The call of his roots is stronger than anything, even international success and a career of satisfactions a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, revisiting traditional Barbagia dishes. Salvatore "Badore" Ticca (37 years old) knows this well, a talented chef from Oliena who, at Christmas, decided to return home, for a new and exciting challenge in the shadow of Mount Ortobene, leading the new restaurant Shardana, on the ground floor of the Sandalia hotel in Nuoro.
A choice of the heart, after a long apprenticeship that took him from his hometown to Baia Sardinia, Lanusei, London, Orosei and finally Paris, where for 11 years he managed the Shardana, in the central Rue de Theatre.
"When my friend and owner of Sandalia Luigi Crisponi contacted me and proposed reopening the hotel restaurant, I didn't think twice," says Ticca. "The first steps were taught to me by Cenceddu Palimodde and his wife Tonina Biscu from the Ck restaurant. For three years they welcomed me like a son, and we still collaborate today, enhancing Deledda's dishes."
In Europe
But Ticca does not forget the sacrifices made around Europe, where he established himself. "After the London interlude, I was looking for new stimuli and the Parisian stop was an essential step for every young chef. In 2015 I landed in a city that I only knew from a postcard, without speaking the language, but driven by a great desire to do. The first phase was with the Gallo Blu members. I was supposed to spend only three months in France, I stayed there for years".
The chef tells with a hint of emotion, while taking stock of the experience beyond the Alps: «Bringing French friends closer to our flavors was certainly not a walk in the park, but with tenacity and determination, together with my entirely Sardinian staff, we did it. We invested in quality with very fresh raw materials that arrived every day from the island».
Word spread quickly in the city and Rue de Theatre became a refuge for many emigrants, but also lovers of good food and movie stars. "For everyone I had become Baduà", Ticca smiles as he talks about "a neighborhood that had become like a second family" citing the most significant encounters that marked his journey: "Our fellow countrywoman, the actress Caterina Murino, was a precious guide, leading us to discover the city and its customs. Meeting Monica Bellucci, then, was a turning point. I had the honor of being her private chef on several occasions. A great woman, in love with our land and a permanent presence at the restaurant".
Collaborations
Many prestigious collaborations that led him from the Italian embassy to coordinate exclusive star system events, including fashion evenings and high finance dinners, Ticca does not regret the choice to return to Nuoro at all. "We have immense potential - he reiterates firmly - and our capital is second to none. I did not expect such a significant response from the city. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinner were a plein."
From here the look to the future, while leafing through the pages of the new menu in which the specialties of the land embrace the sea: «Every month the Deleddian dinners will be unmissable».
George Ignatius Onano
