Dario Checchini: The butcher in the Netflix series "Chef's Table"
Nina in Chianti and Dario Cecchini
Last year, I wrote two blog posts about my friend Dario Cecchini, his Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano in Chianti, his passion for meat and his restaurants and products. And now Dario is part of the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary series Chef's Table, in which top restaurateurs from all over the world present their innovative kitchen concepts. The culinary approaches are revealed through the personal stories of the individual chefs, which director David Gelb looks at with great accuracy and empathy.
Now in its sixth season, the Chef's Table series presents the world's most outstanding and special restaurateurs - after all, eleven of the chefs from the documentary series have already made it onto San Pellegrino's list of "The World's 50 Best Restaurants". Dario Checchini is therefore in the very best company - even though he always says of himself that he is not a chef, but simply a "macellaio" - a butcher.
Dario Cecchini - A passion for meat(s)
A very personal look at Dario Checcini, his life and his passion
And so Dario tells his story - illustrated by wonderful pictures of Panzano in Chianti and from his Antica Macelleria Cecchini: the story of a happy childhood in Panzano in Chianti. The story of the death of his beloved mother. The story of his father's illness, which abruptly tore him away from his dreams of becoming a vet. Dario had originally studied veterinary medicine at the University of Pisa - with the aim of improving the lives of animals. However, he had to finish his studies in 1976 and take over the business after his father's death - for the good of the family.
After initial difficulties in recognizing the meaning of the butcher's profession, his friend Orlando, who had already worked for his father in determining the quality of meat, gave him the idea that an animal that is slaughtered and eaten is also valuable. From this, Dario derived his principles, which still apply to him today:
Even an animal that is slaughtered to serve as food for humans should have a good life.
An animal should be treated with appreciation even in death.
A butcher should waste nothing of what the animal gives us.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina at the Officina della Bistecca with Dario Cecchini
And it was precisely with this way of thinking and approach, with which Dario was initially quite alone in the field, that he laid the foundations for his success. However, customers did not want to buy the parts of the beef that were considered less "noble". And that finally gave Dario the idea of preparing his family's recipes, which he had enjoyed so much as a child and which were based on the simplest ingredients, for his customers. So that they could taste and experience for themselves the delicacies that could be prepared from the "non-precious" parts of the animal. From this, a restaurant business developed around the Antica Macelleria Cecchini.
Three restaurant concepts - one attitude to life!
Dario now delights his guests' palates with three restaurant concepts: the first is Solociccia, which means "only meat" - and that is exactly what is served: only meat. With this restaurant concept, Dario brought his family's dishes to the table for the first time. A short time later, Dario opened the Officina della Bistecca on the floor above the Macelleria. The idea behind it was to prepare bistecca alla Fiorentina and variations of it fresh on the charcoal grill. Originally, there was only one large table for a maximum of 20 guests. But the concept really took off and the restaurant developed so quickly that Dario expanded it shortly afterwards. Now the guests are served meat in several courses, starting with the Sushi del Chianti, through to the three variants of bistecca, Costata alla Fiorentina, Bistecca Panzanese, i.e. the Panzano variant of bistecca, and last but not least Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The Bistecca Fiorentina is presented by Dario himself, with his legendary words: To beef or not to beef! And a third meaty restaurant variation has been added: the Dario Doc concept. There are two variations of this "high quality fast food" to enjoy. Basically, it's a freshly grilled burger that doesn't need any bread, but is served with lots of fresh side dishes as well as excellent homemade mustard and spicy paprika sauce.
Meat is a concept at Dario Cecchini - probably the most famous butcher in Italy
In short: The "Chef's Table" episode with Dario Checchini is an absolute must for all Dario and Panzano fans - and those who want to become one! But a little warning before watching: This episode will make you absolutely crave Panzano! And an extreme craving for meat! If you need Dario's products to go with it, you should take a look at my online store : Here you can buy his excellent mustard, his spicy Mediterranean sauce, his tangy herb salt, his fennel seasoning and his flavorful olive oil. A pinch of Dario for your home!
Dario Checchini