Italy is often said not to be a country for young people. Yet, there are exceptions—some young people manage to start their professional careers well before hitting their thirties, and in this case, even just after turning 20. Agnese Loss is 22 years old and already runs a successful restaurant—the second of her career, to be precise. It’s called Osteria Contemporanea, which she opened with 28-year-old maître Davide Saglietti, her partner in this adventure at the heart of Gattinara.
Loss hails from Cicona, a tiny hamlet with a population of 85 in the province of Trento, where she wasted no time setting her career in motion: from the Lucian pastry shop in Mezzano, she went to Dina in Gussago (recently awarded Tre Forchette in Franciacorta), then to the Nazionale in Vernante, where she met Davide, and later to Gallo Cedrone in Madonna di Campiglio before returning to pastry work at Piccolo Principe in the Principe di Piemonte Hotel in Viareggio (Tre Forchette and awarded for the best mixed drinks menu). It was then that she and Davide decided to open a restaurant, first in the province of Novara and then in Gattinara, where they overcame initial prejudice and doubt. They seemed too young, yet they persevered, driven by passion—a passion for flavour, written plainly as the mission of their restaurant.
Dishes close to the heart and a taste for offal
Their menu combines beloved dishes (the favourites of both Agnese and Davide), like the three-roast plin ravioli with a brown stock based on Davide’s grandmother's recipe—a perfect expression of "Tradizione Futura" (Future Tradition), reinterpreting grandparents' recipes for the modern palate. Or the brook char with yoghurt and dill. Their love of offal is clear in a dedicated tasting menu, where even the dessert includes organ meats: tongue, sweetbreads, bull's testes, finanziera, and raw heart served as a tartare for a starter. Besides the à la carte options and three tasting menus, there’s also a "blind menu" at the experimental chef’s counter—a space for conversation and discovery around each dish. Osteria Contemporanea is a proud recipient of the Tradizione Futura (Future Tradition) award.
Osteria Contemporanea – Passione per il Gusto - Gattinara (VC) - Via Francesco Mattai, 4 - 339 462 1463 - https://www.osteriacontemporanea.it/
Photo: Francesco De Marco
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