Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Origins: From Rome to Masuria
- Professional Background: The Path of a Chef
- The Pizzeria: A Project of Authenticity
- Quality at the Center: The Choice of Ingredients
- The Challenges: Language, Staff, and Cultural Education
- Advice for Those Who Want to Open an Italian Restaurant Abroad
- Satisfaction and Future Prospects
- Joining Real Italian Restaurants
- Conclusion: A Mission That Goes Beyond Food
Introduction
In the picturesque lake region of Masuria, in northeastern Poland, an authentic piece of Italy has taken root.
Enrico Ercoli, a chef originally from Rome, has embarked on an extraordinary culinary adventure that combines love, passion for cooking, and an unwavering commitment to Italian gastronomic authenticity.
This article explores Enrico's journey from the Eternal City to Giżycko, a small Polish town, and his mission to bring genuine Italian cuisine to a territory where the perception of Italian food is often filtered through international stereotypes.
Through his story, we discover the challenges, satisfactions, and daily struggles of those who choose to become ambassadors of Italian culinary culture abroad.
The Origins: From Rome to Masuria
A Journey Guided by Love
Enrico's story begins like many modern tales of migration:
"Fifteen years ago I met my wife in Rome," he recounts with a smile.
"After living together in Rome for a few years, seven years ago we decided to move here to Poland, to her hometown, which I didn't even know existed."
This is a story as old as time, yet always new.
Love has the power to uproot us from our certainties and transport us to unknown places, where we must rebuild our identity and profession.
Giżycko, a town in the Masuria region, famous for its thousand lakes and natural beauty, has become Enrico's new home and the stage for his culinary mission.
The Masuria Region: A Unique Context
Masuria is a tourist region in northeastern Poland, characterized by an extraordinary natural landscape dominated by over 2,000 lakes.
This geographical feature makes the area a popular summer destination, but it also presents specific challenges for those who wish to establish a year-round business activity.
"It's a tourist area in the Masuria region, a region full of lakes," explains Enrico.
"In fact, we have a lake here too, not far from the pizzeria."
The proximity to the lake is not just a scenic advantage but also defines the seasonal nature of tourist flows that significantly influence the local economy.
Professional Background: The Path of a Chef
Between Tradition and Adaptation
Before opening his pizzeria, Enrico accumulated diverse experiences both in Poland and abroad:
"After various experiences both locally here in Poland and abroad, because I continued to work—I am a chef by origin, although I've also worked as a pizza maker in the past."
This dual professional identity—chef and pizza maker—has proven fundamental in developing a complete culinary offering.
Enrico is not limited to serving only pizza but organizes special dinners where he can express his full culinary range, from appetizers to desserts.
International Experience
Having worked in various parts of the world has given Enrico a unique perspective on Italian cuisine abroad.
"Having traveled a lot around the world, having traveled a lot abroad and having tried Italian cuisine in the world in various contexts, I have rarely found valid places," he observes with a critical but realistic eye.
This international experience has made him acutely aware of how Italian cuisine is often misrepresented or adapted to local tastes, losing its essential characteristics.
This awareness has become the driving force behind his mission in Poland.
The Pizzeria: A Project of Authenticity
The Decision to Open
After years of working for others, in May 2024 Enrico decided to take the leap and open his own establishment:
"In May of last year we decided to open this pizzeria with Roman-style round pizza."
The choice of Roman-style pizza is not accidental.
This type of pizza, with its thin and crispy crust, represents a precise regional identity and differs significantly from Neapolitan pizza, which is more internationally known.
It's a courageous choice that demonstrates Enrico's desire to bring a specific piece of his Roman culture to Poland.
The Menu: Between Simplicity and Authenticity
The menu of Enrico's pizzeria reflects the philosophy of Italian cuisine: simplicity and quality.
"We also serve fried appetizers. I'm trying to introduce, with some difficulty, the Roman suppli al telefono, which is practically unknown here," he explains.
The Suppli al Telefono: A Symbol of Roman Culture
The suppli al telefono is a typical Roman street food dish: a rice croquette with mozzarella and tomato sauce, breaded and fried.
The name "al telefono" comes from the thread of melted mozzarella that forms when you break it in half, reminiscent of a telephone wire.
