Allegra Tirotti Romanoff #MYCLAHTTITUDE

1) Allegra you grew up in Romagna in a small town. You soon moved to the big cities to study and work. Do you want to tell us how you were as a child? What dreams did you have?

I grew up an only child of two open-minded parents who took me with them in the most varied situations. I have always found myself comfortable talking to adults and since I was a child I developed a strong desire for independence. I enjoyed dinners with my parents and their friends, I was curious, I loved food and I experimented. I would have a series of anecdotes about my proverbial appetite since I was a child, one above all, I was 3 years old and a friend of my father took an octopus that I had so insisted on tasting. In theory it would have been a lunch for three but in the end, no one could believe it: I ate it all myself.

2) Studies at Marangoni in Milan in Fashion Design, work as a designer for an important fashion house, your passion for style and design. How was this love born?

Certainly my family background and my parents’ respective creative works made an impact. Since I was a child I have always loved combining things creatively: I was the official stylist and make-up artist of all my friends on various occasions. Growing up, I realized that my creative streak could be a gift to be cultivated and for this reason I then directed my studies in this direction. My first collection, created for the final show at Marangoni, was based precisely on a set of furnishing fabrics (by Dedar with which I still collaborate) combined and adapted for clothing. It was this collection that earned me my place in the Etro style office where I stayed for a few years. I have always been fascinated by colors, materials and putting together different elements, I have always loved the harmony that is created if you pay attention to the nuances of the different.
Today I understood that I can continue my creativity in interior design and furnishings.
Having recreated our home from scratch, our Dalla Gioconda restaurant and the Casa Marcon project have confirmed to me that this is more than just a passion but something that I would like to cultivate and deepen.

3) With your boyfriend, Stefano Bizzarri, you decided to renovate the Dalla Gioconda restaurant in Gabicce Monte, which you had already managed for a couple of years. You personally took care of the renovation, the choice of materials for the new rooms and furnishings. What were your bases of inspiration?

We immediately thought about respecting the environment that surrounds us.
Dalla Gioconda is immersed in the greenery of Mount San Bartolo, in a position from which you can admire the hills and the sea. We wanted to create something that did not have time and for this reason we chose to study the essence of the restaurant first, which started out as a dance in the 1950s.
We are attentive to nature and sustainability. We chose materials that spoke of the place and that were combined with its essence, local producers and artisans.
The pink stones of Furlo, wood, brass, yellow and blue of the horizons and the sea that are reflected in our color choices, ceramic tables with hand salted edges, grit, ceramics and natural terracotta. Our restaurant Dalla Gioconda talks about us and many spaces are conceived as if they were part of our home, much of my inspiration was my love for Stefano, wanting to create a place that talks about us.
Inside bookcases, fireplaces, music and surfboards: the goal is to make people feel in a space of well-being, every detail has been thoroughly studied to make the environment fun and relaxing.
With Stefano, who also studied botany, we decided to create a vegetable garden at the entrance of the restaurant, all the guys who collaborate with us have contributed to its creation and our herbs are added to our menu every day.

4) Stefano, who is also a sommelier, took care of the choice of wines with Alessio di Iorio and you have identified Davide Di Fabio as the ideal chef for this new project. All young guys like you and very talented. Can you tell us about these choices?

Thinking about our restaurant, we immediately thought about the type of experience we wanted to offer. Our philosophy is that of great attention to detail and a relaxed and simple spirit. We have a team made up of genuine and fantastic people, hard workers who share with us the passion for catering and for the project. When Stefano decided to take this path he did an internship in Francescana where he met Davide di Fabio , who, at the time was Massimo Bottura’s sous chef.
Davide’s partner, Lucia, is from these region and one day she came to visit us: we talked about it, he wanted to come and live closer to her and we talked about our project, we had many points in common and we understood that we were looking in the same direction. In the structure we have sought harmony by combining many different elements, this is also reflected in the kitchen of our chef Davide di Fabio: attention to detail, a lot of research, unusual combinations that give a simple, genuine and usable taste to everyone.

5) You are a woman of great taste and innate elegance. You love details and make them your stylistic code. What can never really miss from your wardrobe? Do you have a garment or an accessory you are particularly fond of?

I certainly have lots of vintage dresses from my grandmother and mother’s wardrobes. Very beautiful garments that are always current.
For the rest I am really very fond of a gift from Stefano, a very simple necklace with a pendant in the shape of a sea snail. It reminds us of the beach of Gabicce, the place of our first meeting.

6) Finally Allegra: what are your plans for the near future?

Soon we will begin the renovation of Casa Marcon, a holiday home in Gabicce Monte, overlooking the castle of Gradara, in which we have our natural vegetable garden. The challenge will also be to make Dalla Gioconda an annual venue and not purely a summer one, which is why we have also included relaxation corners with a fireplace inside the venue. We are planning to activate our online store where it will be possible to purchase items and products that reflect our philosophy.
And then other projects that I have not yet revealed, we have a great desire to do and to make Gabicce Monte known and to do everything possible to enhance this area that we love strongly.