Piero Pompili is the charismatic manager of the Al Cambio restaurant in Bologna; with a career marked by dedication, he embodies the soul of the modern restaurateur, and his story is an example of passion, sacrifice and love for gastronomy.
Born in San Benedetto del Tronto on January 1, 1975, Piero Pompili moved to Emilia Romagna in 1994 to study business and economics, but his path was to take a completely different turn. In February 1996, at the age of 21, he met Arnaldo Laghi, chef at Osteria Numero Sette, who would become his partner and mate.
Over time, his palate became more refined and his passion became an obsession. In 2003, he launched the blog The Reluctant Gastronome (in honor of Ruth Reichel), using the pseudonym "Muccapazza28". He quickly became famous, hosting signatures from chefs and critics who would go on to become popular. After four successful years, he decided to close down, feeling the need to leave behind the excesses of the web.
Every monday the couple visits the best restaurants for dinner, starting with San Domenico in Imola, where Piero was fascinated by the elegance of Gianluigi Morini. This experience deeply influenced him, and when he arrived at Al Cambio in march 2016 and took over its management, he dedicated to him the unmistakable double-breasted tailoring that still distinguishes him. A special moment, considering that for two years prior to this, he had been caring day and night for his buddy, who was diagnosed with an incurable disease that forced him to sell everything and stop working.
In april 2018, when his soul mate died, he decided to disappear from all social channels for a year, until 2019, to regain all that life had taken away from him and to make his guests feel as special in the dining room as he had felt when he visited and attended legendary eateries. So many satisfactions since then: last year the whole brigade flew to Tokyo to create a 100% bolognese menu for 500 people, commissioned by the italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan. One of the dreams Pompili would like to realize in the future is to organize an evening at the White House with Matteo Poggi's workhorses. After all, in May 2024, the New York Times listed his lasagna as one of the 25 best primi in Italy, declaring the restaurant an international destination and him Bologna's last great host.
