Ciccio Sultano: “the future around the corner from an institution”
I’ve often been defined as “volcanic,” and – often – I realize that my days are so intense that even my few hours of rest are a continuous battle of thoughts and ideas; like a mental game of hide-and-seek that taunts me from the minute I wake up.
That which interests us all is the future, more or less the immediate one. Tomorrow – for me – is already the future. And every awakening is inevitably conditioned by the desire to do – to do something new – something of satisfaction, something that encompasses all of my senses, something that drives me to bet on territories more or less unknown entrusting in my knowledge and experience: to take the road less traveled.
To do is the verb that best describes me: so etymologically simple, yet at the same intangible and complicated. To do isn’t an immediate action, because it implies a foresight – a previously attuned knowledge – in order to proceed.
An idea has been bouncing around in my head for a few weeks; an idea that could revolutionize the identity of a certain “slice” of restaurants, beyond so-called “fine dining” in which an experience is offered not only through taste, but through all of one’s senses.
The idea comes from a humble place; one that seems far removed from haute gastronomy: I am a proponent – maybe one of the greatest – of ‘street food’, the kind that ennobles the land in which we live and work. This type of food is often devoured hastily without appreciating its properties and history, perhaps because the essence is never even presented.
Imagine if you could go back in time, not only in your mind, but also physically – to a traditional bottega of the 1950s, for example, but enriched with the experience and logistics of today.
Rediscover ancient grains precious to excellent bread baking, propose those sausages not produced in an industrial way but with the careful hand of craftsmanship, and the cheeses aged like once upon a time, as history taught, and what about those long, slow breakfasts: far from today’s hurried coffee and croissant. The possibilities are endless. Just think of the satisfaction in offering a rich selection of dishes that have made history. Restaurants, I think, should always look ahead to the future, but in doing so should rediscover the past; drawing from the very flavors and knowledge that have allowed us to be what we are and where we are today.
What if this collision of past and present, future and history, is placed in a container that becomes a meeting place for art, cooking, photography, dining, music, and taste…? And finally, imagine if all of these processes are beautifully presented in harmony – without architectural barriers that deny interaction, or take away transparency of preparations and processes…?
In short, this idea has kept me awake many a sleepless night; it’s awoken me in the depths of darkness to take notes – an undeniable creative effervescence (even for my volcanic self!) that is uncontainable – allowing me to look beyond the fence and rethink the impossible: aligning parallel paths of joy. And what a joy it will be!