For a restaurant, one of the greatest lifetime achievement is to gain some... stars. Michelin Guide is globally acknowledged as the most authoritative restaurant guide, as it's particularly hard to deserve its highest honour: being awarded from one to three stars, the ultimate level of undisputed quality. And this week in Trieste someone just got a bit brighter than before: the 2021 Italian selection gave an upgrade to Harry's Piccolo, the refined restaurant facing the very central piazza Unità, bringing it from one to two stars.
The news was received with tremendous joy by chef Matteo Metullio and his colleague Davide De Pra, both overwhelmed by the announcement. «Three years ago I made a decision for my family's sake and together with Davide, who's by my side since our time at La Siriola, we set on this path – Metullio said during the online award ceremony – We are business partners, friends, colleagues and this second star is his too. It also belongs to all our staff, all the people who believed in us, first and foremost the owners Alfredo Rubino and Alex Benvenuti, and my family who's always here to support us in such a demanding job».

Metullio and De Pra formerly teamed up in the kitchen staff at La Siriola, a restaurant in San Cassiano (Bolzano) which gained its two stars during their stay there. But then Metullio decided to move back to his hometown, Trieste, in order to spend more time with his family and started working at Harry's Piccolo along De Pra almost two years ago. And the move finally paid off! They got the first star in 2018, when working also with chef Alessandro Buffa.
The Michelin Guide describes Harry's Piccolo as a fascinating and comfortable place, with a relaxing atmosphere, and the two chefs as being creative and highly competent. As Metullio and De Pra say, theirs is a “chilometro vero” cuisine (literally “true kilometer”, in contrast with the recent trend of “zero kilometer” meaning ingredients only come from the surrounding area) in a constant quest for quality. One of their signature dishes is the "Harrysotto”, a very special risotto including plancton in its ingredients!
Considering how hard the Covid-19 crisis hit catering businesses in 2020, and not only in Italy, Michelin Guide's 2021 selections are meant to be a motivation for those still standing as Marco Do, Head of Communication Michelin Italy, outlined: «It's been a peculiar year, Italy somehow managed to move on and restaurants struggled to stay open through difficult circumstances. So why not honour who tried to go on, against all odds?».

All the Michelin Guide stars in Friuli
There's only one other two-starred restaurant in Friuli Venezia Giulia and it's been so for nine years in a row, now. It's Agli Amici in Udine, led by chef Emanuele Scarello, an historic location flaunting a 130 years-long tradition and run by the original founders' offspring, the fifth generation!
And there are six restaurants with one Michelin Guide star all over the region: La Taverna in Colloredo di Monte Albano (Udine), Trattoria al Cacciatore-della Subida in Cormons (Gorizia), L'Argine a Vencò in Dolegna del Collio (Gorizia), Osteria Altran in Ruda (Udine), La Primula in San Quirino (Pordenone) and Laite in Sappada (Udine).
To gain the Michelin Guide stars, restaurants must meet five standards: ingredients' top quality, the chef's personality, mastery of cooking tecniques, good value for money and a long-lasting high level of the chef's performances. In Italy there are an overall 371 Michelin-starred restaurants, 11 of them have three stars and 37 have two.

Here below: the video capturing the moment of the revelation, posted on Harry's Piccolo Facebook page

Exotical ingredients and native grapes. An excellent match combining Cantina Rauscedo's Verduzzo with the exquisite recipe that Chef Paul Wong created especially for it. You can try it at home thanks to the 2020 edition of “Zhong Can Yi Jiu”, the culinary guide from the project “Chinese Cuisines meet Italian Wines” that pairs Chinese chefs' extraordinary dishes with likewise Italian wines. And this one, will give you a taste of Asia while sipping a fresh, typical Friulian white wine. Have a try!

The recipe: salmon, mango and Verduzzo
Mango and edamame (green soy beans) put together two different cultures, both with outstanding cuisine's tradition: India and Japan. They're the main ingredients in Paul Wong's recipe for Cantina Rauscedo's Verduzzo “Seared salmon with mango fantasy” (click here for full recipe), with almost raw salmon cut in sashimi technique and combined with mango's sweetness and edamame. Verduzzo Venezia Giulia IGT is the perfect match, with its freshness and its both citric and sweet flavour enriched by honey and apricot notes. Usually it's paired with desserts and, in this case, it suites incredibly well the dish's sugariness also balancing it with a little bit of sour aftertaste.

