GOOD FOOD IS HOME, NOT DEVOTION
Filippo La Mantia, host and cook, talks about his idea of cuisine and of rebirth in the aftermath of the crisis
Aperson’s life is never a single harmonized block of stone, but rather an ever-changing fluid which often slips away from pre-established frameworks and priorly arranged decisions: every human being’s story is – more often than not – colored by a prism having myriad declinations and a single life may hold endless more.
In this unpredictable flow, a person can change skin, fall, change and start over.
This is why anchoring oneself to essential values and to the core meaning of words could be useful in order not to go off course losing track of the destination. Filippo La Mantia is well aware of this. Rather than “chef,” he undeniably prefers to be called a
“host and cook,” which perfectly summarizes his way of seeing his professional mission.
“I have been calling myself “host and cook” ever since 1999; I was basically born with this mindset.
In my opinion, a host must attend to the customer in every phase, therefore welcome it, show the guest to the table, take the order and then go cook, thereafter, serve, bring the bill and show the guest out. It’s a three-hundred-andsixty-degree mission, which I have always adhered to throughout my work experience.”
That is how, as a result, La Mantia brings the meaning of food and cooking back to their truest and most authentic essence: “food is not an experience, it is a daily occurrence and it must be lived as such, as something normal.”
As La Mantia explains very plainly, in recent years, with television and other phenomena related to a chef’s seemingly deified role, the meaning given to food has blown up exponentially, at times in a misleading way. “However, food actually belongs to everyone; it is an essential element. Of course, then come experimentations, diversifications, nevertheless, bottom of the line, what actually matters is that you eat because you’re hungry. In my opinion, people should be able to eat at any time. A cook’s job is to fulfill people’s need to eat whenever they feel like it.” It is no coincidence that cooking is approached as a service; placing oneself at the patron’s full disposal, is a stylistic signature that has always distinguished Filippo La Mantia’s work. It continues to be the single guiding star to his actions, despite the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which have led the chef to the painful decision of closing down his well-established Milan restaurant.
“I have to be honest, closing down my business at the age of sixty has been an experience that has scarred me. For a chef, opening up his or her own restaurant in an extraordinary city such as Milan is the dream of a lifetime. Of course, I do realize that the decision of closing down was not due to a failure on my part or that of my team’s. Up until February 2020, I had a great deal of work, more than I would have ever imagined; the general public loved the project. Sadly, major events,
Rather than “chef,” Filippo La Mantia undeniably prefers to be called a “host and cook,” which perfectly summarizes his way of seeing his professional mission.
brunches and the weekend’s very crowded buffets which allowed for a 1,800 square meter facility to operate at full capacity no longer take place due to the pandemic.”
An unexpected blow which has led to an unavoidable re-evaluation of the journey: “with the first lockdown, especially at the very beginning, we thought this distressing matter would have blown over quickly and that we would have resumed soon. And in fact – between the months of May and October – we had a good run, working a great deal; albeit by abiding to the new governmental regulations in terms of distancing and sanitizing three times daily,” says La Mantia. “The adjustment operations have obviously required considerable expenditures. But at the end of the day, the new restrictions that came about in the Autumn undid everything, leading me to the decision to shut down permanently. From a financial perspective, it had become impossible to keep that sort of facility with a 45% decrease in turnover.” Nonetheless, a setback doesn’t necessarily become a synonym for non-reversible ending. “History has shown us that rebirths occur everywhere,” explains La Mantia with conviction. “Our forefathers have faced wars and pandemics and have moved on; we must never forget that”. The host-cook’s life does in fact take a new turn, as unexpected as it is filled with new opportunities, thanks to the collaboration in a co-cooking experiment with chef and friend Giancarlo Morelli. “Giancarlo has been a friend of mine for twenty years. We have met through our job, and over time our relationship has become extremely strong, almost brotherly. When I closed shop, I was so out of course that I didn’t want to do anything, but then customers began to contact me over the phone; hundreds of them wanted my food at home,” La Mantia continues.
“Whatever happens, in my opinion the most important thing of all is dignity, together with respect for others. We work for people: without patrons we are actors playing the role in an empty theater”
“One day I was having lunch with Giancarlo, and as I was talking to him I professed my wish to reopen for delivery by using the kitchen of a friend of mine who manages a catering business. I mentioned that I had never seen two chefs sharing their kitchen, and that’s why I hadn’t reached out to a colleague. The next day, I got a phone call: it was Giancarlo. He said he had thought about it all night and told me he would’ve been very happy to host me in his kitchen. Thanks to this collaboration I am able to do something for my clients as well as for my team.” And that’s not all, because, in the meantime, thanks to the cafeteria with kitchen “Miscela d’oro” project in Messina (Sicily), what comes along for La Mantia is the synergy with the Urbano family: three generations dedicated to coffee roasting and a brand which exports its blends to 50 countries around the world.
“Miscela d’oro is family, business, work, unity and territoriality. I met the Urbano family two years ago, and ever since then what has begun is a sort of symbiosis, because they are deep into work and passion” says La Mantia.
“It is a family that has made investments with a great deal of courage, and has also had to face a number of obstacles. The restaurant’s design is the creative work of Piero Lissoni, an architect who has set up an absolute masterpiece of architecture and design within 180 square meters. Also thanks to the collaboration of local artisans and the use of materials that are typical of the surrounding areas such as the lava used for the floorings. By combining my concept of food together with the environment, what emerged was a formula that literally conquered the general public despite the current hardships. I call it my ‘perfect project,’” says La Mantia. “Cities must evolve, overcoming jealousies and particularities, and they can do so thanks to these kinds of initiatives: comparison must lead to growth, and Miscela d’oro’s success proves this. It is a gift from the Urbano family to the local community”. The concept of giving and offering to others once again returns. A relentless momentum to do good and have others feel good. “Whatever happens, in my opinion, the most important thing of all is dignity, together with respect for others. We work for people. Without patrons we are actors playing the role in an empty theater. I so miss the stage made of a direct relationship with the customer, and unfortunately that cannot be the same with deliveries”.
In this scenario, attention to detail, and to the products’ quality providing excellence, continues to be at the heart of all. “Raw material is essential. It is the one thing I care about most, and I’ve never approached it sparingly,” remarks the chef. “Extra virgin olive oil must be expensive: inexpensive oils are not good. As far as I’m concerned, dishes must represent tradition, home, family and amusement, because my mission is to make people feel they’re enjoying an excellent home-made meal. My restaurant was, and will once again be an extension of the home, not a place of worship”.
In short, looking to the future is a duty and an intention. Filippo La Mantia is a man who has lived many lives, but does not back down from experiencing more of them. He is willing to get back in the game and start over. “As soon as the time will be ripe, I will dedicate myself – mind, body and soul – to a new project” he promises wholeheartedly.
His experience is at one time also his investment for the years to come.
“I have been working with couscous for the past thirty years; I think of it as extraordinary as it may be used for appetizers just as for desserts and for everything in between. So if I had to choose an ingredient with which to identify, no doubt I’d opt for couscous semolina, as it embodies a series of meanings, from integration to prayer and religion; it is ritual, it is earth, it is hands”.
With those same hands, La Mantia will continue writing his own story, looking to the future with the awareness of the present moment and the support the past provides him; all strengthened by a passionate idea which makes his idea of cooking, and the variations of taste, fascinating and irresistible.
“Food is not an experience, it is a daily occurrence and it must be lived as such, as something normal.” As La Mantia explains very plainly, in recent years, with television and other phenomena related to a chef’s seemingly deified role, the meaning given to food has blown up exponentially, at times in a misleading way.