Michele Baldacci grew up in Florence as part of a family that made every meal fresh. As chef at Clean Plates approved Locanda Vini e Olii — an Italian restaurant in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn located in the former neighborhood pharmacy — Baldacci still creates every meal by using the best, seasonal ingredients available. Beyond this foundation of freshness, the chef aspires to expand diners’ horizons: “We aren’t serving safe food here,” he says. I recently sat down with Baldacci to chat about his vision for the restaurant, that famous duck dish, advice for home chefs and more.
How is Locanda Vini e Olii different from other Italian restaurants?
We want to expand the horizons of our diners. A restaurant that is part of the community can do that. We can serve one unusual or unexpected item, and once people trust us, they will continue to try new things. I don’t want to serve the obvious dishes, even though some of them I love to eat. We aren’t serving safe food here. I think it’s a great time to be serving food that can be somewhat unfamiliar — it’s getting easier to serve this kind of food. People are looking for things that are interesting and new, but still within a tradition they are familiar with.
Your duck entrée — grilled duck breast served with chickpeas and a shallot, fig marmalade — has gotten a lot of attention from the media. What’s the secret behind this dish? Continue reading
