When you enter the “Da Rino” restaurant a big and massive copper plate on which you can read the inscription “Chosen typical cuisine licence” immediately catches your attention. Next to it you can see the “patent letter” through which Mr. Francschini and his Vittoria restaurant (later “da Rino”) from Berceto was decorated with the distinctive signs of A.G.I. (Italian Gastronomic Academy), of the golden disk as recommended restaurant and of the “chosen typical cuisine licence. This artistic plate that stands on a wooden tripod, is exposed between a series of certificates hanging from the corridor wall that brings you to the great dining room. This warm and cosy room is furnished in a simple way and it has a large glass window from which you can see the mountains. A monumental fireplace towers above the room; walls are covered with paintings which have been realised by contemporary artists among whom Malpeli, Jasoni, Barilli and Bertoloni. The subjects of these paintings are foreshortening and village views, people, still lives with different kind of mushrooms that are considered the real pillar of the “da Rino” cuisine. This cuisine is made of a lot of recipes created by the “king of mushrooms” with great passion and gastronomic skills.
Giuseppe Franceschini handed down the art of cooking to his sons throughout the years when he came back home from the USA, after World War One. He opened in his old house, at that time situated in the neighbourhood of Berceto, a little inn, then a “trattoria” and later on a famous restaurant.
The family was composed of father Giuseppe, mother Maria and seven children, some of whom liked working with stoves and cooking. In 1953 some of them immigrated to the USA, while Rino stayed in Berceto where he created the well-known “Ristorante – Hotel Vittoria – da Rino”. His wife was next to him (He used to say: “My Peppina has never left the kitchen since the day we came back from our honeymoon).
Rino Franceschini was one of those chefs and experts that, even if linked to tradition, keep on looking for new flavours by inventing recipes and by creating in a scrupulous and professional way typical dishes using the most genuine products.
In his symposium the predominant ingredients were mushrooms, grown in chestnut woods or under beeches and fir-trees of the old feud belonging to the Rossi Earls.
Very early in the morning, Rino “the king of mushrooms” waited for the arrival of people who went and picked mushrooms up for him. He waited for them without patience, on the restaurant threshold, his hands on his hips, wearing his apron. Then, as a mountaineer and an expert, he checked every “porcino” freshness: he looked at the caps, to be cooked fried or grilled, he smelled them, and he touched the stems in order to verify their firmness. After that, he looked for the "ovulo", the king of mushrooms to be served uncooked as a starter, thinly sliced and dressed with oil, pepper and lemon. Furthermore, he chose “prugnoli” and “porcini” by the black cap, which are very pulpy and tasty.

Ristorante da Rino© 2003 / 2012 - Spazio Immagine Galli