Every cuisine has its masters, individuals who have been instrumental in defining their country’s or region’s cooking style, often elevating it to a new level. In my own research into the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, three men, all either chefs or restaurateurs, stand out to me as legends in their field, and I have been fortunate to have had the pleasure of meeting two of them.
Gianni Cosetti
There is not a single cook in Carnia—and possibly in all of Friuli—who has not been influenced by Gianni Cosetti. Nicknamed the orsetto, or “bear,” of Carnia, Cosetti gained his reputation as chef at the Albergo Roma in Tolmezzo. Author of the cookbook Vecchia e Nuova Cucina di Carnia, Cosetti made it his mission to document the traditional cuisine of the region, ensuring that ancient recipes handed down through generations will not be forgotten.
In addition to chronicling recipes, Cosetti strove to promote a greater awareness of Carnian culture through various classes and cooking contests. One such competition in 1973 featured the stuffed pasta called cjalsòns. The event yielded an astonishing forty versions of the dish, each recipe unique, passed down from the cook’s grandmother or great-grandmother.
Cosetti died on February 20, 2001, but the legacy of the “Bear of Carnia” carries on in kitchens throughout the region. To honor the chef’s memory, local officials established the Orsetto d’Oro, or “Golden Bear,” a contest designed to inspire young chefs to follow in Cosetti’s footsteps and keep the cuisine of Carnia alive for generations to come.
Bepi Salon
In the hilltop hamlet of Piano d’Arta, on a serene lane lined with shady trees and wisteria blossoms, Albergo Ristorante Salon was long recognized for its innovative local cuisine. When Arta Terme’s thermal baths first opened in the late 19th century, the sudden influx of visitors spawned a proliferation of new restaurants and hotels in the valley. Salon was one of the originals, opened by Osvaldo Salon in 1910—first as an osteria and then expanding a few years later into a small pensione.
It was when Osvaldo passed the business down to his son Bepi, a budding mycologist, that the restaurant saw a significant transformation. In a tourist market where hotel menus typically featured “national” dishes such as spaghetti al ragù, lasagne, and tortellini in brodo, Bepi Salon pioneered the use of local ingredients and regional specialties. With his wife, Fides, commanding the kitchen, the pair introduced guests to such Carnian peasant fare as polenta, frittata, and goulasch.
Through the decades, nearly every ingredient was raised, cultivated, or hand-picked by the Salon family, or at least procured from a local source. From the garden were fresh greens and vegetables; chickens, ducks, and guinea hens were raised in backyard pens; wild game was obtained from local hunters; and trout, fresh from the valley’s river and streams, was purchased weekly and kept live in tanks until ready to cook.
It was Carnia’s abundance of wild edibles, though, that contributed most to the restaurant’s fame. With the sprightly nature of a sbilf (a gnome-like creature in Carnian folklore), Bepi Salon would rise at the crack of dawn for his daily trek through Carnia’s forests and meadows, returning just hours later bearing baskets of freshly picked mushrooms, herbs, and berries. Signora Fides, drawing inspiration from her mother’s family recipes, would then prepare such creations as mushroom soufflé, risotto with seasonal greens, and crêpes with mushrooms and truffles. Daughter and pastry chef Antonella had a particular flair for incorporating wild strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and currants into her desserts.
Sadly, Bepi died in 2010, and Fides passed away just three years later. Their daughter Antonella continued running the restaurant for four more years, until its closure in 2017.
Joško Sirk
Situated in the heart of the Collio is one of Friuli’s most esteemed restaurants, the Michelin-starred Trattoria Al Cacciatore de La Subida, run by Joško Sirk and his wife, Loredana. On the outskirts of Cormòns, surrounded by rolling hills and lush vineyards, La Subida serves impeccable dishes inspired by the nearby border where Friulian and Slovenian cultures merge.
La Subida was originally opened as a small osteria and inn and soon became a popular gathering spot for hunters. A recreational hunter himself, Sirk takes great pride in the land and has built a small complex of apartments adjacent to his restaurant, complete with tennis courts, children’s playground, horse stables, and swimming pool. For Sirk, building these rustic farmhouses has been an obsessive hobby and his primary passion—the realization of a longtime dream.
The Sirks look at their cuisine as a slice of life, a part of their culture and heritage. The menu, created by chef Alessandro Gavagna, leans toward the Triestine—jota and gnocchi di susine, for example—but also offers a variety of Friulian dishes, including frico, frittata, and orzotto, as well as the Slovenian pastas mlinci and zlikrofi. The menu rotates seasonally; for example, pumpkin gnocchi is served in autumn, while summer brings gnocchi stuffed with fresh plums. Don’t miss the stinco di vitello, a melt-in-your-mouth-tender roast veal shank that Joško will carve for you tableside. While their food remains authentic, each dish is refined to an exquisite level through added touches such as fried sage leaves, elderberry flower syrup, and herb-infused sorbets.
A side venture that has gained Sirk additional fame is his artisanally produced vinegar. Like balsamic, his vinegar is made from grapes rather than wine, although Sirk’s is made from 100% local Ribolla Gialla grapes, a white variety that gives the vinegar its characteristic orange hue. The fermentation is a slow process, with the grapes fermenting in Slovenian oak barrels for up to five full years.
