Restaurant & Bar Awards 2020

www.lux-review.com Page 15 LUX Restaurant & Bar Awards 2020 One thing is made abundantly clear in the conversation with Erjon, and that is a passion for good pizza, and by extension, for good food. Yet, his path to L’Amalfitana was far from a simple one, and involved straying into, of all places, the world of martial arts and combat sports. “I have always worked in the restaurant sector. When I was 14 and a half years old, I was already head of the sandwich shop of Antica Birreria Wuhrer. Yet, I didn’t have any ambitions and things seemed easy for me. In 2008, I became a WTKA world champion at an amateur level with the aim to becoming a pro. “A crucial turning point came when my coach told me “Erjon, with what you earn or going to earn, it’s not worth it and you only hurt yourself.”. Today I thank him for that. In 2005, my brother decided to open a pizzeria in Flero and we worked together for seven years making a huge number of pizzas. In 2012, my brother told me to open a pizzeria of my own and gave me a safety net that – if it fails – I can go back to his pizzeria. And so, on April 16th 2012, Pizzeria D’Asporto L’Amalfitana was born in Poncarale. “It Italian pizza – while there are many establishments around the world that claim to offer authentic Italian pizza, a true experience can only come from the country itself. While there are many must- visit places in Italy that can satiate a desire for incredible pizza, one of the very best has to be Pizzeria D’Asporto L’Amalfitana in the city of Brescia in Lombardy. We spoke with the restaurant’s Erjon Picari to find out more about their recipe for success. Pizzeria D’Asporto L’Amalfitana Best Upscale Takeaway Pizzeria - Province of Brescia & LUX Culinary Excellence Award 2020: Authentic Neapolitan Pizza was a time of continuous growth of refining products, driven by passions and customers who did their part in helping me grow without advertising – they did the publicity for me. Today, we are in the stratosphere and still going up. Soon I will become master instructor of pizza, I have registered the brand and I’m a young 32-year-old that is optimistic about the future.” Along with this optimism lies a fierce ambition to grow L’Amalfitana to something extraordinary, to become one of the leading brands delivering fantastic pizza across the country (and, Erjon muses, the world). “I’m about to become a dad, I have a beautiful wife and I’m successful at work. I can’t complain.” It’s no surprise that Pizzeria D’Asporto L’Amalfitana has adapted well over the years in Erjon’s hands, despite significant changes to the global restaurant experience and patron expectations. “Food has changed over the years. It’s evolved. As I’ve had an open mind and the desire to experiment, I haven’t encountered any problems with moving with the changes. My clients trust me to make the changes to deliver the best experiences – I appreciate them greatly for that.” Finally, Erjon moves to discuss the future of the establishment and how he plans to develop L’Amalfitana further. It’s no surprise that Erjon is on a path of continual development. “There’s a few plans in the works. I am constantly studying to see what products and food is rich in fibres and vitamins to offer my customers. I want to improve constantly. To learn constantly and make L’Amalfitana the best it can possibly be.” Company: Pizzeria D’Asporto L’Amalfitana Address: Piazzetta Michelangeli 15, Poncarale, Brescia, 25020, Italy Telephone: (+39) 030 254 8526 Our policy is very simple- I always say it to my boys too- everything you do you should do to the maximum. Try hard, always. Push more. Money and success will find its way to you. Everything you do, do it with passion.