Chef Biography
Massimo Barletti was born in 1966 in Florence, Italy, and graduated from the Saffi Hotel School in Florence. He apprenticed at the Grand Hotel in Florence from 1981-1983, and was then hired by the Grand Hotel chain in 1983. He worked his way up the kitchen ladder in the different Grand Hotels: Baglioni (1983-1986), Bellavista (1987-1988), Cristallo (1989), La Pace (1990), and finally as sous chef at the Sabatini (1990-1994).
In 1994, he was invited by L’Hotel in São Paulo, Brazil to be the opening executive chef of their new restaurant, Trebbiano. Five years later, in November 1999, the Great Chefs television crew showed up to tape Chef Massimo at L’Hotel for the Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of the World television series (episode 221).
In 2002, he moved to the Hotel Transamerica Comandatuba for a few years before moving back to Florence, Italy to open his own restaurant, La Griglia. In 2007, he left the restaurant in his sister’s hands and returned to Brazil to open a restaurant with his own name in São José do Rio Preto. In 2010, he sold the restaurant and joined the Aegean Restaurant Group (Grupo Egeu) which owns Italy and Kaá restaurants, among others, where he remains today in 2016.
Recipes
Spinach Mousse with Financier Sauce
Print Spinach Mousse with Financier Sauce By Great Chefs September 15, 2016 Elegant spinach mousse timbales are topped with cock’s combs and served with a rich sauce that contains two kinds of meat, two kinds of livers, mushrooms, and more cock’s combs. The cock’s combs are extremely unusual in the U.S., but they are not […]
Mandioquinha and Saffron Gnocchi with Hearts of Palm and Sage Butter Sauce
Serving: 2 Print Mandioquinha and Saffron Gnocchi with Hearts of Palm and Sage Butter Sauce By Great Chefs October 14, 2015 These silky gnocchi are a Brazilian twist on a favorite recipe: instead of potatoes, Chef Barletti uses mandioquinha, also known as manioc or cassava, a starchy root used in many South American dishes. The […]