Luca Fadda
Bowery, Manhattan
Epistrophy knows comforting food. Notice we did not say ‘comfort food’—although a big bowl of pasta can be just that—but rather a meal and experience that is reliably delicious, relaxed, and always inviting. Walking in on a date, with a friend, or solo feels like you’ve come to visit a cool Italian family member you didn’t know you had. We say hit the classics here, enjoy fresh pappardelle or cotoletta alla milanese paired with an excellent array of cocktails, and take a deep breath. You're home.
Full name, age, where are you from?
Luca Fadda, 49 years old, Sardinia, Italy
What is your title and where do you work?
Owner of Epistrophy. With my wife Giorgia Zedda, and my business partner Nicola Paganelli, we take care of every aspect of the restaurant, from philosophy to maintenance.
What inspired you to work in the food industry?
During my years of university and music studies, I attended many music and literature festivals – and even founded my own. The most exciting part of the festivals was the convivial part. For example, in the Jazz school of Siena in Tuscany, after lessons, we had jam sessions in the districts where popular food was eaten while the students played with the masters. At a Jazz festival that was hosted by the famous musician, Paolo Fresu, there was a collective country lunch during the concert in the woods. And finally, in the same festival that I founded with my university classmates, the emotional pinnacle of the event was the popular collective dinner. So, when I moved to NY with my wife Giorgia to pursue my jazz dream and her restaurant dream, we decided to create a small "venue" with food, wine, and conviviality - called Epistrophy. For us native Italians, food is evidently social and community-centric. Food is simply the glue that holds our life together.
What is your biggest customer pet peeve?
I believe the fact that the restaurant is not very large, and often becomes crowded. With the tables not being far apart, it can become a bit noisy in general. However, what many people don't like actually creates a special atmosphere for others.
What is your most blissful food moment?
Precisely what pushed me to open a small restaurant. Conviviality!
I love simple food but with wholesome, organic and local ingredients which tells the story of the territory and a culture. So, I get the best culinary experience when I eat in a place where the raw ingredients are produced on sight, like in the restaurant of the Stella Maris fishermen's cooperative in Arbatax, Sardinia, “Prosciutto crudo” made by Pierrot in Corsica on his farm and the dinner show at the Teatro del Sale in Florence. I love eating the territory, the culture and immersing myself in the community it represents. This, for me, is the magic ingredient that makes the gastronomic act blissful, giving it an even more special flavor because it is an experience of collective fusion. Just like traveling.
What dish do you want to perfect in the kitchen?
Following the philosophy I just mentioned, in our restaurants we try to describe ourselves here and now. We were born in Sardinia, Italy, and we have lived in New York for 20 years and now have American children. We are merging American culture with Italian and so we want to represent that in our recipes. Lately, we have been working on a new fish dish. For us Mediterranean islanders, it's quite complicated to be able to translate the Mediterranean experience to NY, but we're having a lot of fun finding the right narrative which should be revealed soon in the new menu.
If you could shout out a colleague or friend in the industry who would it be and why?
There are many of them and all for different reasons. In Italy, I have always loved Fabio Picchi and his Cibreo and Teatro del Sale for bringing food into a theater. In NY, I find the vision of Blue Hill Farm fantastic for the integration between territory and cuisine.
In Brooklyn, I really appreciate Andrew Tarlow and the Diner for the lifestyle approach and holistic vision. Samurai Mama again for the beautiful communal table. Finally, I love bakeries and baked goods and I would definitely mention Nina's Bakery in Greenpoint near our other restaurant Le Fanfare.
What is the best food city?
For cultural exposure and creative stimulation, I would say New York. However, I have always eaten the best food though in the countryside or at the seaside on a fishing boat.
How do you relax outside of work?
Spending time with my family and surfing with my kids in Montauk. Also, playing the Trumpet in my studio.
What is your astrology sign (including moon and rising)?
OMG this is hard. Aries, moon in Taurus and Capricorn ascendant.
