Florence: the first Caritas restaurant open to the public at Villa Vogel. With chef Andreoni

FLORENCE – The new restaurant has just been inaugurated Le Torri Center at Villa Vogelpromoted by Caritas Solidarity Foundation of Florencewhich already manages one of the city canteens here at lunchtime: it is the first Caritas restaurant open to the public, where it is possible to taste pizzas, burgers, first and second courses and street food from Thursday to Sunday starting from 7.30pm.

The menu is prepared by the chef Gabriele Andreoni together with the historic chef of the Foundation Carlo Mazzola: a great chef who, after years of career in renowned kitchens, has chosen to put his art at the service of the less fortunate. They are in the kitchen and in the living room helped by volunteers and people who benefit from the services of the structures of the Florentine Caritas Solidarity Foundation: minors from reception centres, students from hotel schools who already with their teachers collaborate with the city canteens, pensioners, girls who are carrying out their civil service and the year of social volunteering at Caritas in Florence, young people with disabilities. The idea is to entrust the preparation of bread and focaccia, once the green light has been obtained from the judicial authority, to a former baker who is a beneficiary of the alternative measures to detention, welcomed into the Il Samaritano house of the Foundation.

“It’s a dream come true, in the footsteps of Danilo Cubattoli [il mitico Don Cuba] And Ghita Vogel who donated the structure to us. We are happy that the first evening was a success: it was an emotion both for the diners and for the people in the kitchen and in the dining room” comments Vincenzo Lucchetti, president of Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas of Florence.

“Le Torri is a very beautiful space, with also an outdoor area; we decided to open it to the city, with a restaurant, pizzeria and street food business. It is an important project, both for the people who will come to us to eat and for the people who will work there” concludes chef Gabriele Andreoni.

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