Marketing Gimmicks

Mamma Mia! Italian Michelin-Starred Chef Slinging Burgers for McDonald’s!

The chef is 81-years old!
The chef is 81-years old! Photo: Jed Egan

Eighty-one-year-old Gualtiero Marchesi is Italy’s first chef to win three Michelin stars, but the man isn’t a snob: The Independent reports he’s now creating burgers for McDonald’s, even though his Milanese culinary counterparts are making fun of him. We, on the other hand, appreciate his business-savvy bluntness: “I simply asked what and where young people were going to eat,” the elderly Milanese chef says. “They were simple questions which led to my decision to team up with McDonald’s.”

Thanks to him, Italy’s youth — most of whom probably won’t break bread at a Michelin-starred restaurant anytime soon — can enjoy gourmet fare with their side of greasy fries.

The enterprising octogenarian has created both the Vivace burger, topped with bacon, spinach, marinated onions, and mayonnaise with mustard seeds; and the Adagio, salted ricotta, marinated eggplant strips, and tomatoes, on a sliced almond bun. And he’s even doing dessert, in the form of a McTiramisu called the Minuetto.

Predictably, not everyone’s excited about this turn of events. Right now Marchesi is fending off criticism primarily from Roberto Burdese, founder of the Italian Slow Food movement. “This simply leaves a sour taste in the mouth,” he said, presumably referring not to the mayo-mustard combo but to Marchesi selling out. As if Burdese hasn’t ever inhaled a Filet-o-Fish at 1 a.m. after a late night out.

Italy’s Michelin-Starred Chef Gets New Job [Independent UK]
Award Winning Italian Chef Takes Job at McDonald’s [Italy Magazine]

Mamma Mia! Italian Michelin-Starred Chef Slinging Burgers for McDonald’s!