2008 Woodie Awards
Cooking with fire:
'Passion' drives Gran Sasso chef
Doug Graham
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: Campus Life
- Page 1 of 1
Anthony Bevilacqua sits calmly in Osteria Gran Sasso, his family's restaurant, with a smile on his face. He just finished cooking somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 gourmet Italian meals. Soon he will go home to his girlfriend, Kalee, and his 8-month-old daughter, Gabriella, before he gets some rest for school the next morning. At 18 years old, Bevilacqua is one prematurely busy guy. How does Bevilacqua, a freshman in business management who describes himself as "constantly exhausted," keep moving forward? "It's the passion in my personality," Bevilacqua says. "Wanting to achieve something. To feel like I'm doing something with my life." Bevilacqua's father, Orlando, shines further light on the subject. "He likes the pain," Orlando says. "Even when he was a year old, he was always the happy one. When he was young we'd call him apple face 'cause he was smiling all the time." High school friend Steve Akins, now a freshman in history at PSU, serves as Bevilacqua's apprentice and says Bevilacqua's diligence is "remarkable." "I just think he has that will to proceed because he knows what he wants in life." Bevilacqua became de facto head chef at Gran Sasso after growing up on his mom's cooking. He makes all of the food and sauces by hand, save for alfredo sauce and bread. "I'm a person about quality," Bevilacqua says. "Taste. Not really about looks." Bevilacqua, whose favorite dish to make is pizza, says in a hushed tone (to escape notice from his parents) that he's recently experimented with Mexican and Chinese food at home. No matter the cuisine, he has the same strategy: "I just think of what my main ingredient is... and think of something totally off the wall, and just try and put it together. I scare myself." Bevilacqua says his personality and food often intertwine. "I'm very particular about some things, but then sometimes I am daring. I'll put that extra shot of vodka in there just to give some flavor." Despite Bevilacqua's partiality for substance over style, he has one phobia: He can't watch people eat his dishes because he feels like his art is being destroyed. Bevilacqua started working at Gran Sasso as a busboy when he was 12 years old. Now, says Orlando, he might be on a level all his own. "I think he might be better than his mom." Tracy, the mom in question, isn't so sure. "Anthony still has a lot to learn," Tracy adds with feigned shock after learning of her husband's evaluation. "I think Anthon's culinary skills are exceptional for his age. He obviously has the gift." To develop that gift, Bevilacqua plans to go to the Culinary Institute of America in New York after he finishes here. In the meantime, Bevilacqua probably won't have a hard time finding things to do, like hanging out with his daughter. He says fatherhood is a blast. "It's fun, it really is. But it's weird, because you have somebody squirming around who looks just like you." |
Be the first to comment on this story