I’ve always done this
for the pleasure of it,
because my dad, my grandfather, my great-grandfather,
were behind this butcher stall.
Good morning.
We need some money to live on,
but when they ask me,
“You work every day.”
I say, “I’ve never worked a day”.
My job is not only
continue the tradition,
but it’s carrying a message,
a spirit.
Paradise.
Carnivorous paradise.
(soothing accordion )
(birds singing)
They wanted to eat fresh things,
and they wanted to leave.
Yesterday he was supposed to come–
the president of Roma.
Fine, we take the reservation,
then he says, “We want to eat earlier.”
“But this is a canteen,
we all eat together.”
“But we want to eat earlier.” “You can’t.”
“Then we’re not coming.” “Perfect.
Saves me the trouble”.
However,
people won’t accept that.
-: Well, are we ready?
-: Yeah.
Fine.
(soft guitar )
I will try to prepare the perfect section
of a Cecchini selection’s sirloin steak.
That’s the idea
and I’m carving a perfect section,
clearly perfect according to
the style of the butcher shop
and also Tuscan style,
from Florentine steaks to chops.
to ribs.
“Carne diem,
quam minimum credula postero”,
Eat meat
and do not think
too much to the future. Enjoy the moment.
You can tell a steak is perfect.
when it has a color like that,
when it ripens well for over a month,
when the touch is as fine as silk
and when
you’re gonna want to take a bite out of it.
Fantastic.
This is meat.
(upbeat funky )
We are here every day,
from seven in the morning
until late at night.
(sounds of restaurant patrons)
We work miracles.
We work more miracles than religions.
Religions promise miracles
for the afterlife,
but we work miracles on earth.
We make life happy
with food
and good wine.
-: Good morning.
-: Good morning.
(sounds of restaurant patrons)
(telephone ringing)
Ready?
Call your mom, please.
Chianti breakfast.
Dario: Good morning!
-: [Restaurant Patrons] Good morning!
Bread, oil and meat.
Cheers.
(relaxing Italian )
(restaurant patrons talking)
-: You all right, Arisa?
-: Yeah, everything’s fine.
Enjoy your meal, everyone!
Enjoy your meal!
(restaurant cheering)
(intense )
Dario: Viva La Carne!
Are you all right? Welcome.
Enjoy your meal.
(restaurant patrons cheering)
(cheery )
This is a seven-year-old Chianina beef,
with wild pig.
I mean, these are two free, noble animals
and a bottle of Flaccianello,
which is the best wine known.
The cow
was born and lived here for seven years.
The pig
was born and lived two years
in Gaiole in Chianti,
Two animals
with a happy life
and a dignified death.
Raised by two artisans,
Dario Cecchini and Lorenzo Chini,
and in the end
this salami, the noble work of two artisans,
is exceptional.
(soothing )
I started the “Butcher for a day” class,
I created this lesson,
because when a artisan starts to get old,
one dreams of immortality,
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: So, our Butcher for a Day program
it is some way that we have to leave lasting memories
in the souls of the people who come through.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: Because our problem is–
(Dario speaking Italian)
We are not religious.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: And we believe that paradise
is right here on Earth.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: Not in the sky.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: So, a sculptor
leaves
a beautiful bronze
or a beautiful marble statue.
(Dario speaking Italian)
A poet leaves
their poetry.
(Dario speaking Italian)
A painter leaves paintings.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: We’re not artists, we’re artisans.
And so, what we create doesn’t remain.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: Here’s paradise.
According to Dario Cecchini.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: Some Finocchio, fennel salami,
Kim: and a glass of-
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: red wine
and a splendid wife like Kim.
Hold it here.
(cheery )
Chef: The best thing to do is
a few holes in the plastic to remove the seal.
[Guest Chef] Can I try and elbow it?
Chef: Yes.
Chef: Use all the strength that you want.
[Guest Chef] What is that doing?
Chef: She is separating the pieces of lard
because when you put the lard in the freezer it attaches
(sounds of busy kitchen)
Chef: First of all,
Other Chef: Garlic.
Smash of garlic.
Black pepper.
Other Chef: Just to cover all the top.
Chef: A few drops of vinegar.
Other Chef: And then we do cocia.
Cocia is this mix of sea salt and dried rosemary.
And with a movement of the hand this way,
the salt fix the smell of rosemary.
Making it more higher.
Really.
And you have to do it until you don’t feel the
You see the rosemary?
Mix to the salt completely.
Chef: Okay,
and now its your turn to finish the work.
So lets follow me.
Chef: You have just to mix it.
So.
So who wants?
Male Guest: Anyone want to try?
Chef: Who wants to try?
-: [Other Female Guest] You gonna do it?
Female Guest: Wow, It’s really heavy.
Chef: Anyway its a really good cream for the hands.
So at the end you’ll feel like
Female Guest: Molto belle.
Chef: For sure, its a new kind of manicure.
(speaking Italian)
(sounds of approval)
(mysterious )
Nancy: So Dario,
the very
famous
butcher
in Panzano.
In Tuscany.
And every summer and every winter,
I share a few meals with them.
(restaurant patrons talking)
-: And I fell in love with
the way that they run their restaurants.
Where Dario doesn’t even call it a restaurant.
He calls it
the
home of a butcher.
Nancy: And he sets out long communal tables
where everybody gets to eat together.
(Dario) Enjoy your meal, everyone!
Nancy: Oh wow.
(restaurant applauds)
Dario: Ciao Nancy!
Nancy: Ciao!
Dario: Ciao Mike, my brother!
(restaurant patrons talking)
-: [Restaurant Patron] Nice to see you.
Nancy: Good to see you.
