Planning the new Refettorio in the Bronx!!! 2017 with Bob
Instagram photo of Robert De Niro and Massimo Bottura
If there was any morsel of doubt that the Bronx has hit its tipping point, here’s proof. Chef Massimo Bottura, whose restaurant Osteria Francescana in Italy was No. 1 on the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurant list for 2016, is getting ready to say “Mangia” to the borough.
While details are slim, Bottura is working on bringing a “dining hall” to the Bronx, according to Eater via a translated report from Italy’s Bergamo Post.
The renowned chef posted a photo on Instagram alongside actor Robert De Niro, indicating the concept is scheduled to open next year.
Bottura debuted his Refettorio Ambrosiano at the 2015 Milan Expo with a menus featuring leftover ingredients. Meals were served to local children and homeless shelters.
The chef claims he cut out 15 tons worth of food waste over the course of the five-month expo. He also plans to launch the concept in Rio during the Olympics.
The Italian consulate is collaborating on the Bronx project, Bergamo reported.
While the restaurant may draw epicurean foodies to the borough, real estate players have been on a feeding frenzy of their own. Developers pumped $788 million into Bronx residential projects in 2014, for example. [Eater] – Rich Bockmann