A year of celebration at Tonino’s restaurant

A year of celebration at Tonino’s restaurant

30 years in business: these are indeed an important milestone, a milestone that prompts, on the one hand, to reflect on what has been done, on the successes achieved and the sacrifices repaid; on the other, to look to tomorrow with a different awareness, aiming at new, ever higher goals. But 30 years of activity is also a time to celebrate, to thank those who have been close to us, to give us the charge and face another 30 with the same enthusiasm.

That is why, at Tonino’s Restaurant, the last one was a year full of celebrations. From April to October, no less than four events were held: the first in April, with chef Pasquale Tozzi of the Grand Hotel Fasano in Gardone Riviera; in May, it was the turn of the dinner with chef Chris Oberhammer of Restaurant Tilia; in June, guest chef Valentino Marcattilii; and finally, in October, a great closing event, the 6-hands dinner with Salvatore Aprea, Oliver Glowing and Roberto Di Pinto, which also saw the collaboration of Risobuono and Bellavista winery.

“Each of the events left its mark,” says Salvatore Aprea, who has just returned from a year full of excitement. “The guest chefs were not only colleagues but also friends; having them in our kitchen for a day was a pleasure as well as an honor. However, I particularly have a pleasant memory of the evening starring chef Valentino Marcattilii, who was also my teacher. It was a very emotional moment as my father, the one who founded the restaurant, was also able to participate. That evening was totally dedicated to him: he welcomed customers, posed for pictures with the most loyal ones, who were very happy to find him again. His presence was really significant, not only because he was the one who started this wonderful adventure, but also because celebrating such an important milestone together filled our hearts with joy. It was also his celebration, and it would not have been the same not to have him next to us.”

It is since 2013 that Salvatore has taken over the reins of the family restaurant; 10 years of management, with the help of his brother who takes care of the cellar, which have propelled the da Tonino restaurant into modernity. The events to celebrate 30 years in business, therefore, had a double meaning: they not only recalled the successes achieved to date, but also and above all highlighted that another important piece of the history of the da Tonino restaurant is yet to be written. The way the public largely enjoyed the dinners organized shows how worthwhile it is to repeat such events: and that is why the restaurant is already working to organize something similar next year. After all, any occasion is a good one to celebrate one’s achievements, see old friends again, pause for a moment to reflect on the new challenges that life places before us.

Stefano D’Alessandro