Q & A with Perbacco's Chef Simone Boneli

Most chefs dream of becoming a chef in New York, but not Simone Bonelli who grew up in Modena, Italy.   “I had never been to New York City, and I never really
wanted to come either. I always thought it was too noisy and crowded for
me to like living there,” Bonelli says.   But when the owners of Perbacco asked him to head up the ktichen at their East Village enoteca, Bonelli couldn’t pass up the opportunity to strut his culinary talents abroad.  And it’s a good thing he made the move, considering the rave reviews he’s received for his progressive take on homestyle Italian cooking there.

Perbacco’s original menu showcases dishes from all over Italy in a modern light, but Bonelli’s favorite regional cooking is Sicilian.  “They have all the extremely traditional ingredients that I love, like the amazing ricotta cheese, their unique grapes that make sweeter wine, oranges, tomatoes, the list goes on and on,” he explains.  Bonelli is also always experimenting with classic Italian dishes.  He thought up Perbacco’s deconstructed spaghetti carbonara while in the shower.  Someday, he may want to open up his own restaurant, but he seems pretty content where he is right now.  “I really don’t care about becoming a superstar or some big chef on the screen all the time,” he said. “I like my life the way it is, and as long as I can cook, I’ll be happy.”

Single/Married/Divorced?
I’m single right now.

Where did you grow up and what types of food did you usually eat with your family?
I grew up in Modena, Italy.  We ate all sorts of different things. Pastas like tortelloni, lots of cold cuts like proscuitto, and my true favorite food growing up was gnocco fritto, which are these incredible fried pieces of dough that you eat with fresh cold cuts. It was all Italian food, all the time. We also used to drink a lot of Lambrusco, a delicious red wine.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
In the beginning, I really wanted to be a helicopter pilot.  But I don’t have good vision, so I decided the next best thing was cooking!

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?
My first job in food was at a small hotel restaurant in a very small city called Correggio.  I worked there before going to culinary school, and it was really where I learned the basics.  It made my three years of culinary school a lot easier.  I learned how to match foods together, filet fish, and other things like that.

How did you come to work at the acclaimed Osteria La Francescana in Italy?  What skills did you learn there?
My boss at my first restaurant was a big fan of Osteria La Francescana, and he introduced me to Massimo Bottura, the chef.  A little while after we met, he asked me to work for him.  As for what I learned there, I don’t even know where to start.  It’s kind of like in the army where there’s a lot of rules and guidelines to be followed, that you use in your own way once out to battle.  At La Francescana, I learned those rules, and was trained to go out on my own. I learned how to choose the fish out of the market, how to make sure what’s fresh and how often things need to be bought, how to know which type of tomato is best by the scent, and in general how to find those perfect ingredients, not to mention how to blend them all together. There are all these little things you have to know in order to be really successful in the food business, and I learned them at La Francescana.

Who are your greatest influences as a chef?
My greatest influence is definitely Massimo Bottura. He makes amazing dishes, and watching him work really inspired me to make unique and interesting food.

Why did you decide to be a chef in New York City?
I didn’t decide!  Perbacco owners Gian Luca and Pierluigi called me up and asked me to come be a chef at Perbacco. You know what, I had never been to New York City, and I never really wanted to come either. I always thought it was too noisy and crowded for me to like living there.  But when they called, I moved immediately and started working at Perbacco.  It was a chance for a true international experience…and I didn’t know when I would get another chance.  Since I’ve moved here, I realized the city really is the place for me.  I love New York.

From Sicilian-style riceballs it lasagna rooted in Northern Italy, it seems as if Perbacco offers dishes from most of the country’s regions.  Do you have a favorite region to draw influence from?  And from which do you have the most experience cooking?
Actually, I do have a favorite place to take recipes from — Sicilia, or Sicily as Americans call it. They have all the extremely traditional ingredients that I love, like the amazing ricotta cheese, their unique grapes that make sweeter wine, oranges, tomatoes, the list goes on and on. I think my favorite southern dish is caponata, a cooked vegetable salad served cold, maybe topped with a little Parmigiano.

Perbacco places a great emphasis on wine, so do you ever develop dishes based on the bottles you have in stock?  If so, what pairings have you arranged for?
We’ve done it a few times, but it doesn’t happen that often.  Once we paired our Madeira Portugese with crystallized tobacco leaves.  Many people were hesitant to try this dish, because it has tobacco in it…but it’s perfectly fine to eat!  We boiled it like five times, marinated it and added a ton of sugar.  It was delicious.  Maybe we’ll think up some new pairings in the future as well.

How do you think of some of your more avant-garde dishes, such as the deconstructed spaghetti carbonara, with fried spaghetti, black pepper gelato and a poached egg?
Actually, I thought up the spaghetti carbonara in the shower.  We’d been working on it in the kitchen for awhile, but it was when I was in the shower that I had my revelation. I was like, “Oh! I think we can do a parmesan gelato!”…and we did! Don’t ask me why, but I usually have my most inspiring moments in the shower.

Where do you get most of your ingredients? 
A lot of the ingredients are imported from Italy, like our cheese. The most important thing for sure is the cheese. Our olives, olive oil, and tomatoes come from there as well.  Honestly though, I just open up our big fridge and it’s all there ready for me to cook with!

Other than Perbacco, what are some of your favorite restaurants to eat Italian food in New York? And what do you think are the most progressive restaurants in the city?
So, I think I will say Il Matto.  They are really good at mixing some old things with new ones, and that’s the main reason I like it.  Il Matto is progressive, but if you really want a very progressive restaurant, it has to be WD~50.  When I first came from Italy, that was one of the first places I went, and I’ve had a few dishes that are just so incredible.

You’ve already accomplished so much, but what are your goals for the future?
Hmm… my goals for the future.  Well one day, I think I would maybe like to open my own restaurant.  I really don’t care about becoming a superstar or some big chef on the screen all the time.  I’m not looking for that. I like my life the way it is, and as long as I can cook, I’ll be happy.