he managed the Piccolo Biffi in Udine for 50 years

Catello Ingenito managed the Piccolo Biffi pizzeria in Udine.

In the heart of Udine, for five decadeswas the protagonist of local catering as the undisputed face of the famous Pizzeria Piccolo Biffi in via Poscolle. Born under the sign of the sun of the Amalfi Coast in 1937, but transplanted to Friuli since his youth, Catello Ingenito passed away on the morning of Monday 6 May, at the age of 86.

The name “Little Biffi” resonates in the culinary imagination of Udine, named in homage to the renowned restaurant of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. It was he, together with his wife, who open the historic pizzeria in 1961: he had arrived in Udine at the age of 23 and had worked for some time at the Moretti brewery in Piazzale XXVI Luglio, where he met the woman who would become his wife, Teresa. Right with her, he decided to give life to what has become a historic city venue.

Over the decades, they have managed the place with passion and dedication, also involving their children Lorenzo and Manuela in the activity. Catello’s specialty was obviously pizza, that one cooked in the pan, a distinctive touch of Piccolo Biffi. In 2011 the Ingenito family handed over the reins to Diego Giordano, the current manager.

Ingenito left a tangible void in the Udine community and in the hearts of his loved ones: his wife Teresa and his children Lorenzo and Manuela. His funeral will take place Thursday 9 May, at 4pm, in the parish church of Colloredo di Prato, his wife’s home town.