": extra virgin olive oil biscuit, ricotta ice cream and fruit sauce. All in the name of genuine lightness.