Antonio Gentile, chef at Anima in The Rome Edition, returns to Vinòforum with a cuisine that brings Lazio and Campania together. Alongside him, sommelier Aires Da Silva creates two pairings built around dishes with a strong sense of identity and Champagne.
Taking a restaurant’s identity outside its usual setting without losing its essence. This was one of the challenges faced by Antonio Gentile, chef at Anima, the restaurant at The Rome Edition, during his second appearance at Vinòforum with the Night Dinner series.
“It was a very intense experience, beautiful, full-on and demanding too, but we are really happy,” he says. And above all, even away from the hotel kitchen, the style remained unchanged. His cuisine moves between Lazio and Campania, reflecting his own Campanian roots. Two territories coexist in his dishes, and Gentile wanted to bring both of them to Vinòforum.
“We have dishes that tell the story of both Lazio and Campanian traditions. Some of those presented here will also appear on the menu at Anima.” Among them is one of the dishes the chef feels most connected to: tortello alla genovese. The starting point is one of the emblematic recipes of Campanian cuisine, beef genovese, transformed into a filling and served with a Provola del Monaco sauce and tomato.
Creating the dialogue with the wine is sommelier Aires Da Silva, who for the first tasting chooses Champagne: Ruinart Rosé, with a significant proportion of Pinot Noir. The idea is to match the structure and richness of the genovese, supporting its intensity without overpowering it.
The second tasting changes direction completely. A fettuccina with prawns and courgettes that, behind its apparent simplicity, conceals a more complex technical approach: the pasta itself is made with courgette purée and served with marinated courgette cream and white prawns from Terracina. Here Da Silva chooses Veuve Clicquot**, with a greater presence of Chardonnay and a freshness designed to support the vegetal and creamy elements of the dish, leaving the palate cleaner and more dynamic.**
Two very different preparations, two pairings designed to follow their individual character, and a philosophy that also defines Anima, just a few steps from Via Veneto. When asked during the interview whether all of this can simply be called “dinner”, the answer is almost inevitable. Perhaps it is more accurate to call it an experience.
Because when food and wine truly speak to one another, the dish does not end on the plate, and the wine does not remain simply in the glass.