Kim, I don’t think I’ve ever sat down with Dario
at this restaurant.
Mike: Wow.
-: Wow I know, Michael.
L’Chaim.
Nancy: Not just the food that’s fantastic.
But
just
the experience at the table
is what
is so special.
Mike: What’s his word?
Convivio.
Nancy: Convivio.
Dario: Convivio,
Nancy: Right?
Everybody is family.
(knives sharpening)
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: And so my grandmother
explained to me how it was
that she was forced to become a good cook.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: Because my grandfather
would invite everybody who passed by
to sit down and have a meal with us.
(Dario speaking Italian)
-: And for him, it was really important that any friend
who happened to come by
would sit down and have a meal with us.
-: And here we are.
Yep.
Always beautiful.
(restaurant patrons talking)
Nancy: So good.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: Where Nancy is, there’s a party.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Dear guests welcome everybody
and thanks for being here with us
at L’Officina Della Bistecca.
(crowd cheers)
Carne diem!
Enjoy your meal, everbody!
(crowd cheers)
Nancy: Oh he got a bite.
Nancy: That never gets old.
Kim: No.
Right?
-: Tell Dario,
some people break bread together.
And we break steak together.
(Kim speaking Italian)
Nancy: How many restaurants have I been to
where you pass the bone down to strangers?
Uh, not often.
Right?
I mean, when you eat here, it’s very similar
to Chi Spacca.
Nothing is like ornately plated.
Everything is
so
simple.
Large cuts of meat that just stand alone.
-: All right, that’s enough.
-: Sorry, it’s not enough.
Nancy: I think I know how you met.
Kim: it’s about 15 years ago
when I had some friends in town
who asked if I had heard of this crazy butcher.
And I said, Oh yeah, I do know who he is.
And so I came in to buy a steak.
A steak for them.
But I did it all wrong
because I didn’t know that you were
supposed to reserve a Bistecca a la Fiorentina-
-: I even knew that.
Kim: a couple days ahead.
Nancy: The first time I came here,
I ordered the steak
ahead of time because there was not a restaurant here then.
When you came, was there a restaurant?
Kim: No, no, no, no.
The restaurants are only about 14 years old.
Nancy: Yeah.
So, when Dario saw you the first time,
did he know that you were the one?
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: He said,
what I thought was,
she’s too beautiful.
Oh, fuck.
Nancy: Oh fuck?
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: It’s that sensation when you really want something
that you know you can’t have.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: Turns out it wasn’t so difficult.
(restaurant patrons talking)
-: The beans are so good today.
Nancy: Did you have any beans?
Nancy: That’s all lardo.
Nancy: That goes for your potatoes.
(restaurant patrons talking)
Nancy: You didn’t get enough lardo in yours.
(restaurant patrons talking)
-: My favorite part, but
I just love, love, love this
olive oil cake.
And this olive oil cake
has made it to two of my cookbooks.
-: That’s very impressive.
And quite an honor.
Nancy: when I think of Panzano,
I really think of this olive oil cake.
Can I cut into it?
Kim: Please do.
Mike: You don’t think of the steak too?
Nancy: Well, I think of the steak too,
but I really think of the olive oil cake.
It’s so
have you had this before?
Guest: I’ve not.
Nancy: Oh, you’re in for a treat.
(soothing )
Nancy: Right?
It’s so good.
It’s just like,
it’s a perfect way to end a meal.
Kim: Nice, simple.
-: I dream of it.
(restaurant patrons talking)
Nancy: Dario is just full of life.
I mean his personality
is
infectious.
And his
philosophy
is
probably
the most important part of who he is.
Dario: A very important thing.
Jim: Good to see you.
Dario: Jimmy, surprise.
Jim: Oh, all right.
Kim: It’s not possible for us
to bring all of the people
that we care deeply about here to Panzano.
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: But I had this idea that
maybe it would be possible for my dear,
dear friends to be able to carry in their hearts
A little bit of Panzano.
(Dario speaking Italian)
-: And so I,
I decided that I needed to create a Republic,
a Republic of the heart.
(Dario speaking Italian)
-: To be a
citizen
of a Republic
(Dario speaking Italian)
Kim: One needs a passport.
(passport stamp clicking)
Dario: It’s July 10th.
Kim: 2019.
Dario: Jimmy Goldblum.
Jim: Oh, I’m so honored.
(patrons applauds)
Jim: Dario.
Dario: Welcome a New Republic.
Jim: Thank you so much.
Oh, my friend,
my friend.
Nancy: Dario, I need my passport stamped.
(relaxing )
When I go down.
This is really restricted.
Not everybody gets a passport.
Patron: Wait, did you start Osteria Mozza?
Nancy: Yes.
Patron: Oh my God.
I go to your restaurant all the time in Los Angeles.
Nancy: Where, do you live in Los Angeles?
Patron: I do.
I live in Westwood.
-: Male Patron] We both do.
Of all of italian food in Los Angeles,
yours is one of my favorites.
Truly.
And its not trying to blow steam up your ass,
I promise.
-: Oh, you might be but it’s okay, I like that.
I’ve always done this
for the pleasure of it.
Doing this job every day,
like I’ve been doing for 45 years
is a little bit of good will,
a little bit of luck and also a little bit of
inspiration and sensitivity, of course.
It’s a feeling. It’s not an algorithm,
it’s not a code, a rule.
Dario: Welcome back!
Nancy: See you soon.
The rule is
It is flesh, it is blood.
It’s not the spiritual part, it is the matter.
It is the nobility of matter.
The Gastronomic Republic of Panzano!
(crowd cheers)
Fantastic.
This is meat.
(Dario laughs)
(relaxing )