Italian inspiration
ELISABETTA TUNDO • Altamura Trattoria
ELISABETTA TUNDO • co-owner & chef • Altamura Trattoria
Neighborhood you work & live in: Doral
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
We arrive at the restaurant around 1130a; everything is nice and quiet. The only person around is the prep cook, who’s been cooking since 9. We’re always playing live jazz — Sinatra is my favorite! My husband Massimo handles inventory and incoming reservations while I fire up the kitchen and oven and start cooking. The restaurant starts to smell like home.
The rest of the team arrives according to their schedule. We share a few words, always have coffee, and then each of us is starting the line. We laugh, taste, talk about the upcoming service and specials. At 5p the restaurant is ready, Massimo and I kiss and wish each other good service, and then the party begins.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We’re a couple that also works together, so basically, it’s a routine inside a routine. You could say that what we do is boring as we’re repeating each day over and over again. We cook, serve, clean, and repeat, but we love what we do. Nothing brings us more joy than the happy faces of our guests when they are eating at our restaurant. Each dish’s inspirations come from a piece of Italy, from arts to poets, classic literature, a regional landscape, the colors of the season, an old song, our childhood favorite things to eat, a smell that reminds us of our family and the time spent together.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
When we have the chance to go out, we prefer places where it’s easy to go without reservations, because we can decide at the very last minute. Hillstone in Coral Gables is our go-to. We often sit at the bar, chat with Javi (the bartender), eat the pressed sushi, the smoked salmon, and the pork chop; usually we order a bottle of Far Niente Chardonnay. We always go home happy and sleep like babies.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Our day off is normally Monday. We like to go to the beach. A recent Monday that we did something more “city” was the Dolce & Gabbana exhibit at ICA in the Design District. It was mesmerizing, a feast for the eyes. We felt full of beauty.
Any weekend getaways?
Palm Beach. It’s quaint and relaxed, never crowded. Getting old makes you choose places where time stops. We can breathe, take time for ourselves, and recharge. We stay at White Elephant, a charming small hotel that has beach service. We can stay until late, no rush, just us to enjoy the sunset, and smell the ocean. Back to the hotel, ready for dinner at La Goulue, our favorite French restaurant, oyster and foie gras our usual order.
We also love Destin and Alys Beach, North Florida. It’s a 10-hour drive from Miami, but we love catching up and talking during the drive, and for us, it’s paradise. Our favorite hotel is Henderson Beach Resort on the whitest beach that you can imagine, and eating at The Citizen (especially their oysters). Even if it’s just a few days away, it’s a great way to recharge our batteries, come back stronger, and ready to push the best flavors possible, with excellent service and beautifully plated dishes.
What was your last great vacation?
Maui. The sunset ceremony during aperitivo time at The Ritz-Carlton is breathtaking. It was the most spiritual and grounding trip we have ever done together. The Ritz where we stayed was supposed to be built next to the ocean, but during the excavation for the construction, they found a warrior’s cemetery, so it’s been declared a sacred land — and the hotel was built on the hill overlooking it. The ceremony to salute the day and honor the ancestors is really magical. We also enjoyed the mai tais and crispy tuna tartare, of course!
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Our Italian dome pizza oven! We named it Luigi; he’s the best, and really handsome!