12 Questions with Love & Salt’s Chef Michael Fiorelli
Photos courtesy of Love & Salt
Labor Day will be here sooner than we know it, and with it comes LA Times’ The Taste. The Taste will transform the Paramount Pictures Studios backlot into the ultimate epicurean pop-up and block party. And one restaurant I can’t wait to experience there is Manhattan Beach’s Love & Salt.
This Italian inspired restaurant with California vibes has been named one of Los Angeles’ Top 10 Restaurants of 2016. Lead by owners Guy & Sylvie Gabriele and Chef Michael Fiorelli, Love & Salt will no doubt be a highlight of the weekend.
We got the scoop from Chef MichaelFiorelli on what makes Love & Salt so special, the must-tries on the menu, and so much more.
12 Questions with Chef Michael Fiorelli
Hedonist Shedonist: Where did you develop your passion for cooking?
Chef Fiorelli: I think it more developed as a form of expression. Originally I set out to be a writer but I was always in the kitchen. The further along I got in my culinary career the more I was able to express myself through food and eventually it just stuck.
H/S: What brought you to LA? To Love & Salt?
CF: I came to LA on a random job interview that I never expected to take. I was working in Miami at the time. What I expected was a two night trip just to check out the city and then go back to my routine. I came out here, saw the bounty of produce, the beaches, the laid back attitude and that night I wound up on the rooftop of the four seasons drinking Pinot Grigio out of the bottle with motley crew at four o’clock in the morning. The next day I flew home and packed my bags.
Love and Salt was a collaboration between Guy & Sylvie Gabriele (father/daughter co-owners) and myself. We were all looking for something different where we could bring our ideas to the table, express ourselves and have some fun. We’re like minded with the same values so it was s no brainer.
H/S: What makes Love & Salt special? What do diners need to know
CF: It’s the team that makes us different. Everything we’ve done from the art, to the music, design and the food we source is the result of an amazing partnership. So much thought and love has gone into every detail. Nothing in this restaurant is random.
H/S: Top 5 menu items everyone must try
CF:
1. Shaved Black Kale Salad (soppressata, olives, pickled peppers, breadcrumbs, ricotta salata)
2. Bucatini (fennel sausage, black kale, parmesan, bread crumbs)
3. Duck egg Pizza (pancetta, panna, potato, rosemary, mozzarella, parmesan)
4. Corned Lamb Tongue Panini (fontina, tomato aioli, pickled peppers, rye)
5. Wood Oven Roasted Meatballs (burrata, parmesan, toasted ciabatta)
H/S: New menu items on the horizon?
CF: You’ll have to stop by for the answer to that one!
H/S: Best advice (in regard to cooking or not) you ever got.
CF: Source the best ingredients possible and let them shine. Less is more.
H/S: Favorite food to cook
CF: Today? Pizza.
H/S: Food craze you think is overrated, food craze you are totally on board with
CF: Overrated? Anything served on a tablecloth. Totally on board with the Middle Eastern movement
H/S: What do you think the next food trend will be?
CF: Middle Eastern without a doubt
H/S: Cook book you can’t live without
CF: Lockeland Table by Hal Holden-Bache
To get a taste of Chef Michael Fiorelli’s beloved cuisine, get your tickets to The Taste! And be sure to stop by Love & Salt.
Love & Salt
317 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266