i. Biography
Piedmontese restaurant cooking earned a specific place in Italian Michelin history at Al Sorriso in Soriso, Italy, where Luisa Valazza became the first Italian woman to win Three Michelin stars at her restaurant, with the third star awarded in 1998. That achievement came through a regional kitchen built on products and traditions: mushrooms, local cheeses, truffles in season, and dishes shaped by the land, lush surroundings, and wild forests of Piedmont.
Coming Up
Restaurant identity at Al Sorriso has been built through long tenure rather than reinvention. Since 1980, Luisa Valazza has been the chef and restaurateur there, shaping the house through exacting service, continuity, and hospitality as part of the craft, not as decoration.
The Work Today
Italian and Piedmontese cooking at Al Sorriso in Soriso, Italy, is defined by regional products, local traditions, and the season’s authority, with Valazza working as chef within that frame. The kitchen does not center avant-garde technique; it gives priority to seasonal sourcing and ingredients from the surrounding area. The ingredient language is direct: mushroom dishes, local cheeses, and truffles in season. These are handled as markers of place and supply, with the cooking drawing from the area’s agricultural and woodland character rather than using the landscape as ornament. Filled pasta and regional product meet in herb ravioli of Bettelmatt, a local high-altitude cow cheese. Fassone beef with Barolo sauce and crushed hazelnuts, accompanied by bone marrow raviolini, sets cattle, wine, nuts, and pasta into one composition without leaving the region’s pantry.
Signature
Signature dishes include Ricotta and wild spinach ravioli and Herb ravioli of Bettelmatt.
Peer Recognition
Luisa Valazza has received Michelin Guide — one star for Al Sorriso (1982). Recognition for this Piedmontese kitchen includes the First Michelin star for Al Sorriso (1982), Second Michelin star for Al Sorriso (1988), and Third Michelin star for Al Sorriso (1998). Further recognition includes Included in Relais & Châteaux (1999), and Cited for cucina eccellente (1999).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Luisa
What recognition has Luisa Valazza received?
Third Michelin star for Al Sorriso (1998).
What is Luisa Valazza known for?
Piedmontese cuisine rooted in regional products and traditions.
