End of the Encore

His love for his restaurant was why he had returned after a break in Italy as soon as he could. “I came back to India for peace. That,and the fact that I wanted to see my guests. In Italy,we don’t leave without saying goodbye; certainly not with our heads lowered,” Lattanzi said to this newspaper earlier this year.

Vetro bore minimal damage during the siege and is thus expected to re-open with cosmetic changes. Devendra Bharma,Executive Vice President of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts,Mumbai,confirms that Vetro will indeed re-open,but doesn’t state who the replacement chef will be. “We are still deciding between two Italian chefs,” says Bharma,without disclosing their identities. He does,however,add “as you know,we have an excellent relationship with the Hotel Hassler in Rome,” thus hinting that the new chef will probably be from the Hassler’s excellent restaurant,Imàgo. Chef Lattanzi had previously worked at the Hotel Hassler,and Imàgo’s chef Francesco Apreda flew down in October 2008 for a promotion at Vetro.

Bharma refuses to comment,at this stage,about the other restaurants at the Oberoi. “We would wish to talk about the entire hotel when it is ready,” he offers. The Oberoi had faced severe damage as its lobby and top-floor boardrooms were set on fire,and the soot and smoke caused extensive damage. The hotel,expected to re-open around March next year,will still have three restaurants,but it isn’t clear whether Tiffin and Kandahar will retain their names and cuisines.

Chef Lattanzi will not have the opportunity to welcome guests at Vetro like he would have wished,but he did have a special Vetro menu at Frangipani at the Trident for a few months. Towards the end of his contract,he spent his time at the Trident Bandra-Kurla providing consultancy for Botticino,the Italian restaurant there.

It isn’t clear why Lattanzi didn’t renew his contract and resume his role at Vetro; this could very well be a natural decision as he had been with the restaurant for three years. What is clear,though,is that Lattanzi left with his head held high and deserves to be missed for culinary reasons.