L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano " It might sound like a bischerata, as we say in Tuscany, but even the paper we wrap the schiaccia- ta in comes from Florence; and imagine, the pecorino cream is still made by my father. I am deeply commit- ted to recreating every detail of the original shop." The schiacciata Tomma- so Mazzanti tells me about is a Tuscan specialty, a type of focaccia baked in the oven and seasoned with olive oil and salt, one of the most tra- ditional and ancient street foods you can find in Tus- cany. The original shop he r e f e r s t o i s A l l ' A n t i c o Vinaio, opened by his par- ents in 1989 in via de' Neri, in the historic center of Flo- rence, where the 35-year-old entrepreneur was born and raised. Here, he inherited the f a m i l y b u s i n e s s , a s m a l l rotisserie located along one of the most famous streets in Florence, renowned world- wide because it connects the Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio with via De' Benci, a n d a l l t h e w a y t o S a n t a C r o c e . F i l l e d w i t h s h o p s , bars, and trattorias, it's a neighborhood frequented by tourists but also by locals. Managed by his father, Daniele, from its inception, Tommaso took over the busi- ness in 2006, transforming it from a place where one could order a glass of wine with a sandwich, a crostino, a piece of cheese, or some salumi into a venue where the lines to order his schiacciata are even longer than those for the Colosseum. Following this success, M a z z a n t i h a s o p e n e d 2 8 locations across Italy, includ- i n g M i l a n , T u r i n , R o m e , Naples, Forte dei Marmi, and B e r g a m o . O p e n i n g s i n Barcelona, Paris, and Madrid are scheduled for 2024. His catchphrase, "Look how it smokes," referring to the steam rising from the freshly cut schiacciata ready to be stuffed, has become a trend on Instagram and TikTok. S i n c e 2 0 1 4 , A l l ' A n t i c o Vinaio has been the most- reviewed eatery in the world on TripAdvisor. The American expansion b e g a n i n 2 0 1 9 w h e n J o e Bastianich, known from Masterchef and as a promi- nent restaurateur, suggested T o m m a s o o p e n a p o p - u p store in New York. This tem- porary venture was a hit, bustling with patrons for a month. Following this suc- cess, the duo decided to open their first permanent store near Times Square, leading to three additional locations i n N e w Y o r k , o n e i n L a s Vegas, and another in Los Angeles. After establishing the first Californian spot on t h e b u s y A b b o t t K i n n e y Boulevard in Venice Beach, a s e c o n d l o c a t i o n w a s launched in Koreatown on March 29. Tommaso shared, "We are now working on our third site in Beverly Hills, which is currently being ren- ovated. We aim to open it b e t w e e n S e p t e m b e r a n d October. For 2024, we have plans to inaugurate another 11 outlets across America. My g o a l i s t o h a v e n e a r l y 2 0 locations in the United States by the end of the year. We already have plans for Miami and are looking at Houston, N a s h v i l l e , A t l a n t a , a n d W a s h i n g t o n . M o r e o v e r , w e ' r e s e t t o e x p a n d i n t o Toronto, Canada, by year's end." Tommaso, I must ask: what's the key to such worldwide success? I believe our clientele is d r a w n t o u s f o r t h e h i g h quality of our sandwiches: the ingredients are fresh and strictly Italian. Furthermore, I think customers come seek- ing a slice of Italy, an experi- ence akin to what one would find there. This is perhaps the most rewarding aspect for me because you don't see lines going around the block for a simple sandwich every day! Y o u r m e n u d o e s n ' t c a t e r t o l o c a l t a s t e s , which is usually a com- mon practice with Italian food abroad. Was this an intentional decision? I n d e e d . I t m a y b e t h a t some people are unfamiliar with schiacciata or finoc- chiona, but we're here to educate them. My top priori- t y i s e n s u r i n g A l l ' A n t i c o Vinaio remains authentic. Even our "Top 5" menu is the same as in Florence. In fact, I've brought our bakers here to teach the local staff how to p r e p a r e t h e s c h i a c c i a t a properly. What's in this "Top 5"? The "Top 5" is the menu I created 15 years ago with my p a r e n t s , a n d i t h a s n ' t changed since. It includes the Summer sandwich, which is a classic Italian sandwich with Tuscan ham, mozzarel- la, fresh tomato, and basil. T h e n w e h a v e f o u r different schiacciate. The Boss, which is my favorite, is made with Tuscan ham, Tus- can pecorino, and truffle. There's the Dante, dedicated to the 750th anniversary of D a n t e A l i g h i e r i ' s d e a t h , m a d e w i t h c a p o c o l l o , s t r a c c h i n o , t r u f f l e , a n d arugula. The Inferno sand- wich is a nod to Ron Howard and Tom Hanks, who visited our shop while filming Infer- no in Florence. It is made with porchetta, spicy cream, and grilled vegetables. And then we have one with mor- tadella, pistachio cream, and stracciatella. This lineup is a classic at All' Antico Vinaio. Y o u r f a v o r i t e , t h e Boss... do you still eat it, or have you had enough o f i t , a f t e r a l l t h e s e years? I eat it almost every day! Just this morning, I had the T o s c a n a s a n d w i c h , m a d e with Tuscan salami, pecori- no, truffle, and sun-dried t o m a t o e s a d d e d t o i t . I always say that I am my first customer and also the most d e m a n d i n g , p r o b a b l y because I put myself in the shoes of someone waiting in line for a schiacciata. What Italian products do you use? We use Tuscan ham, Tus- can pecorino, Tuscan salami, PGI finocchiona, lardo, and many others. All the dress- ings are made by us. Every- thing comes straight from Italy. For obvious reasons, p a r t o f t h e s t a f f i s local. All'Antico Vinaio has a team of 150 in America, so it's not just a simple shop anymore but a growing small to medium-sized business. When did you realize that your approach and its simplicity were truly successful? I t w a s a r o u n d 2 0 1 8 t o 2 0 1 9 . B a c k i n 2 0 1 8 , t h e q u e u e s i n F l o r e n c e w e r e s t a g g e r i n g , r i v a l i n g e v e n t h o s e f o r t h e U f f i z i . W e became a sensation across Italy. Following this, in 2019, I took a leap of faith and opened my first independent location without my parents, in Milan. Not long after, in collaboration with Joe Bas- tianich, I ventured into the United States with our inau- gural pop-up. An employee there was skeptical and said "No one will ever come here, New Yorkers won't queue for Italian food." And then we got a line of a thousand peo- ple that very day. This expe- rience reassured me that All' Antico Vinaio had the poten- tial to transcend the confines of Florence. W h a t ' s t h e g r e a t e s t compliment you've ever received? The most touching com- pliment came to me recently during a new opening. Some- one said, "Your journey is the e p i t o m e o f t h e A m e r i c a n dream but with a distinctive Italian flair." All'Antico Vinaio opens its second location in Los Angeles SILVIA NITTOLI It's a busy day at All'Antico Vinaio's new location; left, Consul General Raffaella Valentini pays visit to the eatery in Koreatown on the day of its opening (Photos: Silvia Nittoli) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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