The relationship of collaboration and friendship between each other is strengthened Nino Di Costanzo, the great chef from Ischia with two Michelin stars, four Hats from Espresso, three Forks from Gambero Rosso, member of the Les Grandes Tables du Monde association at the helm of the super celebrated Dani Maison restaurant which Forbes has included among the ten unmissable restaurants in the world. e Ivano Veccia one of the greatest pizza chefs in Italy known throughout the world, three segments in the Gambero Rosso Guide to Italian Pizzerias, awarded for his international activities with the civic recognition of ambassador of the island of Ischia in the world by the mayor of the island.
The collaboration between the two giants in their respective skills materializes in a original project that sees them together again: the opening of the Lisola restaurant-pizzeria, in Forio d'Ischia the municipality full of history, of noble palaces, of coastal towers and churches, including that of Soccorso, of local artists' workshops, a restaurant that intends to celebrate traditional Ischia cuisine, open from aperitif to dinner
“The idea was born from the relationship of friendship and esteem that has bound us for many years,” explains chef Di Costanzo. The works lasted a year and a half: the place was built inside a structure of green tuff, a stone typical of the Forio area, dated 1927, located right in front of the sea, from which you can admire one of the most beautiful sunsets. beautiful of the Mediterranean and the legendary green ray, the optical phenomenon that inspired poets and writers including Jules Verne who dedicated a novel "The Green Ray" to it, and the French director Rohmer, author of the film “Le Rayon vert” which won a Golden Lion in Venice in 1986.
An innovative concept: large open spaces to demonstrate a direct relationship with the environment and history
The proportions of Lisola (strictly without apostrophe) are notable, 700 m150 of spaces (excluding outdoor parking) and XNUMX seats. A deliberately important choice by the owners - as well as Costanzo and Veccia are involved in the company third partner is a Venetian entrepreneur Federico de Majo prestigious signature of the Murano glassworks which has given life to a brand of lighting and modern glass design known throughout the world, in love with Ischia - as an affirmation of a concept that aims to attest to a direct and unmediated or contained relationship with the extraordinary artistic, historical and environmental landscape of the Island loved by Elsa Morante, Alberto Moravia, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Renato Guttuso, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Maria Callas, Maupassant, Curzio Malaparte and Pablo Neruda, Luchino Visconti and the Marquis de Sade, Ibsen and Allen Ginsberg
The venue develops mainly outdoors, with a garden on a large terrace, a handcrafted Sorrento pergola, an olive tree in the center of the space and five private rooms. The reserved areas are delimited by plants, pots and green spots: all with an exclusive view of the sea. The internal room is unique and will be used especially in the winter months. The project is completed by a cellar buried in the Ischia tuff, a veranda with a bar area, the delicatessen counter, the kitchen, the pizzeria, the grill and the spit. The veranda is equipped with large panoramic windows that offer natural lighting and a breathtaking view of the sea: on the ceiling the handcrafted island baskets become original lampshades. The environments are welcoming and informal and the furnishings are almost completely Italian: the choice of the three partners was to favor the traditional materials produced by local artisans, such as wood, stone and iron, blending them with high design lines.
Di Costanzo and Veccia's bet: a dynamic sharing that erases the boundaries between cuisine, pizza and barbecue
At the table Di Costanzo and Veccia have bet on the sharing formula: a very dynamic concept that erases the boundaries between cuisine, pizza and barbecue and makes Lisola a place far from the norm, open to all. The cuisine has a Mediterranean and traditional imprint, based on the seasonality of the raw materials, coming mainly from Southern Italy. A menu is dedicated to the island, with rabbit ravioli and Ischia-style rabbit. Nino Di Costanzo's iconic dishes are also protagonists, such as spaghettoni with five tomatoes, cacio e pepe with red prawns, lobster linguine, offered alongside Neapolitan paella, grilled fish and meat and homemade Pan Bauletto with butter and anchovies.
Three ovens, two of which are electric and one wood-fired: they are the kingdom of master pizza chef Ivano Veccia. The chef brings several "signature pizzas" to Lisola, including the "Lasagna povera" and the Pizzaiuolo (his Provola and Pepe), as well as the fritta and the Roman shovel. For cuisine and pizza, guests can also choose a tasting itinerary. The wine list includes almost 300 labels, in particular from Campania and Ischia, offering a journey around Italy and France: the three partners have entered into a partnership with Cantine Ferrari. The desserts are based on processed fruit: but, for the future, Nino Di Costanzo will create traditional desserts offered in a modern way.
Di Costanzo, a starred philosopher of great Mediterranean cuisine who also involves his customers in the kitchen
Talking about Nino di Costanzo is talking about one of the greatest Italian masters of Mediterranean cuisine conceived as a poetry of the territory. His career began at a very young age when, driven by the passion passed on to him by his mother and grandmother, he began to study and work work until arriving at the court of great chefs such as Marchesi, Arzak three Michelin stars in 1989, confirmed for over twenty-five years, founder of the New Basque Cuisine, which will definitely influence Spanish cuisine, including what is today considered one of the best chefs in the world, Ferran Adriá in the most prestigious hotels and luxury restaurants in the world. In 2008, he earned his first Michelin star at the Il Mosaico restaurant (located inside the historic Hotel Manzi in Casamicciola Terme which had Giuseppe Garibaldi among its illustrious guests); after just under a year the second star arrives accompanied by the charge of Grand Chef and Ambassador Relais Chateaux. Then in 2016 the choice of the big leap, to start one's own business and create the "Daní Maison" in an old house owned by the family in the hinterland of Ischia, an elegant and refined restaurant of territoriality and innovation where the guests - in contrast with the kitchens armored rooms of great chefs - they can even find a place in the kitchen, to watch the preparation of the dishes in the front row, a choice motivated by the fact of putting the customer at ease, in a place with a history, roots and a strong connection with the territory where the guest is placed at the center of attention and feels at home, but with great discreet and refined service. And all around olive trees and lemons, the signature of the Mediterranean which is immediately rewarded by the red guide of two Michelin stars.
The pizzas of Veccia, who trained with Enzo Coccia, are today a classic
Ivano Veccia, born in 1981, also has a long and prestigious history and began to deal with the world of pizza at a very young age, following the advice of his teacher, Enzo Barone, behind the counter of "Terra del Fuoco", then moving on to training experiences in Piacenza and Milan, in London where he learned the art of Neapolitan pizza, from "Rosso Pomodoro", under the guidance of Antonio Magno, arriving in 2006 at the “Palm Beach” in Ischia where he met the chef Nino Di Costanzo, with whom he would start an intense collaboration, in Italy and abroad to improve later with Enzo Coccia, legendary and historic grand master of Neapolitan pizza. 2015 was a very important year for Veccia: he became responsible for the pizzeria sector of "Ischia Safari", the great event that attracts illustrious chefs from Italy and abroad created together with Nino Di Costanzo. His creations include the "Lasagna povera" pizza, inspired by the Cossack, the Ischian pizza the Pizzaiuolo, with San Marzano Dop, parmesan cream, grated Mamma Bruna (brown monolatte), smoked fior di latte, seven types of pepper from around the world and homemade smoked extra virgin olive oil, are now classics that have marked the history of modern Neapolitan pizza.
Lisola Restaurant
via Giovanni Mazzella, 116
80075 Forio (NA)
