At Borgobrufa, an elegant resort with a spa just outside Perugia, Andrea Impero continues to push the boundaries of his cuisine, rooted in the essence of Umbrian ingredients through a personalized interpretation.
Portraits and dishes by Lido Vannucchi
The chef and the resort
An author? According to Latin etymology, he is one who makes something grow (augere). It is with this spirit that Andrea Impero, originally from Ciociaria, took the reins of food at Borgobrufa almost five years ago. After experiences at Taverna del Capitano, Don Alfonso, Quattro Passi in London, and Can Fabes by Santi Santamaria, while working as the chef of Maritozzo in Moscow, he decided to embark on a project to revamp the food scene at Borgobrufa, a charming resort just outside Perugia.
"When I arrived, the establishment was still closed for renovation," he explains. "So, first and foremost, we developed a closed-door dining project that exclusively used small local productions. We conducted a thorough search in the area, creating a network of about fifty producers who supply almost all the ingredients for the two dining venues."
Quattro Sensi is the restaurant for the resort guests, working exclusively à la carte, without banquets. Then there's Elementi Fine Dining, born right after Covid and slowed down by circumstances. It officially opened in March 2022 independently, in a dedicated space. It offers two tasting menus, which have evolved over time: the Visione journey and the Ispirazione journey, consisting of 9 and 10 courses at 100 euros, plus 60 or 70 for possible pairings."
The fine dining Elementi and Andrea Impero's Menus
"Visione stems from the intention of bringing my interpretation of the region to the table: not being Umbrian, I have a unique perspective. It's about exploring the small but immense region in its microzones. So, small producers and many curiosities, perhaps unknown even to the Umbrians.
Ispirazione, on the other hand, draws inspiration from my professional experiences, dreams, and projections into the future. The ideology remains maximum sustainability in the use of raw materials, evoking dreams and memories in the guest, thanks to historical and cultural insights that may also concern Ciociaria or Rome. For example, Roman-style gnocco, broccoli and arzilla soup, or sweet and strong starna, inspired by the meeting with Carlo Giusti, who has a vast agriturismo and hunting company, an immense natural reserve where he helps wild species reproduce, safeguarding populations."
Elementi accommodates a maximum of twenty guests, available Thursday to Sunday only for dinner (at least for now). The wine list, curated by restaurant manager Martina Pallante along with Domenico Scotto, maître and sommelier, features about 500 mostly national labels, expanding internationally with many Champagnes and some natural wines. However, the focus remains on Umbria and Campania, the two best-represented regions. The glass pairings are well thought out: wines, herbal teas, cocktails, beers; for example, the iconic Cannara onion spaghettino in cryoextraction is served with siphoned vermouth to enhance the sensations.
The dishes
From the Visione journey comes the Tegamaccio, a reinterpretation of lake fish soup by Impero, featuring eel as the main character. It's the only native species in the lake, while other fish have been gradually introduced, and it is still available in excellent quality thanks to the fishermen's cooperative. Processed with a yakitori approach, without betraying the tastes of the region, filleted, marinated in soy sauce, and lightly grilled over charcoal for a subtle smoky flavor, it is served on a pureed lake fish soup with perch, tench, carp, and shrimp, very intense and concentrated.
"Colpa d'Alfredo'' is a journey dedicated to Alfredo Angeli, breeder of the famous Orvieto belt pig, worked here in its entirety: four different dishes, so the table is generously arranged for a moment of conviviality. There's the slightly seared loin with bacon, bone sauce, and fermented chestnuts, of which the pig feeds; the small intestine, made of the innards that in Umbria were left to dry and smoke in the fireplace, fried and served with marinated apricot, another pig food; the spiced chocolate blood sausage with dipping pan brioche; at the center of the table, to be eaten with hands, a handkerchief plin filled with Umbrian cicotto, a historical recipe made of piglet shanks, ears, snout, liver, lungs, all the scraps of pork that, when cooked in the lard in the turned-off wood ovens, become very tender.
Or the Torello alla perugina: "A somewhat neglected dish that I managed to taste from Valentino Gerbi's mother at Etrusco Carni. Essentially a veal tonnato that didn't make it, prepared with a roasted silverside with giblets and chicken livers, which ultimately become sauce, to be served warm or cold. I use Etruscan fatty ox, a cut just seared and another braised, without vacuum packaging, with vegetables, capers, and offal: the mousse that will be served with the braised."
From Ispirazione menu comes Cogliere, which takes inspiration from the work of the Il Fauno company's foraging on the Aurunci Mountains. They gather everything: herbs, flowers, resins, lichens, moss, and also create kombucha. This results in about twenty spontaneous elements of the moment served without cutlery, with a dressing of flower vinegar, fermented lemon salt, and different type of oils to be picked on the menu, plus a highly hydrated bread kneaded with Aleppo pine resin, with an intoxicating forest aroma, for an immersive experience strengthened by the woodland scenery; paired with kombucha.
On the other hand, "La zia" takes inspiration from a Roman memory when young Impero found a broccoli and arzilla soup in the pantry, which he didn't like. "Then I discovered that it had a great story behind it. I use the preserves line from our agricultural company, where each variety of broccoli is jarred differently: fermented, pickled, in oil, stem or paté, in the idea of deseasonalizing the menu because each recipe requires careful study. First comes the bowl with the elements of the soup, carrot, celery, onion, orange peel, and melissa, with hot arzilla broth that prepares the stomach; then the steamed fish fillet, as simple as possible, with different vegetables."
Finally, "Dolce è viaggiare" draws inspiration from the collective of all collaborators: it includes 4 different desserts on plates bearing national flags, from the Austrian Sacher to the Russian Medovik, the French Galette des Rois to the Basque cheesecake, to our sfogliatella. All shared for the simple taste of conviviality.
Address
Ristorante Elementi
Via del Colle, 38, 06089 Brufa PG
Tel: 349 753 8102