Introducing this dish in Poland is a true act of cultural resistance, an attempt to go beyond the classic "pizza and pasta" that Poles associate with Italian cuisine.
The Philosophy of Simplicity
"We focus on simplicity. And then it's the main ingredient of Italian cuisine, right? Little but good, the simple that makes you understand the taste of what you eat," Enrico affirms with conviction.
This approach clashes with local habits:
"Here people are generally used to mixing many flavors, in the end it becomes a bit of a mishmash without much sense, and instead here I imposed on myself not to follow Polish taste but to try to educate them to Italian taste."
Quality at the Center: The Choice of Ingredients
Italian Excellences in Poland
One of the main concerns for anyone wanting to open an authentic Italian restaurant abroad is the availability of quality ingredients.
Enrico found a solution that allows him to maintain high standards:
"I use ingredients like, to name two, Mutti tomatoes, which is certainly one of Italian excellences, and then the fiordilatte that comes from Campania, from Sorrento, which is one of the most used fiordilatte in pizzerias in Naples."
The Importance of the Three Basic Ingredients
"When we talk about pizza, we're talking about three ingredients and those three ingredients, if they're not exceptional, don't obviously deliver," Enrico explains.
"You end up with a pizza that's obviously edible but like many others, it doesn't stand out."
These three fundamental ingredients—flour, tomato, and mozzarella—are the heart of pizza.
If even one of these is mediocre, the entire dish suffers.
This is why Enrico insists on using Italian products, despite the additional costs.
The Balance Between Quality and Sustainability
One of the most delicate aspects for any restaurateur is finding the balance between quality and profitability.
When asked if it's possible to maintain quality without pricing oneself out of the market, Enrico responds:
"As far as I'm concerned, from my experience, yes, it's possible to do it with some sacrifice, lowering the profit margin a bit obviously, but it can be done. At least here in my reality, for the moment I'm managing to do it."
This is an honest and realistic response.
Maintaining quality requires sacrifices, but it's not impossible.
Enrico has chosen to keep prices "in the average, the average of this place, but I believe with superior quality."
Availability of Italian Products in Poland
An encouraging aspect for those considering opening an Italian restaurant in Poland is the availability of quality ingredients:
"Fortunately there are suppliers who have these products and thanks to them I can maintain this quality standard."
"In Italy and Poland there are many suppliers who import products from Italy for Italian restaurants and pizzerias, which are very numerous here in Poland," Enrico adds.
"Here in my town there's practically only me, but it's also a small reality. If you go to Warsaw, obviously there are hundreds."
This means there are no excuses: the availability exists, the possibility of maintaining quality exists.
The only real obstacle is the will to do so and the willingness to accept smaller profit margins.
The Challenges: Language, Staff, and Cultural Education
The Linguistic Obstacle
One of the greatest challenges Enrico faced was learning Polish, one of the most difficult languages for an Italian speaker:
"At the beginning I was very hesitant also because of the language issue, which is not at all easy, and so for me it was a rather long journey because I've been here for seven years, the pizzeria has been open since May, so let's say almost a year. And managing to integrate with the language here was very, very hard, very difficult."
Learning Polish in an acceptable manner to be able to work independently and manage his own business required years of commitment.
This is an aspect often underestimated by those who dream of opening a business abroad: linguistic competence is not just useful, it's indispensable.
The Difficulty of Finding Staff
When asked about the biggest difficulty encountered, Enrico has no doubts:
"The biggest difficulty is the one that unfortunately is revealed now a bit everywhere in the world, and I speak with knowledge of the matter since I've worked a bit around the world: finding workers."
This is a crucial and painful issue:
"It's difficult to find staff, it's difficult to find staff that stays continuously in the workplace in the sense that unless you find people for the season, for the season here it's very easy to find people, but to find people who work all year is more difficult in this sector."
Why Is It So Difficult?
Enrico identifies the reason in the nature of the work itself:
"Because this type of work requires, in quotes, more sacrifice. Because holidays don't exist, Saturdays and Sundays don't exist."
In Poland, where Sundays are considered sacred and most shops are closed (except for a few exceptions throughout the year), working in the restaurant sector means giving up this day of rest that is fundamental in local culture.
