| Nadia Santini | |
| Style: | Italian cuisine |
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Nadia Santini is an Italian chef, best known for her restaurant Dal Pescatore, in Canneto sull'Oglio, Lombardy which has held three Michelin stars since 1996.[1]
Santini was taught to cook at a young age by her future husband's great-grandmother, Teresa. She has a cooking philosophy around the idea of a small restaurant, saying "I think it is impossible for a woman to run a kitchen that serves 100 people. I can't give my heart to a dish if I am cooking for more than 30."[2]
Her restaurant Dal Pescatore is located in the hamlet of Canneto sull'Oglio in Lombardy, Italy.[3] The restaurant is an extended trattoria, and was originally opened by Santini's husband's great-grandparents in the 1910s.[4] Nadia took over the running of the restaurant alongside her husband in 1974.[5] In 1996, the restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars, with Santini becoming the first female Italian chef to earn that level of accolade.[6] [7]
In 2010, German filmmaker Lutz Hachmeister created a television documentary called Three Stars, which Santini starred in amongst other chefs from Michelin starred restaurants. Her appearance in the documentary stood out, being described by critics as a "radiant personality and gentle, Old World approach to the nurturing of recipes, colleagues, and clientele provide the counterpoint to frenetic, confrontational kitchens run by scientist-chefs."[8]
Santini has been highly regarded by other chefs, including French chef Anne-Sophie Pic who described her as "extraordinary" and an inspiration,[9] and British chef Angela Hartnett has described Santini as one of her "heroes".[10]
2013 saw Nadia being christened 2013 Veuve Clicquot World's Best Female chef from The World's 50 Best Restaurants by Restaurant magazine.[11]
Santini is married to her husband Antonio, who also works in Santini's restaurant but in reception rather than the kitchen.[3] They met whilst at the University of Milan.[12]