CARRARA. Inside the restaurant Little man from Bedizzano there’s a lot to do, everything inside is in order, lobster-coloured curtains on the windows and an easy mise en place on marble tables like the flooring itself. From the outside you can see the comings and goings of the restaurateurs who arrived at the restaurant shortly before d’s arrivali Alessandro Borghese, around 1pm. The rain in Bedizzano did not dampen the desire of some citizens to be immortalized with the celebrity, some tell us they came from the villages downstream to see their idol, others traveled a few kilometers further. Truck drivers pass by and honk and wave in welcome to the chef.
Chiara from the Al Fienile tavern tells us that there is no tension between colleagues, there is an atmosphere of healthy competition without low blows: «In my opinion it is going well, as restaurateurs we have 4 different personalities, ours is traditional with a revisited cuisine, our strong point is truffled eggs. We are all happy and calm. Carrara is responding well and we are always in solidarity with each other. We love each other, we will all make a good impression. When we opened in the morning, we noticed that the condensation had formed a heart on the glass of the kitchen window. It must have been the ghost Angelone is happy too, he’s rooting for us.”
You can probably imagine that some of the competitors wanted to test one of their specialties, such as the truffled egg. From 10.30 the operators of Borghese’s staff are on site to prepare the set at Ometto, some parts of the recording take shape outside the venue under the eyes of part of the public who, as expected, ask for photos with Borghese and offer appreciation . Like a boy in the crowd who shouts the chef’s name and he replies: «Come on, I’m here».
This is Ben Moussa originally from Morocco, exactly from Kenitra, married to Martina Nacchini, creator of bracelets inspired by Carrara ways of saying. In this case he tells us he wants to donate a creation of his wife, a blue and yellow bracelet, accompanied by a quote in Carrarino such as: “Cos’ t’vò”, or what do you want. “To Alessandro with affection” quotes the note inside of the gift for Borghese, he replies that he will give them to his daughters and thanks with a smile. Then it’s the turn of a kindergarten teacher with some children for photos, the chef greets everyone and resumes with the recordings.
Last stop
Today (Thursday 28th) the last venue in the competition: Ciccio. Registration will end here. Then the wait for the outcome of the match: some say it will be the same evening today, and some say tomorrow or Saturday.
Social praise
Meanwhile, Alessandro Borghese’s post on the city was much appreciated: «Carrara, egalitarian and free! On the border between Tuscany and Liguria, embraced by the Apuan Alps, home of Aronte, looking towards the coast. A meeting between sea and land, between poor recipes and local excellences: stuffed muscles, tagliatelle in beans, marinated cod, rice cake and the famous Colonnata lard! The city of white gold and with a history so ancient that it is carved in stone… or rather, in marble!
