This week the original and the best, Enrico Ferrari, one of the great characters of the Natal restaurant scene, passed away.
After founding the wonderful Villa d’Este in downtown Gillespie Street, and later moving to Glenwood, and turning it into a legend in its own lifetime, he retired. He came out of retirement in 2010 to cook his amazing risottos and slow cooked wild boar at Il Firenze in La Lucia.
He will be sorely missed for his character and boundless energy, his enthusiasm for life, and larger-than-life presence wherever he was.
By Elizabeth Moore
5 Comments
For me Enrico is The Big Italian Chef in South Africa.
Enrico and his wife Gisella at the Villa d’Este Resturant were good Italian Food Ambassadors.
We the Jordaan family have no words to express – or way to thank – this very special man and his family for the good times we have spent with Enrico. Never to be matched, and sadly never to be enjoyed again by those that followed his mastery.
great restauranteer and personality, always remeber his wonderful trattoria
in gillespie street . wonderful fresh crayfish and seafood.those were the days in durbs!!!!!
these are memories that never die
Made me fall in love with pizza and seafood dishes – his techniques should have been put in a book – I’d buy it immediately.
He was a man that I loved to watch and listen to – better than any movie when he was telling a story.
My heart goes out to Gisella and Alessandro – I’m sorry I did not know until now.
I visited the Gilespie Street venue many times with Bob Squire whom you would know.
We were working together before he opened Seasons.
I have such wonderful memories of Villa d Est.
My condolences to the family.
Peter