Nino Rossi

Coming Up

Training at Ristorante St. Hubertus set the base line for Nino Rossi’s kitchen work: service rhythm, discipline, and the habits that carry through a brigade. From there, the work moved across front-of-house and back-of-house roles at Villa Rossi in Santa Cristina d’Aspromonte (until 2016) and Arthaus Hotel in Davos (2013–2016), each step adding another layer to the same craft. Since 2016, that experience has been concentrated at Qafiz, where Nino Rossi has worked as chef and owner. The role ties technique to operation: cook, organizer, and final point of responsibility.

Where They Are Now

At Qafiz, the cuisine has been described as a process of development rather than a fixed style. Nino Rossi has said, “Qafiz's cuisine is a window onto our region and has gone through various phases: initially it was a more fundamentalist vision of Calabria and its territory.” The current direction is stated just as plainly. “In the last two years, however, we have adopted the claim Put Calabria on the map, which expresses the need to bring Calabrian ingredients to a more international stage.”

In Their Words “In the last two years, however, we have adopted the claim Put Calabria on the map, which expresses the need to bring Calabrian ingredients to a more international stage.” “My project only makes sense here, the Aspromonte has become an assist and not an obstacle, it suggests to me through nature how to evolve the territory and my cuisine.”

Honors

Recognition for Nino Rossi includes a Michelin Guide star (2019) and L’Espresso three hats.