The age-old debate about Michelin stars for pizzerias wearily resurfaces every year. But this time, there's a twist: with her focus on grains and leavened products, Aurora Mazzucchelli has reclaimed her historic macaron, charting a new course.
Cover desktop photo: taken from the website project of European Authentic Taste
The award
The story of the Mazzucchelli siblings, Aurora and Massimo, is intriguing. In the Bolognese region, where fine dining has always struggled, they held the Michelin star continuously from 2008 to 2021, with an offering as successful as few. Then came COVID, bringing a change in format that has fully absorbed only now, with the official restoration of the lost distinction.
Aurora, what exactly happened in recent years?
There was a change, as always, it needed to be processed. We ourselves became more aware. For me, this is the star of awareness: the new project had to be understood, even by us, and in the guide, I found the patience and willingness to engage with the innovation. The temporary pizzeria started in the summer of 2021 due to COVID, but soon we realized we didn't want to become just another gourmet pizzeria.
Perhaps, we ourselves had somewhat overused the leavened aspect, fueling confusion. With Massimo, we wondered what project we wanted to pursue and retraced the phases of our cuisine, realizing how it could be combined with grains and leavened products. Then, in recent times, we made things clear. Let's say it was a project in progress, and since there was no format to copy, we gained experience gradually. Michelin monitored the situation and eventually understood that it was a restaurant, not a pizzeria. We kept all the guides informed of the ongoing changes, that Marconi would have stopped, and Casa Mazzucchelli's offering would be different. Perhaps consistency and honesty paid off.
Did you expect this recognition?
Not at all, this time even less than before. Maybe we hoped the inspectors would come to examine the project, but until the last moment, when they called my name, I doubted. Instead, the heart started beating again.
Where does pizza stand now?
We haven't made it for a while. But alongside my historic dish of eel with caramelized shallots and tamarind sauce, there's now focaccia. We serve borlengo with mantis shrimp, preserved lemon, and peanut sauce; sourdough ravioli filled with chickpeas and garnished with wild herbs. In the various stages, some confusion arose, especially in expectations. So, we started to separate things more and more clearly, focusing more on grains than on pizza.
How has the clientele experienced these changes?
We are happy; new people have come, and curiosity has been fueled. Then there are loyal customers, perhaps lost sight of in the turmoil, and now we hope to find them again. Certainly, the star helped a lot; many articles came out, and the phone hasn't stopped ringing. But our guests, when I go out to greet them, are as happy today as they were in the past.
Plans for the future?
Hold on and stay focused. Today, the most urgent problem is finding staff because we want to add more details, provide consistency to the work, and a few more treats.
After this experience, do you tink it's fair for the Michelin Guide not to reward pizzerias?
I can say that the world of pizza has evolved, and many pizza makers do good work, researching the product. There are professionals who deserve to be rewarded, regardless of individual guides.
