PIERO SELVAGGIO

In addition to his award-winning Valentino restaurants in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, Piero Selvaggio owns Giorgio Caffé and Ristorante, a casual spot in Las Vegas where customers drop by to indulge in an antipasto sampler or gelato. Selvaggio worked with Crystal Cruises to develop Valentino at Prego, a tasting menu that travels the world. He is the author of The Valentino Cookbook (New York: Villard, 2001).

Q: Valentino, your trademark restaurant in Santa Monica opened in 1972. How do you explain its success and your own?

A: In the restaurant business, 35 years might as well be three centuries! It takes a lot of effort to survive, especially at the level we have tried to keep the restaurant. My job is to be a good host and director of the show, guiding the chef and the front of the house, too. Our goal is to understand what the customer needs. If someone is having a difficult day or doesn’t know what they want to eat, it’s up to us to pull the ship in the right direction.

Q: How has the American idea of Italian food changed over the years?

A: When we started out we were serving manicotti with domestic prosciutto and baked lasagna with Cobb salad. Now you’ll only find that kind of Italian-American food in pizzerias or Middle America. In most Italian restaurants, it would be unusual not to serve risotto, real Prosciutto di Parma, porcini mushrooms, good olive oil. The American palate has become used to these things. People know the difference between artisanal pasta made south of Naples and an ordinary brand, or between real Parmigiano-Reggiano and what they make in Argentina.

Q: What is it that makes some products superior to others?

A:  The secrets are very simple. Pasta consists only of flour and water, for instance. It’s the tricks and the artisanal generation-to-generation traditions and routines that make the difference. The way Prosciutto di Parma is produced gives it a sweetness and fragrance that is unique in every sense. I have friends who make grappa and olive oil, but they cannot be compared to what you can get from Italy, with its 20 centuries of tradition and history—there are wonderful artisans here who are trying, but there are limitations to what they have to offer.

Q: How is Prosciutto di Parma served at Valentino?
 
You don’t have to do much to Prosciutto di Parma. I like to serve it with mostarda di Cremona, or use a thin slice to make an involtino with something inside, perhaps a soft cheese or sautéed mushrooms. It has so many merits. When wrapped around game or fish, anything that needs flavor or spice, there is nothing like it.  We do gnocchi with prosciutto, risotto with zucca and prosciutto, scallops with prosciutto, lamb chops wrapped with prosciutto or even a potato casserole with cream and layers of prosciutto. It’s also spectacular with honeyed seasonal fruit. And there’s nothing better than an antipasto plate with grilled eggplant, mozzarella, olives, piadina and Prosciutto di Parma. (see photo)
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Q: Have you seen how Prosciutto di Parma is made?

A: Yes, I visited a prosciuttificio near Parma just recently. I am fascinated by how the members of the Consorzio have managed to build a big business for their product while keeping artisanal standards high. It is truly one of the treasures of Italy.

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