In the culinary landscape, Chef Cannavacciuolo is synonymous with passion and authenticity. But what makes Laqua Collection’s restaurants special? It’s revealed through the dishes of our Head Chefs: let’s discover how their training and focus on sustainability translate into unique and memorable dining experiences.
What do Gianni, Marco, Nicola, and Gianluca, our Head Chefs, have in common?
Our Head Chefs have had the valuable opportunity to be trained by Chef Cannavacciuolo, learning the secrets of sustainable and authentic cooking.
This experience has shaped their style, blending respect for ingredients with creativity and passion.
Each dish reflects these values, offering guests a unique and genuine gastronomic experience.
House Products: The Foundation of Laqua Collection’s Sustainable Cuisine
One of the first important lessons Chef Cannavacciuolo imparts to his team is the importance of sourcing ingredients. The regions where our boutique hotels—and their restaurants—are located offer a remarkable variety of genuine ingredients, cultivated by local farmers and small producers.
The creation and variation of menus carefully follow the seasonality of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, which not only come from the surrounding area but also, and most importantly, from our own gardens.
The most remarkable of these is Laqua Countryside, a lush green space of 1,000 square meters, featuring majestic fruit trees, numerous spices, and vegetables cultivated with care.
Only rainwater is used for irrigation, aligning with the environmental sustainability that the Cannavacciuolo family cherishes.
Vegetarian Offerings
In our restaurants, vegetarian options are never just simple alternatives but rather celebrations of plant-based cuisine.
The Head Chefs create true tasting journeys, elevating vegetables to the forefront through innovative pairings and meticulous preparations.
LAQUA BY THE LAKE: GIANNI BERTONE
For Gianni Bertone, Head Chef at Laqua by the Lake on Lake Orta, vegetarian goodness grows in the small garden of his restaurant, a natural corner that produces essential spices, herbs, and vegetables for adding color and flavor to his cuisine.
Tomatoes and arugula come from there, used in a special “Mozzarella Tartare,” a fresh appetizer in the tasting menu “Acquolina” and the vegetarian path.
LAQUA COUNTRYSIDE: NICOLA SOMMA
At Laqua Countryside, in the Sorrentine countryside, the sustainable approach is reflected in the vegetarian menu created by Head Chef Nicola Somma.
The “Carpe Diem” menu features seasonal specialties like “Zucchini Parmigiana,” a classic revisited and presented in a deconstructed form to highlight each ingredient.
Another notable dish is “Zucchini, Figs, and Truffle,” which presents innovative flavors leaving a memorable taste impression.
LAQUA VINEYARD: MARCO SURIANO
Marco Suriano, Head Chef of Laqua Vineyard in the Tuscan countryside, places vegetables at the center of his vegetarian menu.
With 100% plant-based dishes, he caters to new dietary trends and the varied tastes of his guests. Among Chef Suriano’s favorite ingredients are tomatoes, a precious childhood memory and a nod to maternal cooking.
This inspiration leads to the dish “Tomato, Lemon Balm, Almond, Apricot,” featuring the Tuscan Pisanello tomato enriched with a Mexican apricot sauce and an almond drizzle that enhances its aroma.
LE CATTEDRALI: GIANLUCA RENZI
Another garden for Laqua Collection, this time amid the green landscapes of Monferrato.
Head Chef Gianluca Renzi of the Boutique Hotel Le Cattedrali in Asti presents his “Frozen Garden”, a colorful and creative dish made almost entirely with produce from the private garden.
Its cold textures and temperatures make it a refined summer dish, featuring a sorbet of 16 different herbs, a frozen tomato mousse, cherries, fig oil, and snap peas.
The Essence of Sincere Cooking
Chef Cannavacciuolo describes his cooking with these words: “My cuisine is sincere and genuine, based on fresh and authentic ingredients It’s not just about aesthetics, but about a taste experience that goes straight to the heart.”
This principle is shared by the Head Chefs of Laqua Collection, who each develop their own philosophy while adhering to his values.
At the core is always the primary ingredient, true flavor, without artifice. Cannavacciuolo’s cuisine speaks from the heart and in a simple manner, because to impress the palate, you need not decorations and theatrics, but only the right combinations.
