Francesco Antonucci
Remi
New Yorik NY
New York’s Remi was rated the best Italian restaurant in the United States by Luigi Veronelli, Italy’s premier food writer. The credit goes to Remi’s Venetian-born co-owner and chef Francesco Antonucci, whose Northern Italian cuisine and experimental savvy have kept customers and critics raving since its opening in 1987. One critic described Antonucci’s style as more akin to alchemy than cooking, noting his talent for transforming simple ingredients into innovative dishes.
Remi has attracted young celebrities and seasoned food veterans alike to experience its Venetian food and the stunning interior design of co-owner Adam Tihany, which Antonucci describes as “our vision of traveling the Grand Canal in Venice.” The restaurant’s Gothic decor, with its twenty-five-foot high ceilings, medieval arches, and room-length mural of Venice, embody Antonucci’s vision of fine dining. “People eat in restaurants not just because they are hungry, but also because they are looking for something special — fun, excitement, service, energy, original cuisine, or even just an escape,” he says.
The signature dishes that emerge from Antonucci’s kitchen, from Ravioli Marco Polo (tuna ravioli topped with ginger) to Saffron Pappardelle with Osso Buco Sauce to Zabaglione Sarah Venezia, reflect his culinary credo: “Venetian cuisine uses only the best, most simple ingredients, yet develops into a wonderful, surprising complexity of flavors.”
Antonucci trained in Milan, but says he has “always kept working in the Venetian style.” In his stated quest to “discover new influences and to create new combinations,” Antonucci spends his spare time training young chefs at the Remi restaurants around the world. “I have the opportunity to learn and appreciate new flavors and tastes so that I may continue my development and keep on the cutting edge.”
