La Cucina di San Pietro a Pettine presents a new chapter in its gastronomic identity. A clear, conscious change that stems from a clear decision: the elimination of the tasting menu and the creation of a free menu, without hierarchies between appetizers, first courses, and second courses.
“It’s the most sincere menu we’ve ever created. I say ‘we’ because it would be dishonest to claim that it is mine alone: it is a formula that is the result of the more or less decisive advice of the entire staff,” explains chef Alice Caporicci.
Born in 1986 in San Pietro a Pettine, she initially studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Perugia. Her path changed with the discovery of cooking, which became a true vocation. She gained significant experience in Italy with Michelin-starred chef Marco Gubbiotti and at the Hotel De Russie in Rome with Fulvio Pierangelini. She then worked in London, at The Queensbury Deli and the Jamie’s Italian chain, refining her technique and vision in international contexts. Returning to Italy, she chose to run the family restaurant, embarking on a personal journey built in collaboration with her team at La Cucina.
The decision to abandon tasting is not a provocative gesture or an ideological stance. Rather, it is the result of personal reflection on the language of cuisine and the most authentic way to express oneself.
“Tasting is a means of expression, it is a language. Just as a writer chooses whether to write an epistolary novel, a collection of short stories, or a novella, so a chef chooses his or her own style. Right now, I feel that tasting is not the right method of expression for me.“
This vision is intertwined with a deep awareness of his own creativity.
”There are people whose creativity lasts for long periods of time, and others whose creativity manifests itself in a flash. I am one of those who create in a moment.”
The role of the customer is also at the center of this reflection. Over time, almost imperceptibly, the customer risked losing their centrality, while attention shifted to criticism, the figure of the chef, and the exercise of style. A cuisine that, when taken out of context, could become complex, something to be understood rather than experienced.
“With the lightness and tranquility of someone who has realized that they are mature enough to allow themselves that real freedom, derived from accepting themselves without ‘buts,’ I have chosen to do exactly what I feel.”
The chef declares that she has accepted three compromises: the context, which in these places makes itself felt with a deep and authoritative voice; the customers and their tastes; the work, because cooking remains a craft and must maintain a firm purpose without losing its narrative effectiveness.
The result is a menu free from rigid constraints, slightly chaotic, at times impromptu. Full, fast. Warm. “I hope welcoming.”
A proposal that dialogues with a heritage rooted in the 16th century, reinterpreted with contemporary sincerity.
La Cucina di San Pietro a Pettine thus chooses a clear direction: less construction, more truth.
The Tenuta di San Pietro a Pettine is an ecosystem that combines catering, agriculture, and the preservation of historical heritage, with truffles at its heart. Located in Trevi, since 2013 it has been home to the La Cucina restaurant, the brainchild of Carlo Caporicci, owner of the historic truffle company founded in 1948. The property covers twelve hectares of cultivated truffle grounds and approximately 2,000 hectares of natural truffle grounds, guaranteeing truffles all year round, even for multi-starred restaurants.
The village, dating back to 1100, includes a Romanesque church restored in 2012 that houses 16th-century frescoes attributed to Giotto’s pupils. Open to the public, together with the remains of the house of Blessed Antonio Fantosati, it represents a historical heritage accessible to restaurant guests.
