The restaurant's story |
Versione italiana  |
Here I am. I’m Fabrizio Bogo, the inn’s owner and, just like above-mentioned, I’m going to tell you something about the story of this inn, taught me by the real “GIGINO”, Luigi Vassallo. In the 20/25’s this was the classic inn where to go playing cards or bowling and, obviously, in the meanwhile, drinking a good wineglass. After some time, Ida, Gigino’s mother, started cooking some foods for her child’s friends. The first table they used was just the pool table! From that moment on, the inn, now with a kitchen, started its activity. Well, it was the time to start working seriously!
At the cookers, Mamma Ida and la Giuse used to prepare foods based on typical genoese specialities – Gigino was an hunter - like stuffings, basil sauce, roast, stockfish, and so on. Gigino’s duty was to wait on people. That innkeeper Gigino loved entertaining - with tales, jokes and good food - his guests, among which notable men like Renato de Barbieri the violinist, Centanaro the guitarist, Battara the goalkeeper, Dogliotti the teacher, Dapporto, Walter Chiari, Rascel, Gino Bartali, Gianni Morandi, Pitagora, Alberto Marano the contemporary painter and other less famous, like the legendary Bunni from Sturla and Giannetto Fieschi. So, the inn become a meeting place for artists and good kitchen’s lovers. During those years the inn was out of the city centre. Having lunch or dinner there meant to go on a sort of trip because it was not so easy to reach like it is today. The only road to drive were Via Aurelia or Via Romana della Castagna.
Years passed and Gigino decided to finish his activity in the 1980. Different managements followed ‘till Giorgio Bove came and took the inn. It was on October 1989. I and another guy, Gavino, were his helpers. We started following Gigino’s example and, going easy, the inn revived. I was very similar to Gigino: passing between the tables I tried to make people love the inn. It was my first experience as a pub’s manager. Fortunately Giorgio gave me important advice. Another person, Laura, came and joined the staff. When Giorgio decided to leave, she and I became the official owners of the inn. Who other could be qualified for that job? We found a lot of financial difficulties: bills to pay, operating costs, and so on. But we made a lot of sacrifices and reached our goal: the inn was ours, our dream had been realized!
After a first period in which we acted as usual (always the same foods, the same manners), we decided to change completely the inn and its kitchen. I had always been fond of meat, so I met Dario Cecchini – a person who is considered the king of the butchers – and we became friends. From then on, Dario Cecchini’s steaks are dished on our tables. But not only the steaks! Also the “sushi”, the “Chianti’s tuna”, the “giginoburger” and so on.
We wanted to makeover also other things in our menu, not only the meat. We abandoned the Liguria’s cooking and changed over the Toscana’s one, but we maintained some characteristic foods such as the stockfish and our “pesto”.
What else? We are always here with the same passion and much more! Do you want to know someone of our guests during these years? Vecchioni’s band, Beppe Grillo, Paolo Calissano. We received also football player like Bortolazzi, Torrente, Baldini, Caccia, Milito, Thiago Motta, Sculli, Palladino, Del Vecchio, Quagliarella and Berti!
…We are waiting for you too!
Now I’m going to describe our inn. This is the classic inn: you can see it immediately while you’re entering our rooms. There is a first one where, in due course, there was the wine shop, and that’s not so large, but suitable for meetings with your work colleagues or for family reunions. The second room is a little bit larger than the first one – people played cards and bowling there – and it is fit to small parties. At its walls a lot of paintings are hanged up. These pictures were often given to the Oste in exchange for having dinner. The third and last room is the smaller, but at the same time it is the nearest to the Oste because the kitchen is very close to it.
…. Don’t forget to ring the doorbell before entering!
Ristorante Antica Osteria Gigino |
Opening hours |
