Sophisticated Women: May 2008
Restaurant Villa Vancheri , Mandeville
"Cooking is an art , like painting. We use foods as an artist does paints.And your palate talks to you,"says Chef Giovanni "Gio" Vancheri, one of Italy's best. He graduated from the Culinary School of Arts in Palermo, Sicily, top of his class. He traveled to Switzerland and England to study further, and from all this, emerged as a chef of unlimited capacities. He received great recognition in Las Vegas, Nevada, with two award winning restaurants, Cafe Milano and Cafe Chiasso. Chef Gio also served as Food and Beverage Director for Caesar's Palace, and also served as President of Ciao, Italia, the largest italian restaurant association in the world. At the urging of longtime friend residing in Abita Springs, came to St. Tammany for a visit and found it so to his liking that he decided to remain and establish residence here, as well as opening his Mandeville restaurant,Villa Vancheri. Restaurant Villa Vancheri is like going to Mama's house in Italy for Sunday dinner. Every dish is an experience.

 

Everything about and in it is authentically Italian, a rarity in so-called Italian restaurants in America. But this fact is due solely to Gio's professionalism and pride in his chosen profession. "In Italy, eating is taken very seriously in every phase of its preparation and presentation, and a well set table is as important," says Gio. "Dining is all-important as you can ask any Italian what he ate yesterday and he can answer you in detail," he continues. In his Villa Vancheri restaurant, chef Gio presents the sum total of years of perfecting his talents with food. But it also represents almost a lifetime of learning , sacrifices and long arduous hours in a career that he chose above all others and would gladly do so again. Fortunately for us on the Northshore, Chef Gio chose this area to bring his food magic, allowing us to enter the incomparable world of Italian cuisine.