Resolution and dedication: Paul Wong, a life in the kitchen
A graduate from the Chinese Cuisine Master Chef programme of The Chinese Culinary Institute (CCI), Paul Wong has been desiring to make cooking his profession since a very tender age. Born to a family of professional cooks, he always looked up to his father – who ran an eatery at their hometown – as an example. By the age of 12, he knew that cooking was to be his future. Since then he tried his best, using even his spare time as a student, to increase his skills and cook whenever he had the chance, for whoever it might be.
Following his father's advice, after the family moved to Hong Kong he attended CCI's full program until he graduated at the master chef level. After winning many prizes, rising through the ranks by working at a five starred hotel, and also appearing at the TV show Apprentice Chef Series, he finally got to fulfill his dream: he set up his own restaurant, Cloudland Chinese Cuisine in Hong Kong, where he's Executive Chef and Managing Director. Having learnt to cook almost every traditional cuisine from all around China during his training, he developed a unique style by mixing typical ingredients and international cooking techniques.

About the 2020 “Zhong Can Yi Jiu” guide
It's the second edition of the guide, first published last year, which is part of a very interesting, wider project called “Chinese Cuisines meet Italian Wines”. Promoted by the Italian Wine Bank and produced by The I Factor (organizers of the Italian Cuisine and Wines World Summits and of the Italian Wine List Awards), the program involves 24 talented Chinese chefs from Beijing and Shanghai and is implemented thanks to a collaboration with the Italian Sommelier Association's Club China and the Hong Kong Chinese Culinary Institute.

Photos taken from Zhong Can Yi Jiu website

It will be a busy weekend for wine lovers. This year's Cantine Aperte (open wine cellars) on November 7th and 8th coincides with the World Wine Tourism Day 2020 on November 8th organized by RECEVIN, the European Wine Cities network.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this time Cantine Aperte in Friuli Venezia Giulia – organized by Movimento Turismo del Vino FVG – will be limited but still widely enjoyable. Many winemakers will open their winemaking locations and cellars to the public for wine tastings, with some also offering local dishes and products along with their delicious nectars.
Of course, social distancing and safety rules will be thoroughly respected, and wearing masks will be mandatory at all the events.

Celebrating wine in Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal
Events all around Europe will celebrate wine on November 8th. National Wine Associations from 11 European countries join the RECEVIN network, thus representing more than 800 cities devoted to winemaking.

World Wine Tourism Day 2020's events in Italy will take place in many regions, from the north to the south of the country thanks to the Città del Vino network: Lombardia, Piemonte, Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo, Marche, Campania.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia the main event will be at winemaker Zidarich's premises in Prepotto, a district of Duino-Aurisina (Trieste): Duino-Aurisina's municipality organized an online panel discussion about Vitovska, a native grape typical of the Karst area, which results in an extremely aromatic white wine. Among the speakers there will be Matej Skerlj, president of the Karst Winemakers' Association and some representatives of the local winemaking firms like Kante's Edy Kante, Skerk's Sandy Skerk, Lupinc's Matej Lupinc and, of course, the host Benjamin Zidarich.

Wine tastings in cantinas: check the list!
Cantine Aperte has become a tradition, especially during Saint Martin's days also known in Italy as “S. Martin's summer”, warm days that put autumn's cold on a temporary break. Some of the producers' locations are incredibly beautiful places like castles or historical country mansions, with their outward looks enhanced by the stunning seasonal foliage.
Here are all the winemakers adhering to the Cantine Aperte 2020 on November 7th and 8th in Friuli Venezia Giulia. All the wine firms are followed by their own towns' names and listed under the province of origin.
All events must be reserved in advance! Please check directly at the cantine's mail or phone number for availability. Click here for full details about every single event. More infos at: info@mtvfriulivg.it.

