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Owner and chef Gianni Grifoni’s new casual concept demonstrates how Italian cuisine can be authentic, high quality, yet still approachable
Filipinos love Italian food, and I am not just talking about our children’s party version of spaghetti. Pasta has become a café staple, burrata has become just as prolific as kesong puti, and having a pizza oven in one’s backyard makes just as much sense as having a grill. Filipinos seem to love all things Italian, including Florence native Gianni Grifoni, who has made the Philippines his home since 2010 and has shown that love is not unrequited. He came here as a marine biologist, but when Gianni made his home in surf capital Siargao many years ago, he became better known as the founder of Kermit, the island’s pizzeria where locals and tourists willingly waited for hours for a taste of their Neapolitan-style pies.
Gianni spends more time in Metro Manila these days, and while the lines were acceptable for the chilled-out island vibe, he now knows that the same does not bode well with busy city dwellers. “I know that now,” he admits. “In Manila, everything needs to be fast, fast, fast. People will not wait for their food longer than twenty minutes. Longer than that, they will start to complain and probably never come back because there are so many options. It is very different here, and I admit I have always been more at home near the water, which is why I am still based in Siargao with my family. But, now, I am slowly learning the ways of the people from the city.”
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This is inevitable since he has recently opened his new venture called Grifoni’s along 5th Avenue at BGC, and it is a must, considering he and business partner Eugene Lorenzana (Shi Lin, Basil) will be opening two more branches in rapid succession within the coming months. Gianni describes this concept as casual Italian with touches of American—dishes that he knows will appeal to a broad market that perceives these cuisines as comfort food. There are, of course, his pizzas and a rather extensive selection of pasta categorised according to preparation. “I know many people now say carbs are bad, but I absolutely love carbs,” says Gianni.
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This dad of one has developed a deep love for well-crafted cocktails, and he admits that a bowl of pasta does not make for good bar chow. To satisfy that craving, Grifoni’s has chicken wings, beef salpicao, and a very munch-able fried calamari with the sweetest and softest baby squid dusted with flour, deep-fried, and served with a squeeze of lemon and house-made tartar sauce. The drinks are by seasoned, award-winning mixologist Ken Bandivas (ABV, The Spirits Library), who trained the young yet talented beverage team on how to mix creative cocktails and how to work their La Marzocco espresso machine. Their coffee beans are single origin from Colombia, roasted especially for them by Quezon City coffee bar Common Folk.
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The food at Grifoni’s is straightforward but not old-fashioned, current yet not hollow. It does not hide behind fancy ingredients and is not muddled by trends. Take their eponymous salad, for instance. Fresh greens simply showcase a seared tuna loin cooked rare, well-seasoned with cracked black pepper and adorned with slices of radish and ripe mango. Feasting on rich and cheesy gnocchi was almost a balancing act with the salad, which provided a bright contrast. After a few slices of prosciutto pizza with stracciatella and arugula, Gianni proved his love for carbs by suggesting another favourite he simply could not neglect to mention. “It’s not Instagram-able,” he forewarns. “But every time I offer it to first-time visitors, it has always been a hit, and people return for it.” His focaccia resembles a calzone, the fresh dough folded over to encapsulate softened white onions, prosciutto, tomatoes, and burrata. After baking, the dough becomes brown and crispy, the heated contents aromatic and flavorful, and the oozy fresh cheese adds some richness.
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Meals here can end with tiramisu, a well-made chocolate lava cake, espresso shots, a creamy cortado, or perhaps a nightcap from the bar. The youthful experts behind the stick are confident and eager, and when they offered to make me something depending on my preferences, I decided to call them on it. I was rewarded with a yet-to-be-christened mezcal-based cocktail with espresso, Campari, sweet vermouth, chocolate angostura bitters, and banana liqueur. It’s good to know that they were not bluffing.
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In the age of aesthetically pleasing cafes and dishes lifted from TikTok trends, places like Grifoni’s assure us that we can rely on people like Gianni, who refuse to compromise on quality while offering great value. Soon, they will also open in Alabang and at The Podium, widening the reach of this exciting new brand.
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
