Enrico Marmo, born in Piedmont in 1986, arrived in the kitchen almost by chance, starting as a dishwasher in an osteria in Monferrato, before moving on to Cracco Peck in Milan and becoming sous chef at All’enoteca in Canale. Called by Pina Beglia at the end of 2015 to the historic Balzi Rossi in Ventimiglia, he humbly took on the challenge of the sea, starting from scratch. “I am Piedmontese, and the absence of a visceral bond with Ligurian dishes proved to be the winning approach, where a love for the land prevails. It is a lean cuisine where the flavor is defined by the person who creates it!” says Enrico, who in recent weeks announced his departure from Balzi Rossi to embark on new projects. Unconventional by choice, in Ventimiglia he loved to showcase the vegetable garden overlooking the sea and the area’s almost tropical microclimate. However, meat is also among his signature dishes: Ligurian-style rabbit with toasted pine nuts, Taggiasca olives, and aromatic wild mixed greens. His is a cuisine that tells the story of the territory without being held captive by it, as seen in his Zucchini Brandade or the Mock roast rabbit with its toasted zucchini seed reduction. “Ours is a true symbiosis between the catch and the harvest—something extremely difficult to achieve today because climate change has a significant impact. For this very reason, we want to portray the true Mediterranean, one born from an idea of loyalty toward the customer.
