GOODBYE UNCLE GIOVANNI

The Alajmo family remembers Giovanni Chimetto today with deep affection. Giovanni was Rita's brother and uncle to Massimiliano, Raffaele, and Laura. A central figure in Venetian catering in the second half of the 20th century, he was a man capable of combining rigor, culture, sensitivity, and vision, leaving a profound mark on cooking, service, and, above all, the people he trained.

Erminio Alajmo recounts his human and professional value first and foremost:
"Giovanni was the man who made me fall in love with gastronomy and front-of-house service. With him, I learned that cooking is culture, respect, and responsibility. He dedicated his life to Venetian cuisine, studying it, renewing it, and teaching it with rare generosity. He was a reference for many, for the Italian Academy of Cuisine, but above all for our family: for my wife Rita, whom he supported in the kitchen, and for my son Massimiliano, who always considered him his master."

A deep bond, that with Massimiliano Alajmo, which has its roots in childhood and has transformed over time into a relationship of listening, research, and silent teaching:
"Uncle Giovanni was always a reference for me, ever since I was a child. His determination, his strength, and his presence were always a certainty. Master of cultivated speech, animated by profound expressiveness, he managed to stimulate interest in every topic he discussed. He didn't give exhaustive answers, but he provoked further questions so that you could search. I remember when I was a boy, intent on developing a new dish, I asked him if there was a system for creating a new dish, if in some way there was a mechanism or a precise formula to check if what I was doing was good. He tasted it, smiled, hesitated with a brief pause, and then said, "You know, I really like rice with grapefruit, I'm crazy about it, I prepare it only for myself from time to time." He added nothing else and dismissed me with a big smile full of affection. For years, this remained an open answer, continuously evolving within me. He went further, in the kitchen and in life, he knew how to take you away from superficiality. His faith, his smiles, and his silences represent strong and profound images carved in my memory. A true master, an incredible genius, he skillfully navigated cooking and pastry with an unmistakable style. He taught us all, he gave of himself but did not receive as much. His light shines in our eyes and his soul illuminates those who knew how to feel it. It is not a detachment but an indelible presence. Thank you, Uncle, I love you."

Giovanni Chimetto's professional journey spans some fundamental milestones in Italian gastronomic history. In 1963, he was in Udine, at the helm of the Moretti restaurant-pizzeria-brewery in Piazzale 26 Luglio: the beginning of a path that would lead him to be not only a great interpreter of Venetian cuisine but a master in the most authentic sense of the term.

In 1966, he was called to manage Le Padovanelle from its opening day. This was followed by experiences in the hotel sector in Montegrotto and at the opening of the Park Hotel in Asiago, until 1973, when, together with his brother Livio, he realized the project that would definitively consecrate his name: Hotel and Restaurant La Bulesca.

From 1982 to 1987, for five consecutive years, La Bulesca was awarded a Michelin star, establishing itself as one of the absolute references for Venetian cuisine in an era when the continuity of recognition represented a guarantee of extremely rare excellence.

An passionate scholar, a man of culture, and a profound connoisseur of raw materials, Giovanni Chimetto made a decisive contribution to the dissemination of Venetian cuisine and, together with Angelo Serafin, to the growth of the culture of food and wine pairing.

To complete this portrait, Raffaele Alajmo's memory, made of gestures, presences, and shared moments: "Uncle Giovanni was a source of inspiration and reference for me. On many occasions, I went to him to discuss my projects: he always found the time and willingness, encouraging me to move forward. I will always remember his scent, the particularity of his tailor-made clothes, his strength in judo lessons, his swims in the sea. A great man."

A legacy that goes beyond cuisine, and that continues to live in the people, thoughts, and values he was able to transmit.