Divine Results

MARCO BARBISOTTI'S CULINARY career in Palm Beach is only 12 months in, but the Milan native brings the best of Italy with him. Before moving to the U.S. in 2010, he worked in restaurants Voila in Milan, La Piazzetta in Varese, and Cinque Sensi in Vicenza. Barbisotti’s career with SA Hospitality Group, New York’s most beloved and authentic Italian restaurants, began seven years ago, first as executive chef of Sant Ambroeus West Village, and later the Soho location.

“I’ve opened several Sant Ambroeus locations, and what I really enjoy most about Palm Beach is the atmosphere and decor of the restaurant. I think it is the best restaurant ever built,” says Barbisotti. The town agrees.

Barbisotti is now in his second season at Palm Beach, and cultivating a menu to answer the area’s food needs has been a welcoming task. For the past two months, Barbisotti oversaw the creation of the “Winter” menu, which includes new selections in appetizers, tartare and homemade pasta. The restaurant is even launching its own selection of homemade pastas from spaghetti alla chitarra to ravioli.

The lack of a traditional winter climate isn’t dimming Barbisotti’s creativity. Always eager to present his Milanese food traditions to his clientele, he has added dishes that are quintessential examples of winter in Italy. Must-haves are the cappellacci stuffed with a filling of pumpkin and almonds; and the short rib brasato served with white cornmeal polenta and horseradish gremolata. For a little American a la Italian, try the fresh burrata, pumpkin puree, pickled pearl onions and crispy Tuscan kale appetizer. It’s the best of both countries.