Toscana & Chianti News

Restaurant

The new taste frontier

Food traditions love to follow in the footsteps of young Tuscan chefs. In this case, the chef actually has a name. We're talking about Paolo Fiaschi, owner of 'Papaveri Papere' restaurant in San Miniato.

This is a bona fide culinary haven, set amidst the green hills of the Valdegola, between Florence and Pisa, where tradition and good food have always been part of the way of life.

Fiaschi's cuisine makes no exception to this principle, benefiting as it does from the careful sourcing of genuine ingredients. The bread and pasta are made on the premises and other products come from the local area.

After all, San Miniato is a treasure chest of many flavours and top-quality produce, in addition to being the national home of the truffle.

For this very reason, the celebrated tuber is no longer a major feature among the ingredients used on the menus of Papaveri e Papere.

Fiaschi prefers to focus exclusively on the short supply chain, favouring local meats and vegetables and products that have a tale to tell.

The presentation alone makes the diners reflect, dwelling for a moment on what they have in front of them to understand the work that went into the dish, what gives rise to a unique and unmistakeable taste.

The whole of San Miniato is imbued in Fiaschi's cuisine: its typical products, the classic white truffle, of course, as well as the "grinzoso" tomato, the Santa Maria a Monte potato and the Sanminiatese artichoke.

This, too, is a principle on which the chef's philosophy is based: the excellence and originality of dishes, combined with an unbreakable bond with the local area.

It's a combination that never tires, especially in terms of the food. It is the epitome of a restaurant concept that is not purely based on the food, but on a set of elements that are part of a wider spectrum in which imagination, tradition and freedom achieve a spontaneous co-existence.

The cuisine of Papaveri e Papere is based on short cooking methods, apart from certain sauces like the meat ragù. This ensures that virtually all of the courses are cooked to order.

THE CHEF - Paolo Fiaschi is the chef at Papaveri e Papere. After having concluded his secondary school studies at ITIS G. Ferraris in Empoli, he started to work in catering in the Nineties, opening 'Taverna dell'Ozio' in Corazzano (Pisa).

Following this successful enterprise, he was one of the founders of 'Pepe Nero' restaurant in San Miniato.

His character and personality are magically distilled in the dishes he prepares, which is why there's no better way to get to know him than tasting one of his recipes.

THE RESTAURANT - Located in the greenery of the Valdegola, Papaveri e Papere is situated in Via Dalmazia, 159/d, in San Miniato.

It offers a catering service and events organisation as well as continually updating its menu. The name comes from the bond of affection stemming from the song of the same name by Nilla Pizzi, which Paolo's father sang to him when he was a child.

Also because "papaveri", meaning poppies, are a strong reference to this land, where never-ending expanses of wheat and poppies can be seen, especially in the spring. It's a truly amazing sight for visitors passing through the beautiful Tuscan countryside.