Frantoio Ristorante- Mill Valley CA
Slow Life In Marin
The Zecca family extended their passion for their home in Tuscany and brought in San Francisco star architect Cass Calder Smith to interpret the ancient and medieval Tuscan Villa they lived in with modern Italy and California influences. Linking the similarities of Tuscany with the climate and freedom of northern California, the Zecca's defined a high style Tuscan cuisine in Marin County around organic locally grown Olives and fresh local ingredients.
photo by Wendy Abrams On Slow Life
Olive Trees at Tuscany House
Blending Roberto Zecca's sophisticated Italian palette and Christine's passion for organic food, this is as good as being in modern Tuscany. Now Frantoio is one of the best Tuscan & light Italian menus in the Bay Area with a star Italian chef, Duilio Valenti from Rex and Bice, locavore values, fresh pressed oil made in the restaurant and an interesting low key celebrity clientele from George Lucas to Annette Benning.
Inspiration Point
View From The Zecca's former retreat at Castellare di Ugnana
photo by Wendy Abrams On Slow Life
Living With Trees @ The Zecca's Former
Tuscan House
Modern Tuscan Villa in Marin
The Zeccas are pioneer purveyors of organic olive oil and locally sourced ingredients for their sleeper of an authentic Tuscan Italian kitchen. In fact co owner, Roberto Zecca literally started an olive oil revolution based on the couple's handmade efforts of restoring an historic villa/castle, Castellare di Ugnana in the Chianti region of Tuscany in the late 80' s. The 100-acre property including several 11th century medieval structures and an ancient olive orchard of more than 1,250 trees was the incubator where Roberto learned his craft. Roberto quickly became an expert in “Olivicultura,” learning the latest harvesting methods, organic farming and cold pressing techniques and began bottling his own Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil. They created a community around olive oil and blended Italy and California in a way that is unique to this restaurant and its roots.
In 1995, Roberto returned to the Bay Area to pioneer his new profession on California soil. His idea to combine olive oil making with the restaurant business was totally unique, and today Frantoio retains its distinction as the only restaurant nationwide with a state-of-the-art working olive oil press. "People love to see the oil press and have the ability to taste it right as it is being made. November and December the harvest is in process and we fill up pitchers for the table with fresh olive oil. People go nuts!"he laughs.
Roberto lectures on olive oil and judges all over the world. Frantoio works with Marin Organic and has special tastings and dinners and the actual space feels just like a Tuscan villa. Their dedication to local farmers and educating on the nuances of olive oil anchors Marin to Italy in a unique way. Their oil is its own cottage industry, however, the food is a quiet sensation. They supply olive oil to northern California icons such as George Lucas and Skywalker Ranch and helped create the California Olive Oil Council. Roberto was the president and has become of the world's leading experts in judging olive oil.
The Oil
Frantoio produces and bottles one kind of California Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil.During the crushing season (November and December), you can watch the entire olive oil making process.
Duilio Valenti Handles The Plate & the kitchen!
Front Right
The Soul Of The Kitchen
And The Spirit
Duilio is a bit of a comedian but an amazing chef consistently creating local seasonal inspired food with Zecca's ongoing delight and total confidence. He grew up in a foodie family and started his career very young with encouragement from his father Jean, a professional sommelier, co-founder of A.I.S. (Associazione Italiana Sommelier) and a key figure in the Italian wine making revolution.
After completing hotelier school in Bormio, Italy, Duilio worked as an apprentice in many Grand-Hotels and restaurants before beginning his first significant position as an assistant pastry chef with Gualtiero Marchesi in Milan, Italy. Five years later and with a chef tournant’s title, he was engaged by Mr. Mauro Vincenti to be his pastry chef at the glamorous Rex Ristorante in Los Angeles, California, which Duilio departed as a Sous Chef after five years.
Duilio went on to his first executive chef position and opened Villa D’ Este restaurant in Del Mar, California, which quickly became one of San Diego’s top restaurants and was selected as one of the “100 best in southern California.” After this important accomplishment Duilio accepted an offer to partnership in trendy Sorrento Grille in Laguna Beach, California.
Sorrento Grille was named as one of the Top 40 restaurants in the Los Angeles area according to the L.A. Times, as well as one of the “100 best in Southern California.”
Following this fruitful experience, Chef Duilio went to work for “Bice” in New York City, one of the busiest and commercially successful restaurants in the country.
How Do They Crush The Olives @ Frantoio?
Here's The Facts from Their Site
We crush our own olives as well as olives for clients!
How the process works…
If you would like to come to us with your olives we will crush for you with our state of the art PIERALISI two phase machine. The process begins with a pre-crush in our granite Frantoio to facilitate the aroma. We then re-crush with the hammer mill to improve the poly phenols content. Next, we Molex at room temperature to avoid any heating to the paste, followed by centrifuge in our two phase separator. This process does not require added water and therefore produces the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil possible with your olives.
For more detailed information on the oil extraction process of olives using the traditional hand crafted two phase Pieralisi machine, hand made in Italy, this is a great article…
Answers to common questions (generally speaking):
• Most trees begin producing at year 4, about one handful per tree. They progress in quantity until about age 12 at which point, hopefully, the tree has reached %80-90 production level
• Olive quantity and quality directly impacted by yearly variances such as weather conditions and annual rain fall
• We are an organic certified facility so if you bring us organic olives w/ organic certificate we can produce your own organic olive oil
• We wash the equipment thoroughly every night with hot water to sterilize the machinery before the next days production
• Ideal delivery time is same day of harvest anytime before 8 pm. Call to arrange earliest possible delivery (for quality proposes)
• If you have only a few hundred pounds pickling may be a better option, although we do occasionally take clients with small quantities on a case by case basis, please call for inquiries
• WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REJECT depending olive quality, see attached contract, we accept only the finest
Now taking bookings for crushing.
The author, Wendy enjoying a glass at Castellare di Ugnana
Address
152 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley · Directions
Dinner from 5:30pm to 10:00pm every night.
Call us at 415.289.5777
Ciao!
Comments