This makes the work less attractive, especially for young people.
However, Enrico is keen to clarify that it's not an economic issue:
"From an economic point of view, I can tell you it's certainly not my case, because I've always paid those I've had as employees what is required by law. And we know that here in Poland it's not like in Italy, here there's a minimum wage. And it's not low, the hourly minimum wage."
Educating Polish Taste
Another significant challenge is changing the perception Poles have of Italian cuisine.
As Enrico explains:
"Italian cuisine in Poland, as a bit everywhere in the world, there's the presumption of knowing it. This is a bit the problem of Italian cuisine currently in the world. People presume to know it even when maybe they've never set foot in Italy. And consequently, if you ask a Pole what Italian cuisine is, they say pasta, pizza. Period."
This reductive vision drives Enrico to distraction, but he has found a strategy to combat it:
"This thing drives me crazy. Because obviously I have the pizzeria so this could be a confirmation of what they think, but actually I have the pizzeria simply because it's the fastest and most intuitive means to reach people."
Special Dinners: A Complete Culinary Experience
To broaden his customers' culinary horizons, Enrico has developed a parallel strategy:
"In parallel with this activity which is the main one of the pizzeria, I organize, I try to organize at least once a month a dinner, with a menu, a menu with an always different proposal, in which I propose a complete menu from appetizer to dessert, passing through the first and second course obviously, in which people who come can also taste other things besides the classic pizza."
These special events are crucial for Enrico's educational mission.
They allow customers to discover the richness and variety of Italian cuisine, going beyond the stereotype of pizza and pasta.
Each dinner is an opportunity to tell a story, present a region, or celebrate a tradition.
Advice for Those Who Want to Open an Italian Restaurant Abroad
Find the Key to Attract Customers
When asked what advice he would give to those who want to open an Italian restaurant abroad, Enrico is clear:
"The advice is to find precisely the key to bring them closer and then not give up and not give in to the temptation to follow local tastes, but try to make them know the true Italian tastes with the right ingredients and the right choices."
This is fundamental wisdom.
The risk for anyone opening an ethnic restaurant abroad is to gradually adapt their offering to local tastes, losing authenticity in the process.
Enrico suggests a different approach: use what attracts (in his case, pizza) as an entry point, but then don't compromise on quality and authenticity.
Don't Compromise on Authenticity
The core of Enrico's message is cultural resistance. It would be easy to add pineapple to pizza, use cheap low-quality ingredients, or create "fusion" dishes that have nothing to do with Italian tradition.
But this would be a betrayal not only of Italian cuisine but also of customers, who deserve to taste the real thing.
"I imposed on myself not to follow Polish taste but to try to educate them to Italian taste," Enrico reiterates.
This "education" is not arrogance but a service: giving people the opportunity to know and appreciate something they couldn't otherwise experience.
Be Prepared for Sacrifices
Enrico is also realistic about the costs of this choice: maintaining quality means accepting lower profit margins, at least initially.
It means investing time in finding the right suppliers, learning the local language, and patiently educating customers.
But these sacrifices pay off in the long run. An authentic restaurant builds a loyal customer base, creates a solid reputation, and contributes to enhancing Italian culture abroad.
Satisfaction and Future Prospects
The Satisfaction of Having Succeeded
When asked about his greatest satisfaction, Enrico humbly responds: "Perhaps it still has to arrive."
But then he reflects:
"Surely a satisfaction was being able to open this business. At first I was very hesitant also because of the language issue which is not at all easy. So I tell myself well done because I managed to learn Polish in an acceptable way so as to allow me to work on my own and manage my pizzeria independently."
This is a significant achievement.
Learning a new language to the level required to run a business is an extraordinary challenge, especially when that language is Polish, considered one of the most difficult for Italian speakers.
Future Plans
Looking to the future, Enrico continues to plan his special dinners:
"The next dinner I'm trying to organize for the end of January, to have a Carnival dinner, then surely there will be one for Valentine's Day, classic."
These themed events are not just commercial opportunities but moments to deepen the knowledge of Italian traditions.
Carnival, for example, is an occasion to present typical sweets from various Italian regions, each with its own history and characteristics.
