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Zafferano & Co. Friends: Chef Michele Baldacci


Bio

As a child growing up in Florence, I was constantly in the kitchen. My entire family

would have lunch and dinner together every day, and I was always there, helping my

mom cook and plan the menu for the next day.

On my father’s side, my great-grandfather had a restaurant in Florence and my grandfather was also a chef.

On my mother’s side,my grandparents moved to the Florentine countryside when they

retired. Here they started harvesting olive trees and grapes. They had rabbits, hens, ducks

and a big vegetable garden.

Most of my memories as a child, in a way or another, are connected to food.

I remember my Grandpa Guglielmo going to the fish market in Viareggio and buying

Telline: a small clam-like shell with thin, long and very delicate valves. It was caught by

fishermen along the beach using iron nets that looked like cages, dipped into the sand and

pulled manually. They were sold in small clear plastic bags and, once at home my

Grandpa use to put them in a washbowl with salted water. After a while the shells would

open and start to spit water all around. That made my day.

I started my professional career at La Tenda Rossa, a two-star Michelin restaurant in the

heart of the Florentine countryside. However, wanting to focus more on the traditional

rustic food of my childhood rather than formal fine-dining, I soon started working at

Buca Lapi, the oldest and most well regarded restaurant in Florence.

After opening Locanda Vini & Olii as chef and working there for 5 years, I returned to

Buca Lapi in 2006 to re-immerse myself in the culture and cuisine of my native Tuscany.

Now back in New York City, I am focused on bringing my love of rustic Florentine

cooking to the heart of my menu. From tripe to chicken livers, seasonal produce to

simply grilled and braised meats, my re-inspired menu proudly displays the food and

culture I know and love.

Company - Restaurant: Locanda Vini & Olii

Location: Brooklyn - New York

 
 

 

Sponsored by


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