Toulouse. Francesco had caught the eye of Philippe Etchebest: he is opening an Italian restaurant

There are times in life when you have to cross the Rubicon, take risks, put yourself in danger. That’s what happened to Francesco Formica. But for the chef of the new Italian restaurant in Toulouse, Mantesino, near the Saint-Aubin and Colombette districts, this crucial step was not like a leap into the void.

A double culture at the service of the kitchen

On June 20, 2022, the Toulouse chef, who arrived in the Pink City at the age of 2, has always been immersed in Neapolitan culinary culture. Born in the homeland of pizza and Maradona, Francesco wanted to put its dual culture, “Neapolitan and French”, at the service of one of his greatest passions: cooking. This former engineer decided to retrain at the beginning of 2022. “Cooking is my favorite pastime, I have always cooked for the family, friends… I have always had good feedback on my dishes. So, even if the context is complicated to open a restaurant, between the economic situation and the Covid, I had the courage to start, “he explains to Toulouse News.

A remarkable passage in “Objective Top Chef”

The other boost of this professional turn is the passage in the program “Objective Top Chef”, in 2020. Noticed by the famous Girondin chef Philippe Etchebest, especially for his Schialatelli with clams, he has not forgotten the remark of the latter: “If you cook like that, you can open your restaurant!” “. “Being on this show gave me confidence. It pushes us out of our comfort zone. I now know that I can invent a dish in no time,” observes the chef.

A reference to the image of the Italian Mama

Two years later, Francesco embarked on the adventure with Mantesino. A name not at all chosen at random and which recalls the family, childhood, hands in the grease of the products in the kitchen to make a good little dish…

“Mantesino is a word that comes from the Neapolitan dialect and means “apron”.

Become THE Italian pasta restaurant in Toulouse

The Italian-Toulouse chef wants to establish himself in the landscape of the Pink City as THE Italian pasta restaurant, and stand out from traditional pizzas, where supply is currently overcrowded. According to him, “there are few restaurants where you can eat good pasta. It is often the same recipes that come back, such as bolognese and carbonara. Yet Italian cuisine is as vast as French cuisine.”

A deliberately restricted card

Its menu varies each week and offers a deliberately limited choice, around three choices of starters, main courses and desserts. The chef likes to offer a typical Neapolitan dish alongside creations that leave room for more originality. For example, you can enjoy linguine with sea bream, risotto with peccorino, pasta with pistachio pesto, sfogliatelle for dessert… “So far, I’ve had good feedback”, is satisfied the chef, who replaced a well-known address in the neighborhood, “Le chat noir”.

Beginnings in fanfare, sustained rhythm, little respite… Francesco now lives 100% of his passion. And with Mantesino, our little finger tells us that he is not about to give up his apron!

Mantesino. 8 Maury Street. Such. : 05 31 54 13 29.
Prices: the starter+main course+dessert menu at 28 euros in the evening, and 19 euros at lunchtime.

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