Joining Real Italian Restaurants
Shared Values
Enrico's decision to join the Real Italian Restaurants network stems from a profound belief in common values:
"Because I believe in authenticity and in the importance of spreading Italian cuisine in the world. For me, this is one of the founding values of my pizzeria and it's one of the most important values as far as I'm concerned."
This mission goes beyond simple commercial interest.
It's about cultural preservation and promotion, giving people the opportunity to experience authentic Italian cuisine even when they can't travel to Italy.
The Importance of Certification
"I don't speak for Italians abroad who go looking for an Italian restaurant," explains Enrico.
"I speak precisely for those who perhaps don't have the possibility to go to Italy to eat a plate of pasta, a roast, or whatever, any Italian specialty, and it seems right to me that they can find something near them that truly reflects what Italian cuisine means."
This is the heart of the Real Italian Restaurants project: creating a network of certified establishments where anyone, anywhere in the world, can have an authentic Italian culinary experience.
It's a service to both Italians abroad who seek a taste of home and to locals who want to discover real Italian cuisine.
The Problem of Fake Italian Restaurants
Enrico's international experience has shown him how rare it is to find authentic Italian restaurants abroad:
"Having traveled a lot around the world, having traveled a lot abroad and having tried Italian cuisine in the world in various contexts, I rarely obviously found valid places, but I rarely found them."
This is a widespread phenomenon: all over the world there are restaurants that present themselves as Italian but serve dishes that have nothing to do with Italian tradition, use low-quality ingredients, and perpetuate stereotypes.
Real Italian Restaurants aims to be a response to this problem, offering customers a guarantee of authenticity.
Conclusion: A Mission That Goes Beyond Food
Enrico Ercoli's story is much more than the chronicle of opening a pizzeria.
It's the tale of a cultural mission, an act of love toward one's homeland and one's profession, and a contribution to promoting Italian culture abroad.
In an era of globalization where culinary traditions risk being homogenized and denatured, people like Enrico represent a bulwark of authenticity.
Their daily work, made up of small gestures—choosing quality ingredients, respecting traditional recipes, educating customers' palates—is fundamental to keeping Italian culinary culture alive and vibrant.
His story teaches us several important lessons.
First, that authenticity requires sacrifice but is sustainable.
Second, that it's possible to be commercially successful without compromising one's values.
Third, that cultural education is a long process that requires patience and determination.
But perhaps the most important lesson is this: Italian cuisine is not just pizza and pasta.
It's a universe of regional traditions, seasonal ingredients, centuries-old techniques, and above all, a philosophy of life that places quality, simplicity, and conviviality at the center.
Enrico, from his small pizzeria in Giżycko, contributes daily to spreading this message.
And every customer who discovers the true taste of a Roman suppli or a pizza made with Mutti tomato and Sorrento fiordilatte is a small victory in this mission.
As Enrico himself says, perhaps his greatest satisfaction "still has to arrive." But looking at what he has already accomplished—learning a difficult language, opening a successful business, maintaining quality standards, educating customers' tastes—we can say he has many reasons to be proud.
And for all those dreaming of opening an Italian restaurant abroad, Enrico's story offers a clear roadmap: find your entry point (in his case, pizza), don't compromise on quality, have patience in educating customers, be prepared for sacrifices, and above all, believe in what you're doing.
Because authenticity is not just a commercial strategy—it's a mission.
A Final Invitation
For those planning to visit the Masuria region, Enrico's pizzeria represents an opportunity not just to taste authentic Italian pizza but to participate in a broader culinary and cultural experience.
The special monthly dinners are particularly recommended, where you can discover the true variety and richness of Italian cuisine.
And for other Italian restaurateurs abroad who share these values, Real Italian Restaurants represents an opportunity to join a community of professionals committed to the same mission: bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the world, one dish at a time.
Because, as Enrico reminds us, "good Italian cuisine" is not just a source of pride for Italians—it's a gift we can share with the entire world.
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Interview conducted as part of the Real Italian Restaurants project
For more information about authentic Italian restaurants worldwide, visit realitalianrestaurants.com
source https://www.realitalianrestaurants.com/blog/from-rome-to-poland-the-journey-of-authentic-italian-cuisine-in-the-heart-of-masuria
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