The food truck that becomes the coolest restaurant in Cilento during the Summer

It all starts with CiVà – Cibo Vagabondo: that's the name of the vintage, circus-like truck that brings the flavours of Cilento and Vallo di Diano to the streets. It was born in 2019 from the collaboration between the team of a once-renowned venue in Sala Consilina (LiLo - Libero Locale, closed in 2022) and the I Segreti di Diano agricultural company in Teggiano. The young souls behind this mobile kitchen are brothers Daniel and Antonio Esposito, chef Tony Granieri, and Pietro D’Elia, who have also won the special "Street Food on The Road" award in Gambero Rosso’s Street Food 2021 guide, dedicated to the best itinerant activities.

A restaurant on wheels

In this mobile kitchen, the authentic flavours of Vallo di Diano and Cilento are encapsulated in street food offerings, as well as in substantial local dishes made with meticulously selected products, from crushed olives to cacioricotta, spicy sausage to podolica cow cheeses. It's no surprise that the truck is part of the Gusto della Dieta Mediterranea network and the Slow Food Chefs' Alliance.

"After the Street Food on the Road award, we decided to take things even more seriously. We invested in structures and equipment: today there are two CiVà trucks, and we've centralised everything in our Lab Hub in Sala Consilina," says Pietro D’Elia, a CiVà partner and founder of the I Segreti di Diano agricultural company, which revived the cultivation of the sciuscillone pepper. "Today, CiVà is still the territorial cuisine on the move from the early days, but it’s also more: it’s a restaurant without walls! We want to convey the power of quality street food and the surprise of gourmet cuisine crafted in a food truck. Last Saturday, Ducasse said that Michelin stars should also be awarded to pizzerias; we believe we can achieve this with a truck."

Truckering

A neologism that says a lot about these young people eager to explore new paths. The term truckering was coined with the launch of the new food truck, a highly capable vehicle with surprising potential: "We are the only company in Italy today that offers catering from a food truck, serving from 30 to 250 people," explain CiVà’s partners. "We also offer traditional catering and banqueting for ceremonies or private events. We are on the main event platforms, and from September, with the support of some visionary investors, we will start a development project in Rome, bringing Lab Hub and Food Truck there as well."

A rich Cilento Summer

"Summer for us is the season of regular appointments and collaborations," says D’Elia. For the third year in a row, the CiVà team will be at the Tenuta degli Eremi, a splendid organic farm with a breathtaking panoramic view over the sea of Acciaroli, every weekend in July and August with "Odio L'Estate". Sunset aperitifs – on two occasions also dinner – with wine or cocktail glasses paired with dishes created by CiVà chef Tony Granieri. "The event is by reservation only with limited places. This year we will have guests almost every week because we believe in the value of collaborations to grow as a business and as individuals."

Among the names on the programme are Antica Salumeria Malinconico from Naples, Culetti Ecoforno Circolare from Trevignano Romano, and Extremis pizzeria from Rome.

And it doesn't stop there, as dinners in evocative locations in Vallo di Diano, such as historic buildings or natural monuments, have become another hallmark of the truck, under the name of Story Living Experience: local products and producers, great cuisine, magical settings, immersive narratives about the territory. It started on June 28 with a dinner at Castello Macchiaroli in Teggiano, and three more events can be booked through the dedicated website: July 18 at Certosa di San Lorenzo (Padula), August 22 at Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte (Padula), and September 14 in the natural wonder of the Grotte di Pertosa.

CiVà - Cibo Vagabondo - Sala Consilina (SA) - www.cibovagabondo.it