Hystory
The executive chef Gabriele Boffa is a young talent, he was born in 1987, he comes from the Langhe area and he boasts of a very important international curriculum. In fact, even if he is about thirty years old he has already worked with many starred chef all around the world. Boffa grew in Diano d’Alba and his two grannies, who worked in restaurants, they have been fundamental part in his formation. After studying three years at the Istituto Alberghiero in Alba, when he was 16 years old, he worked as a trainee for the chef Massimo Torrengo at the trattoria Del Bivio in Cerretto Langhe. He worked then at the “Guido Ristorante” in Pollenzo with the chefs Ugo Alciati and Savino Monreggli, at the “La Fermata” restaurant in Alessandria with the chef Riccardo Aiachini and Andrea Ribaldone, at the “Combal.Zero” restaurant of Davide Scabin in Rivoli and the “Piazza Duomo” restaurant with Enrico Crippa. Among his experiences abroad he worked in France with Yannick Alléno, with Pujol in Mexico and with Mugaritz in Spain. After a year in the five stars luxury hotel “Castello di Guarene” he has been selected by Enrico Bartolini for the Locanda del Sant’Uffizio, which has been recently awarded with a Michelin star.
The Locanda del Sant’Uffizio
Nestled in the beautiful scenery of the vineyards in the heart of Monferrato, this ancient manor evokes the sixteenth century atmosphere, when it was a monastic seat. In the ancient lemon grove of the monastery, the Locanda del Sant’Uffizio offers an unforgettable gourmet experience of authenticity, seasonality and experimentation, offering the flavours of the contemporary Italian cuisine and a selected list of Piedmont, Italian and international wines, with more than 300 labels conserved in the prestigios “Teatro del vino” winery. The “Locanda del Sant’Uffizio” inaugurated in March 2018, in the Relais Sant’Uffizio, is the last entrepreneurial challenge of Enrico Bartolini, the most starred chef in Italy. The former convent transformed into a hotel de charme is owned by the Taiwanese family Chang, owner of the Ldc company, with whom Bartolini already collaborates. The restaurant was projected by interior designer Baxter. Seats, lights and mirrors are of classic contemporary taste and express elegance creating the right atmosphere, refined and welcoming. The pastel shades chosen for the walls create an effect of great harmony with the surrounding landscape: the magnificent Italian-style garden overlooked by the veranda created in the ancient lemon grove and the gentle slopes of the hills covered with vines. In the dining room there is Francesco Palumbo, a professional of hospitality refined in important restaurants like those of Claudio Sadler and Carlo Cracco.
The philosophy of contemporary classicism
His idea of cooking is that of interpreting the philosophy of “contemporary classicism”, that is safeguarding the identity of Langhe and Roero without forgetting the importance of innovating through raw materials of quality not only of the territory. Today it is possible to work the products and store them differently, because transport is no longer a limit. New techniques and new influences, combined with the quality and variety of raw materials, represent a winning combination. In addition to the à la carte proposal, a tribute to the territory, its cuisine and Italian biodiversity, at the Locanda Sant ‘Uffizio you can choose between two tasting menus: “Classici del Sant’Uffizio” linked to traditional Piedmontese cuisine and “Heart and mind”, six more creative dishes, combining traditional ingredients and a modern expression of cuisine.