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A SECRET IN MILAN

A Marìencò recipe for The Meraviglia

FEBRUARY 2024 - TASTE

In Via Ampola there is a small door, surmounted by a wrought iron semicircle surrounded by flowers, a mailbox, a lock, an intercom. Play. Once we cross the threshold, a world of dreams becomes reality, we enter a real space, made of intimacy and family warmth. Giulia welcomes us, Giuseppe is already at work. She’s preparing a recipe for The Meraviglia. 

The space is a labyrinth of magically furnished rooms with sky-high ceilings. Every detail is meticulous and refined in its simplicity. 

There is a walk-in closet full of white garment racks, each with a handwritten tag to identify each tablecloth, as if it were a sartorial collection. There are several rooms with long tables and cozy seating, shelving that neatly exhibits the tableware collections; One room holds dozens and dozens of wicker baskets of all shapes. 

There is an inner courtyard, where the sun always shines, and where wild strawberries and herbs grow. It is the secret laboratory of Marìencò, a private event venue and exclusive creative space, where Giulia and Giuseppe, children of the founders Marinella and Lele, have chosen to meet us for an all-round interview about their work.

The best way to learn is to see someone at work and observe every detail The best way to learn is to see someone at work and observe every detail
The best way to learn is to see someone at work and observe every detail The best way to learn is to see someone at work and observe every detail

If we go to the origins of Marìencò we cannot fail to mention Mamma Marinella who began her cooking business by taking over a Ligurian cuisine trattoria in Milan. It was called “Al Genovese” and it was a historic place, famous for its genuine cuisine, which we could define as “home”. Subsequently, the trattoria was transformed into a haute cuisine project, recognized in the gastronomic world for the quality of its dishes and the unique way of preparing them, obtaining a Michelin star. Today, Marìencò’s hospitality consists mainly of cooking, the design of the table design, the design/construction of events and the arrangement of flowers. It was the customers themselves who suggested the evolution of the business in this sense, says Giulia. For example, some customers would say: “My daughter is getting married and I would like to have your dishes”, rather than “I want to have a baptism with your refreshments…”

 

So once the restaurant closed, Giulia and Giuseppe focused all their activity on this idea, initially taking a small workshop in San Gottardo, and then this building in Via Ampola in 2007, a stone’s throw from Fondazione Prada. A need for space because Marìencò’s collection of plates, vases, glasses, tablecloths is truly remarkable. And the funny thing is that there was no intervention by architects to make it an event space, but it was kept as it was. I liked this “unfinished” aspect, of great charm. The scouting of furniture began in Paris, in European furniture fairs, such as Maison & Objet in Paris, flea markets, niche vintage shops. In addition to this, the Marìencò family is lucky enough to have many family friends who are architects and designers with special pieces (Rina Menardi to name a few). People are key to fueling an idea.

Source IG @mariencomilano

Now let’s talk about cooking with Giuseppe, a young family chef who has a gastronomic empire made up of refined ingredients and tasty recipes. “I’m self-taught, but the best way to learn is to see someone at work and observe every detail. The dishes I prepare today, in a way, resemble the ones I used to see Mom do at the restaurant, and I’m a person I watch a lot. Maybe the preparation techniques I use are more modern techniques, which I have studied a lot, but the recipes are the same. As far as Table Setting is concerned, it is not only me who conceives the idea, but there is a continuous dialogue. The style we adopt is not elegant in the sense of “pompous” in the old-fashioned way, but looks to modernity and simplicity. We have our own way of looking at the table.” And Giulia adds: «It is true that we do tailor-made work, but in any case our offer is filtered by our aesthetic eye, even if in general we try to meet the customer for all his needs and make him participate. It is not an imposition of our taste, we have a style that is recognized to us, which is also our strength. » If they were to define it you will not find a univocal idea, it is not purely Nordic or French, but not even classical. Simple, decent, artisanal and no-frills.

 

Giulia deals with communication but also with the commercial side and takes care of the relationship with the customer, from the development to the organization of the event. In the kitchen with the chef they reach up to a dozen.

 

Giuseppe chose to prepare a recipe in the key of The Meraviglia and entitled it: Magnolia Pumpkin and Lobster. He explains to me that there are inevitably connections between tastes. Everyone knows that basil goes well with tomatoes, shellfish go well with flowers and roses. And if there are no roses in March, flowers are changed. Just before spring, magnolias bloom, which have a taste that is half reminiscent of rose and ginger (when pickled) and so Giuseppe chose to use magnolia for The Meraviglia recipe, because the construction of the dish started from the idea of using preserved flowers.

Photo by Francesco De Marco ©
Photo by Francesco De Marco ©

“The magnolia petals that I put in brine I then placed on the lobster as if it were ginger, of which they take the flavor, and they served to give that extra note of spiciness and flavor to the dish. From here I then thought about the color palette and added the surrounding elements in harmony with the crustacean, such as the Dashi broth, created by taking the seaweed, put in cold water overnight, dehydrated two days. Once all the water is removed, what remains is the essence of the seaweed. This seaweed salt is used inside a handled butter, which is great for thickening sauces, along with so many other hidden ingredients we use such as miso bread… These ingredients in my opinion go very well with magnolia, as well as rhubarb. With this ingredient I created a veil of fermented rhubarb on which to place the lobster on the plate. All finished with drops of pumpkin oil. And here we are with Pumpkin, Magnolia and Lobster. It’s a dish I’ve been working on for a while. »

 

A truly unique result, the dish is inviting, colorful and spring-like. To which must be added the choice of the right ceramic. Depending on the season, there are different services, depending on the period, ad hoc dishes are offered, at Christmas there are colors on gold, in spring something more colorful. The mise en place also gives added value to the dish, enriching the composition of a whole.

 

Giuseppe still remembers one of his first experiences in the kitchen as a chef. It was cooked for a hundred people in the countryside. There he felt the responsibility and thrill of the first time. Unforgettable. The best aspect of the job, according to Giulia, is to look at the result achieved from the outside. He remembers a dinner organized in collaboration with two interior designers who created chairs, tablecloths and napkins, all made of jeans… at first it was perplexity, but then, adding grandfather’s silverware, the “Wonder” effect was immediate.

Source IG @mariencomilano
Source IG @mariencomilano

At Marìencò there is also a splendid garden of strawberries and plants, which perhaps will soon have a different purpose, perhaps as an area of free flowers and aromatic herbs. The key to success is undoubtedly also the relationship with suppliers. Giuseppe insists a lot on this theme: “For the search for local, small and independent suppliers, every time is different and it is an adventure.

 

«Thinking about cooking, a dish that amazes me is certainly something that has an element that is “different” from the others, but that does not necessarily try to be different at all costs. It can be something done a hundred times in the kitchen, but done in a deeper way, it’s not a wow effect. An aspect that may seem trivial, but is significant. For me, it’s the result of talent and knowledge. I don’t think it comes out of nowhere, from a flicker of brilliance and that’s it. Wonder is something you build, it’s not fireworks. »

 

For Giulia, on the other hand, the Wonder is dedication, “that final sensation in admiring the result of your work and makes me say: ‘we thought it through’.”

 

Giulia and Giuseppe are attentive to every question but don’t want to reveal too much. They prefer to create real relationships. The place is private, it is not public, it means that in order to enter someone must reveal himself, show himself, and must also be in tune with a genuine way of absorbing ideas. All that remains is to organize a visit to Via Ampola to discover its hidden wonders with your own eyes.

by Alessandra Busacca
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