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Mark Dallabona: chef at the Stella d’Oro in Soragna (Italy)
| 2009-09-01 By Fabrizio Raimondi La Stella d'Oro is an old inn in the heart of the province of Parma in Northern Italy. Based among the ancient splendour of the town of Soragna, birthplace of Verdi, chef Marco Dallabona provides diners with a culinary journey that takes in all of the magnificent tastes, flavours and aromas of Emilia-Romagna.  © Davide Diprato What is the Stella d'Oro philosophy? The inn has a long history that stretches back to the mid eighteenth century. I had the idea of opening a simple restaurant that could showcase the food of the region but the customers were expressing a desire for more refined dishes. So I then moved towards more creative cuisine, Then I moved to a kitchen a more creative, adding more fish and sea food and reworking traditional dishes in order to offer something more to the clientele. How would you define your kitchen? Classic food, inspired by the region, sensitively reworked, adapted and pared down in a very contemporary way. We offer traditional recipes that are faithful to typical Emilian produce and tastes but we use innovative cooking techniques to lend balance and lightness to the dishes. My menu also features fish quite heavily, as this is what the clients appreciate, particularly sashimi. Who did you get your training from? I was lucky. I had the opportunity to work with great masters such as Gerard Boyer, from whom I learned how to arrange and manage my food and kitchen and George Cogny who I worked for when he was head of the Antica Osteria del Teatro [a very highly-regarded Emilia-Romagna restaurant and something of an institution with the locals].  © Davide Diprato Which dishes are particular customer favourites? Rice Savarin has been on the menu since 2001 and is one of the most popular dishes. It’s served with veal tongue and a dried porcini sauce accompanied by a meatball mixture. The guinea fowl supreme with celery, apples and raisins is a dish that I think expresses my cooking really well. As for desserts, instead we have a variation of the semifreddo that is typical of the Lower Parmense region: Bavarian cheese, boiled eggs, amaretti, savoiardi [a speciality sponge-like Piemontese biscuit similar to lady fingers], with lots of butter and cocoa. Substantial but irresistible. And the wine list? I manage the wine list along with Diego, the sommelier. At the Stella d'Oro we offer many bollicini [sparkling wines], perhaps because they are my great passion. In the past I have received numerous accolades for my broad Franciacorta and Champagne offering. Our cellar now has around 1,500 labels and 250 of these are sparkling wines. Any small obsessions? The vacuum. I am hygiene maniac and I’m obsessive about order and cleanliness. In my kitchen nothing is left on the tables and everything must be cleaned and tidied away regularly and quickly... Any unfulfilled dreams? One day I would like to have a simple trattoria. With just a few options, excellent produce and traditional flavour without unnecessary frills. It was my game plan in life, until I opened the Stella d'Oro ... Pratical informationStella d'Oro - Trattoria, Antica Locanda con Alloggio Via Mazzini, 8 - Soragna (PR) Tel. 0524/597122 . Tel/fax. 0524/597043 |
