Born in '88, Calabrian, Veronica Costantino takes his first steps in the hospitality sector in a Roman bar. Here he becomes passionate about the world of mixing, he spends his apprenticeship mixing behind the counter in pubs and discos, acquiring more and more experience and consolidating his skills, also thanks to participation in bartending courses with Filippo Sisti and professionals Jerry Thomas. Over time he elaborates and develops the concept underlying his idea of mixing, that of liquid cuisine, and for three years now his cocktails have accompanied his cuisine with creativity and innovation. Bar manager at Singer Palace, a Roman luxury hotel, moves to Florence where a new adventure begins at Gune, fine dining restaurant. The next step in his professional growth takes place at Wide9, cocktail bar and gourmet pizzeria, finally arriving at De' Bardi, inaugurated on April 2.
The bartender Veronica Costantino and the chef Yuzo Nakathe
Veronica, how did your collaboration at De' Bardi begin?
I have known Paolo Genovese, the owner, and the other guys behind the project during a tour of a spirits brand. On that occasion they told me the idea of the project, that of opening a place with ambitious potential. So I went to view the place and a close collaboration blossomed right away. In fact, I was also able to give my contribution during the design phase, in particular for the counter and the bottle shop. Today I perceive it as a place where there is also part of my contribution, together with everything that was already present within the structure. As if it were my creature.
How is the place structured? What do you want to convey to the public?
The restaurant is located in a highly historical and cultural context, forming part of a Renaissance palace that belonged to the noble family De' Bardi, and located in the street named after them, between Ponte Vecchio and San Niccolò. The large space, on the ground floor of the building, allows you to admire the suggestive view up close Costa San Giorgio, and is divided into three areas: one dedicated to the cocktail bar, one to the restaurant and one dedicated exclusively to wine bar, also including underground cellars. We agreed to do an opening in stages. To date, only the cocktail bar with supporting kitchen is accessible to customers. But in a couple of months we will also inaugurate the restaurant and the wine shop.
What is your mixing proposal?
In this first phase I concentrated a lot on recalling the history of the place in which we find ourselves, to which illustrious figures such as Caterina de Medici, Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giotto are linked, paying homage to them in the names of various signature cocktails. The drink list focuses heavily on infusions and sous vide cooking. It aims to surprise the customer: initially a hint is perceived, but immediately afterwards it evolves and transforms into a new taste appeal given, for example, by a decoration to be tasted that accompanies the drink, or at the end of the drink. To be clearer: ours Whim it is a twist on the Martini cocktail, in which there are drops of spicy oil inside which take over in the final drink and recall the scent that we initially gave to the gin.
Whim
Or, one of the cocktails that is enjoying great success is the Fusion Take, in which bourbon is infused into shitake mushrooms via sous vide cooking, to be mixed with a cordial of mushroom and bay broth, a touch of lemongrass and, finally, some soda which degreases.
Fusion Take
Do you currently offer a culinary offering to support the cocktail bar?
For now we offer five gourmet dishes prepared by our chef Yuzo Nakai, a meeting between Tuscan and Japanese culture. We serve, for example, the Sashimi, with salmon, tuna, amberjack and mackerel. Or the Creme Brulee, a creme brulee of livers, galatine, grapes, wine reduction and dark chocolate, and panbriosches. Obviously the Tuscan platter could not be missing, with a mix of local excellences.
Creme Brulee
sashimi
Liquid cuisine: what does this concept mean to you, how do you interpret it in mixing?
For me it is a fundamental concept, taste is universal and what we eat must also be available in drinking. In my cocktails you can find the scents and flavors that can be savored in a dish. At De' Bardi the chef is of Japanese nationality, we have created a cooking style fusion, and in my cocktails I use a whole series of preparations, such as sous vide cooking and infusions typical of this type of cuisine, in order to establish a real dialogue between drinking and food.
De'oriental bards
Are you aiming to organize collaborations in the future?
The project is ambitious, there are already collaborations in the pipeline with important figures in the world of mixing. We are just waiting to consolidate the place, and when we feel ready we will launch into this adventure which promises to be full of satisfaction.
Last ritual question: favorite spirit and cocktail?
For the distillate I'll tell you gin, I find it very versatile in mixing. For the cocktail, I can go from a Martini cocktail to an Americano, it depends on the situation!
G-eight boulevard
Photo Credits: Michele Tamasco
