Review
By Spirit Community Newspapers
Community News : An Authentic Italian Chef Joins
up with a Real Italian Restaurant
 by
Carol Denker There are many additional features that light
up the new season at Illuminare restaurant; chief among them
is the new executive chef, Alessandro (Alex) Spanedda.
Chef Alex’s manner is down-to-earth friendly
and modest—while his expertise is over the top. The
staff at Illuminare, no strangers to excellent cooking, all
used the same expression—eyes opened wider, head nodding
with certainty—when they spoke of the new chef. And
they all used the same words: “He is really good.”
Gerald Vitelli, the new consultant/manager at
Illuminare, has an extensive background in the restaurant
business—plus, he’s Italian!—and Vitelli,
talking about Chef Alex, nods his head sagely.
“He is a wonderful chef,” says Vitelli.
“He does everything from scratch. He makes his own gnocchi.
He makes all his own pasta. All our desserts are homemade.
He bakes his own tiramisu.
“He likes to do everything by hand,”
said Vitelli. “He smoked the salmon for tonight (linguini
with smoked salmon in a pink sauce).”
Vitelli holds his fingers together expressively
in a motion meant to convey exquisite taste. “You have
to taste his veal shank; it’s unbelievable.”
Chef Alex was born in Genoa, in Northern Italy;
he trained in Milan. He has worked in the United States for
some years now; recently, he worked in Phoenixville, PA. He
is quite pleased to be working at Illuminare.
“I cook Italian, only Italian,”
said Alex, smiling.
Does he have specialties’? Chef Alex considers
the question. A most agreeable man, he tries to answer it.
“Oh, yes, seafood, maybe,” he says.
“But… I like to cook everything.
“Tonight,” says Chef Alex, getting
a glimmer in his eye, “we have the lamb shank. It is
very delicious. Come, I’ll show you.”
The chef takes a visitor to Illuminare’s
open kitchen and proceeds to wrap garlic in foil and place
it in their brick oven. “You know, to roast it,”
says Chef Alex, who then takes out the lamb shank pan and
savors the smell. His face truly lights up.
“See, it has cooked for a very, very long
time,” says the chef.
“I like people to see”
Does Chef Alex like the open kitchen?
“Oh yes,” he smiles. “I have
been for many years behind the closed doors. This is better.
“I like when people tell me they enjoyed
the food,” says Alex. “Sometimes they come and
watch for long time. This is fun for them and also, fun for
me.” • |
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