Emily Markel Luebcke, Giulio Picchi, and Graham Markel. Ristorante Cibreo, Florence. June 8th, 2012
Emily and
Graham were 12 and 9 when I started. Their sweet natures allowed me to
travel back and forth all these years. Emily lived with the
Picchi/Vitali family for a semester when she was 15 and Giulio was 13.
She now has two children, 4 and 6, and he manages Cibreo as heir
apparent. Graham has been under the wing of many chefs since then and
happens to be a fine cook with a passion for wine making and traveling
the world like his mother.
I founded La Cucina al Focolare in 1992 in
Reggello, on the grounds of The Fattoria Degli Usignoli. We focus on
traditional Tuscan fare, prepared with three wood-fired ovens.
Florentine antiques, Fratellini tables and stone floors give an
authentic feel.