{"id":107941,"date":"2025-10-24T08:55:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T08:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=107941"},"modified":"2025-10-24T20:44:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T20:44:55","slug":"chef-cracco-unfiltered-grazia-usa-fall-winter-2025","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/chef-cracco-unfiltered-grazia-usa-fall-winter-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Chef Cracco, Unfiltered"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chef
Chef Carlo Cracco; Photo Credit: Toiletpaper Magazine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carlo Cracco may be Milan\u2019s most stylish chef \u2014 and one of Italy\u2019s most famous faces in food.<\/p>\n

Born in Vicenza in 1965, Cracco trained under the legendary Gualtiero Marchesi before heading to France to sharpen his craft with icons like Alain Ducasse and Alain Senderens. By his 30s, he was already racking up Michelin stars, first at Florence\u2019s Enoteca Pinchiorri and later at his own Le Clivie in Piedmont.<\/p>\n

In 2001, Cracco made Milan his stage, opening Cracco-Peck, which eventually became the simply named Cracco. His current flagship<\/a>, inside the glittering Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, is no ordinary restaurant \u2014 it\u2019s spread across five stories and includes a caf\u00e9, a patisserie, a wine cellar, private dining, and, of course, his acclaimed fine-dining rooms. The accolades have followed, from a Michelin star to Gambero Rosso\u2019s coveted \u201cthree forks.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Cracco isn\u2019t just a chef; he\u2019s a cultural figure. Millions know him as the sharp-suited judge from MasterChef Italia (and later Hell\u2019s Kitchen Italia), where his wit, precision, and charisma turned him into a household name. Equal parts tradition and innovation, Cracco is the chef who can make Milanese risotto feel like high art \u2014 and who proves that Italian cuisine, in the right hands, is always evolving and always stylish.<\/p>\n

Grazia USA: How would you describe yourself to someone who doesn\u2019t know your name or your story?<\/h4>\n

CHEF CRACCO<\/strong>: I\u2019m a chef who\u2019s made food my way of communicating. For me, cooking is about precision, creativity, and discipline. It\u2019s not just a job \u2014it\u2019s how I express myself. I don\u2019t cook just to please people; I cook to make them think, to surprise them, and sometimes… to challenge them a little.<\/p>\n

G: What do you think made you so famous?<\/h4>\n

CC:<\/strong> Probably the fact that I\u2019ve always stayed true to my vision. I\u2019ve never tried to please everyone \u2014 and I think people respect that. Of course, TV helped bring attention, but without real work behind the scenes, that wouldn\u2019t have lasted. At the end of the day, it\u2019s the kitchen that does the talking.<\/p>\n

G: If desire is the secret ingredient in food, which one of your dishes is pure seduction?<\/h4>\n

CC<\/strong>: Definitely the marinated egg. It looks simple, but it\u2019s full of technique and subtlety. The texture is unexpected, the flavor is delicate but deep. It doesn\u2019t scream for attention, but it leaves a mark \u2014and that, to me, is the essence of seduction in food.<\/p>\n

G: What\u2019s the most \u201cAmerican\u201d thing you secretly love to eat when no one\u2019s watching?<\/h4>\n

CC:<\/strong> BBQ ribs. But real ones \u2014marinated for hours, then slow-cooked over charcoal until the meat just falls off the bone. Sticky, smoky, totally irresistible. It\u2019s one of those guilty pleasures you should enjoy fully… with your hands, of course. No fork allowed.<\/p>\n

G: If you could open a restaurant anywhere in the United States, where would you open it and what would be the first course on the menu?<\/h4>\n

CC:<\/strong> New York, without a doubt. It\u2019s a city open to bold ideas, where people are curious and appreciate authentic cuisine. The first course? A risotto with green tomatoes, pine nuts, and scampi. An elegant dish, a little surprising, and very Italian, in my own way.<\/p>\n

Chef Cracco’s Recipe:<\/h2>\n

Chef Cracco’s toasted sandwich with stracchino, caramelized pear & grilled radicchio.<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll need:<\/h4>\n