Born in 1984 and a member of Euro-Toques Italia, German Scalmazzi has helmed La Rotonda on Porto Recanati’s seafront since 2007. His low-temperature cookery and dishes such as the “Black in Black” octopus‐and-potato have made him one of the most compelling voices on Italy’s Marche coast.
Born in Rosario, Argentina, raised in Civitanova, and trained as a chef in Porto Recanati, German Scalmazzi attended the hotel management school in Loreto while working seasonal jobs in Trentino. Internships under Michelin-starred chef Mauro Uliassi and periods spent in London and France taught him rigor, seafood techniques, and international openness.
In 2007, at just 23 years of age, after meeting his future wife Sara Pandolfi, he became chef at La Rotonda, the chalet-restaurant opened in 1962 by Sara's family, who is now maître d'hôtel and sommelier.
Here, German showcases the daily catch from the Adriatic with precise cooking techniques and seasonal ingredients. His cuisine is recognizable in dishes such as “Black in Black”—grilled octopus, potatoes in charcoal, and vegetable bread crumble—the idea being that the restaurant is part of a supply chain that includes farmers and fishermen. Both activities are internal to the family business, with fields and boats owned by the family to make the most of the local area and stretch of sea.
Scalmazzi's philosophy is “continuous improvement”: contemporary touches, but always rooted in the scents that evoke childhood by the sea. Each dish aims to evoke intimate memories through direct flavors (anchovies, beach herbs, citrus fruits) and presentations that remain etched in the mind's eye.
A lecturer in masterclasses on low-temperature cooking and a guest at regional show cooking events, he shares techniques for reducing waste and respecting the supply chain and the rhythm of cultivation and fishing in the Marche region.
