L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano S tarbucks executive chairman H ow ard Schultz recently cred- ited Italy with inspir- ing two of the most pivotal moments in his profes- sional life. The firs t w as in 1983. Schultz, at the time director of retail operations and marketing at the original Starbucks roast- ery, traveled to Milan and saw first-hand the significance of Italy's es pres s o cu lture. H e returned to the Northwest con- vinced he could create a similar environment in Seattle. He later left the roastery and founded Il G iornale, w hich w ent on to acquire Starbucks in 1987. The rest, of course, is history. The second epiphany hap- pened nearly 30 years later. In 2010, Schultz, again in Milan, visited the boutique bakery of Rocco Princi and was blown away by the quality and taste of Princi's baked goods. "I had never experienced such quality baking," Schultz said. "Rocco Princi is an artisan who, at an early age, discovered a love of bread making and through deter- mination, as well as an obsession for finding the perfect ingredi- ents, has created an Italian food experience that I think is unpar- alleled." It took Schultz six years to convince P rinci to come to America. That dream was real- ized last November when Star- bucks installed a Princi bakery inside Starbucks' first Reserve Roastery on Seattle's Capitol Hill. Now, the Milanese master baker has gone one step further to bring "lo spirito di Milano" to Seattle. On July 31, the first stand-alone Princi café in the US opened on Westlake Avenue, just north of downtown Seattle. Starbucks has a licensing and investment deal with Princi that will lead to two additional stand- alone bakeries in Chicago and New York later this year, and S chu lz envis ions more than 1,000 stand-alone Princi cafés opening in the years ahead. The locations will not carry Star- bucks branding but will serve the company's Reserve coffees. Unfortunately, for the time being, Seattle's Princi café is surrounded by several blocks of massive development and gritty construction, about as uninviting a location as one can find in S eattle. P edes trian s have to dodge bulldozers, skirt cement trucks, and walk around con- struction flaggers just to cross the street. But once inside Princi, the hubbub of Seattle dies away. The space is chic, stylish and brightly lit, with a large black-and-white RITA CIPALLA First stand-alone Princi cafe finds a warm welcome in Seattle cious patio. Although not at its peak right now—the patio backs up to yet another construction pit—a small city park is sched- uled to be installed in the space later this year. For now, a hedge of fragrant rosemary plants are in pots surrounding the outdoor seating space. In a press release from Star- bucks , S chultz prais ed the Milanese baker. "The attention to detail, the care invested in selecting the right ingredients and the artistry of preparation is second only to the service Rocco offers customers into his Princi stores." Rocco Princi seems pleased to be part of the Seattle scene, bringing his passion for hand- crafted food and artisanal baked goods to the Pacific Northwest. "I am excited and humbled that the people of Seattle will now be able to experience our food," Princi said. photo of founder Rocco Princi prominently displayed at the front of the store. Delicious pas- tries, tempting tarts and other baked items are beautifully arranged in squeaky-clean dis- play cases. Behind the pas tries , on shelves running the length of the room, are crispy round loaves of bread with PRINCI stenciled in flour on the top of each one. They are joined by lightly floured ciabatta, s quares of focaccia and breadsticks. Fresh basil plants run down the center of the long communal tables, and soft jazz is playing in the background. "When you first walk into a Princi bakery, you're hit by the energy, the theater, the smell," said Christian Davies, Starbucks vice president in charge of the company's creative global design. "Your first impression is the abundance and seduction of food. That's what we're trying to create with a distinctly Italian look and feel to bring that pas- sion to life." Princi's interest in baking goes back to his teenage years, when he apprenticed to a baker. At the age of 21, he opened his first bakery in Villa San Giovan- ni. With his slogan of "hot bread all day," his bread was a huge hit and he soon outgrew the space. In 1986, he moved to northern Italy where he eventu- ally opened s ix bakeries in Milan, followed by one in Lon- don's Soho neighborhood. At Princi, customers have a choice of select menu items along w ith the baked goods which are available all day long. The breakfast menu includes steel-cut oats with Italian jam, baked eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, or breakfast sandwiches with prosciutto and fontina. At lunchtime, there's a changing assortment of soups, sandwiches and pizza. The food uses ingre- dients supplied by small-scale Italian chees emakers , char - cutiers and other producers; fresh ingredients are said to come from local markets. Most breakfast and lunch items are priced in the $6-$10 range. But the real fun is after hours when Seattle residents can get a taste, literally, of a traditional Italian aperitivo. At Princi's Bar Mixato, baristas will shake, stir or blend up a Rocco P rinci- curated cocktail ($14.50 each). Beer, wine and spirits are also on hand, and happy hour drinks are accompanied by complimen- tary small plates filled with Ital- ian delicacies , s uch as aged Parmigiano Reggiano or Cerig- nola green olives. Customers can enjoy their drinks perched on one of the tri- legged wooden stools at the bar or take them outdoors to the spa- Rocco Prici at work (Courtesy Starbucks) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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