THE OPINION. IN A TIME OF CHANGE

Navigating the future of
restaurant dining

“I would prefer not to,” responded Bartleby, the scrivener, whenever he was posed a question. The main character of Herman Melville's 1853 novella was certainly not one for change. He even turned down a raise because it may have posed a threat to his routine. Was this guy crazy, or what? Freud's response would have been no. According to the Viennese psychoanalyst, the sense of security derived from habit hinders ambition.

In today's world, the monotonous life of a humble scrivener on Wall Street seems unfathomable. Flexibility and change have become imperative to these modern times. They are the keys to interpret an ever-changing world. Federico Faggin, the inventor of the microprocessor, demonstrated that the machine can compute ten million operations per second. This is pretty incredible considering that our heart needs thirty years in order to beat a million times. Hidden behind these numbers is the tension between human nature and the velocity of change imposed by the pace of life in the third millennium. Sensibility and awareness have become necessities, especially when it comes to food and diet, an industry that - according to Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food - consumes 65% of the world's energy.

Raffaele and Massimiliano Alajmo recognize the importance of change. While they could easily rest on their laurels, have decided to aim higher, “where no man has gone before.” The brothers have adopted lightness, essence, nature and humanity as their cardinal points. Le Calandre has become their compass, by which they can be sure not to loose their way.