PORDENONE:
Principi di Porcia at the castle in Porcìa and at the farm in Azzano Decimo
Vistorta in Sacile
Cantina I Magredi in S. Giorgio della Richinvelda

UDINE:
Vigneti Pittaro in Codroipo
Elio Vini in Cividale del Friuli
Dario Coos in Nimis
Ronc dai Luchis in Faedis
Le Due Torri in Corno di Rosazzo
Spolert Winery, Grillo Iole, Stanig in Prepotto
Tarlao Vignis, Vini Brojli, Barone Ritter de Záhony, Cantina Puntin in Aquileia
Vigne del Malina in Remanzacco
De Claricini in Bottenicco
Pontoni Flavio in Buttrio
Massimo Bassani's Isola Augusta in Palazzolo dello Stella
Rocca Bernarda in Premariacco
Ferrin Paolo in Camino al Tagliamento

GORIZIA:
Borgo Conventi in Farra d'Isonzo
Vidussi Vini in Capriva del Friuli
Tenuta di Blasig in Ronchi dei Legionari
Castelvecchio in Sagrado
Graunar in S. Floriano del Collio
Sergio Collarig's Crastin, Pascolo in Ruttars

TRIESTE:
Parovel Vigneti&Oliveti 1898 in S. Dorligo della Valle

Autumn usually is the ideal period for the year's assessment, and for all the food&wine guides to come out! Gambero Rosso just published two of its most-awaited issues: the 2021 “Tre Bicchieri” listing all top Italian wines, and the 2021 “Bar d'Italia” listing all the best bars and coffee shops in Italy.
When it comes to Gambero Rosso, one immediately reckons it's about quality. The first food&wine editorial network in Italy since 1986, Gambero Rosso's “the best” guides are widely respected for their accuracy and their passion-driven professionality. Alongside the publishing activity, Gambero Rosso also flaunts its own TV (with food&wine related programs) and its own academy.

FVG best wines, according to Gambero Rosso
The wine guide's title, “Tre Bicchieri”, refers to the top vote a wine can get: three glasses (literally “tre bicchieri”). A three glasses-rating means a wine belongs to the best wines' list, and in Friuli Venezia Giulia 26 wines were awarded such honour in the “Tre Bicchieri 2021”.
Surprisingly, all top FVG wines happen to be white ones, thus confirming – so Gambero Rosso believes – the territory's natural, long-standing penchant for them. Five three-glasses ratings were credited to wines made with Friulano, a native grape: among them, those by Tenuta Stella and by Schiopetto whose “M Schiopetto 2018” was also acknowledged by James Suckling, famed US wine critic and Wine Spectator's ex editor in chief, as second best Italian white wine in his 2020 Summer chart.
Sauvignon also had its share, with six labels in the top list, like Borgo Conventi's, Russiz Superiore's and Vie di Romans'. Polje's Pinot Grigio is the only one in the chart, while several Pinot Bianco also appear in the list, like Vigneti Le Monde's and Doro Princic's. Two Ribolla Gialla also got three glasses: Damijan Podversic's and Draga-Miklus'.
From an overall observation of the FVG results, we can say that the Collio's area once again confirmed itself as the land of wine, with 13 out of 26 (half of them!) wines rewarded with the top rating. Quite a performance, indeed!

FVG best bars? Go to Palmanova and Trieste
As to the best bars and coffee shops, Gambero Rosso's top rating is “tre tazzine &tre chicchi” (literally, “three coffee cups and three coffee beans”). The guide, sponsored by Trieste-based coffee producer Illy Caffè, was presented online a few days ago by Laura Mantovano, Gambero Rosso's editor in chief, with almost all the awarded owners' attendance and a message from Massimiliano Pogliani, Illy Caffè's CEO. Only two bars in Friuli Venezia Giulia are among the best ones in the “Bar d'Italia 2021” guide: as they say in Italy, “pochi ma buoni”, or “few but good”!

One of them is Caffetteria Torinese in Palmanova (Udine), which has been a regular in Gambero Rosso's lists for quite a long time. It also gained the “Best Italian Bar” title in 2011, and is now among the chart's “Stelle” (stars), a very exclusive entourage of bars featuring a ten year (or more) presence in the best ones' top list. Founded back in 1938 and facing the stunning Piazza Grande, it's been run with deep commitment and dedication by Nereo Ballestriero and Marina Macor since 1995. «This bar has been with us for quite a long time – said Mantovano when presenting it – but it would be somehow diminishing to refer to it only as a simple bar. It's a terrific place and full of ideas, where breakfasts, lunch breaks and aperitivos are really special».
The other one is Caffè Vatta in Opicina, Trieste. Supplying carefully selected local products, a 350 wines' list and home-made delicacies and ice creams, it appeals to customers for its fresh and creative breakfasts, lunches and dinners too.
So if you look for a simple break, combined with quality too, now you know where to head to when in Friuli Venezia Giulia!

Inner photos taken from Caffetteria Torinese's and Caffè Vatta's Facebook pages