Chef Giuseppe Silvestro talks about his cuisine starting from the origins and innovating each proposal with a creative touch. Together with him the rest of the family, from siblings to parents, to recreate the “home” atmosphere in a beautifully curated sign.
The story
Sometimes it happens that a path is outlined slowly, walking courageously on the journey of life. And it can also happen that suddenly the path traveled no longer makes us excited, but turning onto a hitherto unexplored road, we find what we have always been looking for. This is exactly what happened to Giuseppe Silvestro, chef of Ristorante Silvestro in Monza. “I graduated with a degree in administration, finance and marketing, but I quickly realized that it was not my path -he confesses- I then enrolled at Alma and soon after started working.”
Trattoria del Nuovo Macello and Cracco in Galleria in Milan, and then he met his mentor: Nino Di Costanzo, thanks to whom his love for this profession grew even more. “I love his cooking because he has two Michelin stars, but he makes simple dishes, like "Aglio e olio", "Pasta e patate" - he explains - that's what I want to do as well: take my tastes, ours, and dress them well.” And so, already after his first work experiences, Giuseppe began to pronounce that dream he has always written about in the notes of his heart: to open a restaurant that would bring his tradition, that of Campania, to Monza.
A strong, intense desire that he, together with his family, managed to realize. Twenty covers, a restaurant where you feel good and where the hospitality of fine dining brings with it, however, the pampering of home cooking. And of course this is an added value. At the stove is him, Giuseppe, along with his sister Giovanna and brother Domenico in the dining room. Every preparation starts from memory. “In the Ravioli alla Genovese I find my mother Assunta's cooking in it, or in the Chicken and Potatoes, the mind immediately runs to our Sundays together.”
An inspiring mother, a father who did the construction work at the restaurant, and brothers at Giuseppe's side... Silvestro's restaurant is more than just a restaurant, it is the heart of an entire family. And you can feel that.
The menu
The incipit here at Silvestro Restaurant is a triumph of the sea. Kicking off the dance of taste is the Scallop, a dish capable of enveloping the customer and taking him elsewhere. Beneath the carpaccio is eggplant caviar. To garnish it all, then beef bottom, crusco bell pepper and the scent of paprika and basil. As the second course comes the barbecued oysters, a delicacy that prepares the palate for the wonder of the course ahead. The shellfish open naturally on the barbecue, perfuming everything with a jalapeño sauce, shallots and a semi bisque made with the heads of red shrimp, also on the menu. Because nothing is wasted here at Silvestro's.
The first course is one of the chef's culinary miracles, a dish that winks at the Campanian tradition: "Raviolo alla Genovese". The ingredients? Just what tradition calls for: beef stew, onions, and a very long cooking time. And if the carrots are made a cream, the fatty part of the mantecatura of the classic preparation can be found in the fondue with which it is topped. Flavorful, intense, sweet and sour - a magic implemented by the small onions used, which still have no skin and are very sweet.
Another head-turning first course is then Spaghetto a paranza. “Paranza tends to be fried, but I, together with the fishmonger who helps me choose the best fish, create a bottom.” So redfish, anchovies, monkfish, cicadas, and you name it, they create an incredible flavor that makes this preparation unforgettable.
Moving on to the second courses, to be tasted is the iconic dish of the feast: the Pollo e patate (chicken and potatoes). “When I was in Afragola, we used to have chicken on the spit on Sundays, and the potatoes were cooked in the fat of the chicken, so that it would resemble a rotisserie.” Here on the plate comes a chicken roll, which is made by boning the thigh and stuffing it with wings and livers. Alongside is the ever-present fried chicken, a treat for the palate. Also no less impressive is the Beef, zucchini scapece and hazelnuts, another clear nod to tradition. “Every barbecue in the spring and summer never lacked zucchini and eggplant in scapece.” So this is a course that recalls the pleasure of the first warmth on the skin, the beauty of the lengthening days and with them the cheerfulness they bring. A fresh main course with cream of zucchini, hazelnuts, and wild Piedmontese beef.
Dulcis in fundo, to crown the successful gluttony of this tasting, the Chocolate and Apricot Cake, a classic, always appreciated. So between a layer of cocoa sponge cake, a chocolate creamy and an apricot jam, the most successful spell is enacted: because it is in the goodness of the raw materials and the simplicity of the dishes that the most disarming goodness shines, the one capable of reuniting the taster's palate with the link to tradition and, consequently, to the heart of taste.
Contact
Silvestro
Via Lecco, 160, 20900 Monza MB
Phone: 389 564 9903
