THE REMODEL. Sala da Cucina

A visit to...
the new Le Calandre

If Raf and Massi wanted to blow us away with special effects, then they have succeeded. However, this was not their intention. When they set out to remodel Le Calandre, each detail meant to be an external manifestation of their inner selves. Upon entering the front door, it is immediately obvious that serious thought and consideration went into the renovation. Philosophy and design come together in the tables and chairs, but also in the lighting and silverware. Even the new plates demonstrate the Alajmo brothers's goal to “get rid of the fluff” and uncover the essence of things - a concept that has guided Massimiliano's cooking for years.

Be prepared to be wowed. Posed to welcome you as you walk in are two large codfish that have been converted into lamps and hung from the ceiling. The twin baccalà shed light on a solid wood console, which functions as a bar where guests can delight in an aperitif and pre-dinner finger foods. The dining room is dark, but not entirely. The walls are covered with raw linen in burnt tones, decorated with Massimiliano's oil sketches. The ceiling has been raised, filling the room with more air. The illuminated tables appear like nymphs in a pond. The tabletops, made from an almost 200-year-old French oak tree, are bare. There are no tablecloths, just small, square placemats. The center of each table has been rounded out to act as a humble bowl for warm bread, wrapped in a cloth like in Italian osteria. Everything has a meaning.