Rivers of champagne and tastings of French haute cuisine to celebrate the arrival in Naples of Alain Ducasse, the most starred chef in the world, a living legend. Yesterday on the ninth floor of the Romeo hotel two hundred national and international guests welcomed “The Alain Ducasse Restaurant Naples”the new challenge of the lawyer Alfredo Romeo who presented his Romeo Collection of luxury hotels: the next one in Rome, in via Ripetta, within the year, and immediately after, in Massa Lubrense.
A cocktail behind closed doors, by invitation only, preceded by a press conference at 4pm during which Ducasse talked about the project and presented his man in Naples, Alessandro Lucassino, 33 years old, Maremma by birth, French by training with 15 young people at his side, aged between 18 and 30. After 12 years in France he arrives in Naples to «offer Neapolitans a French-Mediterranean gastronomic experience». And among the tastings that accompanied Moet Chandon’s fluet there was the controversial blue crab, in very delicate foam.
On the menu there is red mullet with courgettes, there is Controne white bean and pigeon. Lucassino is slowly getting to know the great agricultural and food heritage of Campania and other delicacies that have caressed the palates of those present. All mini portions as is used in French cuisine and beyond. Alfredo Romeo and the French Ambassador to Italy will do the honors, Martin Brienswith the consul of FLise Moutoumalaya in Naples. Also on the front line is the governor of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca who, “without taking anything away from the great master, Naples has the most beautiful cuisine in the world”. And the Councilor for Tourism, of the Municipality of Naples, Teresa Armato.
The great chefs
To welcome Monsieur Ducasse there were the standard-bearers of haute cuisine from Campania, first and foremost Alfonso Iaccarino, of the famous Don Alfonso 1890fresh from an honorary degree at Suor Orsola Benincasa, a friend of Ducasse for years; then Gennaro Esposito of the Torre del Saracino. With them many other starred chefs from Campania, from Pepper Guide to Marco Caputi, from Lino Scarallo to Paolo Barrale, to Lorenzo Montoro of the Pan Flute of Villa Cimbrone, who came from Ravello to have the Ducasse book he purchased years ago autographed.
From Milan he arrived in Naples, too Andrea Aprea, first chef of the Romeo Hotel in the years 2009-2010. Lots of industry press, Italian and French, but also the Magnificent Rector Matteo Lorito with his wife Francesca Marino, the president of Gambero Rosso Paolo Cuccia, Eduardo Trotta of Palazzo Petrucci.
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