Today we’d like to introduce you to Fabrizio Landi.
Hi Fabrizio, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My professional history began in 2009, when I landed in Australia at the age of twenty where I began my apprenticeship working in an Italian restaurant on the Gold Coast. Only after a year did I realize that I loved this job too much and the idea of being able to “export” it across the Channel tickled me; so I decided to delve into the culinary arts. I returned to Italy and enrolled in Alma, the second best culinary academy in the world. As a student I learned the teachings of the great Chef Gualtiero Marchesi. After the training Marchesi himself, believing in my talent, entrusted me to a starred Chef, Marco Fadiga with whom I worked in Bologna, Prague, Miami. And it was with Chef Fadiga that I perfected many cooking methods, fundamental factors (and unknown to many) for the success of many recipes.
After the Fadiga experience (quality experience) I spent the next 1.5 years on board cruise ships in the Caribbean Sea. I worked there 16 hour days, cooking and preparing food for over 3,000 people. (experience of quantity and speed). On ships I perfected the art of preparation: the most important thing when cooking for 3,000 people is getting 3,000 dishes out that are all the same in taste but also in the composition of shapes and colors.
Then I moved to Japan and Peru where, fascinated by local traditions, I immersed myself in the culture and cuisine of those countries. Today I can say that I can also cook Japanese and Peruvian.
Finally, I continued my professional adventure living and working in the United Arab Emirates, at the service of a company of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family. The move to Los Angeles was the last stage where, while I was looking for the location of my restaurant, I worked for about 6 months as Executive Chef in one of the most renowned places in Beverly Hills.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Full of satisfaction Yes, but smooth No…Not at all.
Restaurant business is a daily Puzzle to complete, starting from founding the best product on the market until setting a table path for the multiple reservations we have daily. Grano is the destination of a multi-ethnic audience and above all the Italian Community which has recognized us as the ambassador of the true Italian tradition of our local cuisine.
One aspect that gratifies me a lot is that the Italian tourists, even if they stay for a short time here in LA, they visit us because recommended or also because we are on the top of the yelp lists, the most amazing and most used app for recommendations for business especially restaurants.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a Chef and I am the ex-chef and owner of “Grano Italian Restaurant” in the SGV in California.
I like to behave in order to define myself as a “thinking cook” and a hyper-sensitive person, always ready to understand what our customer feels and what the market requires in order to achieve the Satisfaction that makes my person and my business so my employees are successful.
At Grano, you can find the real Italian Tradition, not only in the food but in the entirety of the mood.
One of my biggest passion in life is traveling and understanding the truth of things… I have visited more than 100 countries on earth and lived five years in Asia, two years in South America, 1 in Australia and now I live since 2018 in the most powerful and beautiful land of California.
I love to visit the most trendy business worldwide and also I am obsessed with the classic French and British culinary culture and I love deeply the Peruvian and the koran cuisine.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Ingredients are the superpower of a chef, they have to be balanced between each other like instruments in an orchestra and that can only happen with Discipline so… DO YOUR BED IN THE MORNING, START YOUR SHIFT 5 MINUTES BEFORE SCHEDULE, KEEP YOUR WORKING AREAS ALWAYS SHARP CLEAN AND IRON EVERY DAY YOUR CHEF COAT.
After I finished my culinary academy (ALMA SCUOLA DI CUCINA INTERNAZIONALE) I was working at the greatest Restaurant in Bologna Italy, priced by the “Michelin” and we were serving the fois gras whit pan brioche clearly… God knows how many times I grew up in the result of baking at its perfection, now I can make pan brioche in a room with the light off so… DON’T BE AFRAID OF B/MAKING MISTAKE AND DON’T LET THEM STOP YOU, CONFIDENCE WILL COME WHIT PRACTICE OF ALOTS AND ALOTS OF HOURS… SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN COOKING… PS BURNS AND CUTS ARE MANDATORY IN ORDER TO LEARN THE JOB.
Cooking is the most powerful way to share love in an artistic way where the inspirations are so different based of the history and the geography of the place where you are in that specific moment so TRAVEL AND DISCOVER.
I personally love to go to eat anywhere but not home. Try as many MICHELIN restaurants, trucks, fast food, you can without pressure or prejudice and learn as much as you can while eating so… BE CURIOUS AND READ A LOT OF CULINARY BOOKS.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.grano081.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grano081
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grano081/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grano-italian-restaurant-and-wine-bar-duarte-2
- Other: Yelp: https://www.yelp.it/biz/grano-italian-restaurant-and-wine-bar-duarte-2?osq=grano
