Would you like to have a chat with Vincenzo?
“Federico, would you look me up on Wikipedia if under the entry for ‘super-cool restaurateur’ is my face?”
It wasn’t quite like that, but it seemed like a good attack for this new blog post entirely dedicated to our Vincenzo. Or maybe it sucks. Whatever, we’re online now so we’ll keep it that way.
Which let’s be honest, if the attack doesn’t ring a bell, you missed a great piece of Italian rap. If, on the other hand, it made you think of a shaved guy in a black tank top, we love you.
But let’s cut to the chase!
Last week we dropped by Camavitè to chat with Vincenzo. A mini interview to give us space in his universe and find out more about his happy island.
These are few questions, it is true, but in our opinion they perfectly reflect his idea of catering, hospitality and professionalism.
Now we leave the floor to him, we’ll talk to you again at the end of the interview!
A story of family, sea and Apulia: a dive into the happy island of Gargano
“If the Camavite was a person, how would you imagine it?”
I would tell you a free soul, a rocker.
So offhand, the lead singer of The Doors comes to mind.
A person outside the rules, unconventional and seemingly aggressive who, however, hides within himself a serene soul, almost like a Zen spirit.
“What does Camavité mean?”
Eh, eh, eh… It depends who you ask!
When they ask me, I answer that Camavité means. “carefree life” in an ancient Spanish dialect.
The secret is always to give very equivocal answers so that no one knows what it really means.
Doing so gives birth to a myth, a legend.
Everyone gives the answer they want.
Everyone sees in Camavité the things they desire.
“Yes but, in all this, what does Camavité do?”
There is the restaurant, which I like to describe as our big showcase, our flagship.
There are mansions.
Poi è nata the pantry, where we collect all the products we use for cooking.
Here you can find a recipe, you can pair it with wine or beer, you can taste turnip greens pesto, salicornia, a good tomato puree, pasta-the flagship product of a small (not even too much now!) pasta factory in Gargano.
The idea behind the pantry is to keep you living the Camavitè experience even when you leave Camavitè.
An opportunity to bring our world into your home.
“Okay, from the point of view of operation, everything is clear. But from a conceptual point of view, what does Camavité represent?”
I have always imagined Camavitè as a symbol of freedom, a place that is always open-this year even from breakfast.
A kind of happy island.
The fact is that when a guest crosses the threshold of Camavité, most of the time they say phrases like. “I feel like I’m in another place” or “but are we really in Peschici?”.
It will be the different environment, the greenery, the sound of the sea… Uagliù, we are in Peschici really eh!
The truth is that when you get excited in front of a landscape, a dish or a glass of wine well, it’s like you’re on a date with yourself.
Here, Camavitè is nothing but a small micro-universe where people find themselves.
“Who is the Camavitè customer?”
When we created Camavitè, we never thought “it’s a place for tourists” or “it’s a place for locals.”
I had simply envisioned a place where people could be comfortable: no shift dinners, no inconvenient hours–in short, a place where they could come in and out at any time.
Think of the people who don’t live here and are fortunate (or unfortunate) to work 12 months of the year.
I, if I were them, would want to enjoy a carefree vacation, I would want to find a facility that accommodates me and satisfies my need for freedom, without having to submit to schedules and patterns.
In short, I would want to unplug for real.
For those who live here, however, it is much easier to take a break.
Eventually you just need a weekend, right?
Here, over time we have realized that Camavitè is more appreciated by the first category, by those who are totally absorbed in their routines and in the summertime just need to turn off their brains.
“What is it that motivates you to carry on and make this project more and more structured?”
Feeling constantly motivated is something extremely difficult.
I personally can’t imagine an existence outside of this place, so perhaps it comes naturally to me to continually improve and perfect myself.
To me as well as to all the people who have anything to do with this activity.
Of course, times change and evolve very quickly.
We have seen incredible changes in the last few years, and this has pushed me even more to revise my idea of hospitality.
For me today, it is a priority to offer a 360-degree experience; Camavitè is more than just eating and sleeping, it is a time of sharing and interweaving experiences.
Just think how nice it would be if during your stay at Camavité you could have lunch with us, go grocery shopping with us, go for a ride with my father, or maybe take a trip to the countryside when it’s olive time–in short, live the way we live.
Let me be clear, by this I do not mean that our daily life is better than that of others, it is simply a way of living that we appreciate and want to share with those who visit us.
It is our very personal way of making ourselves better understood and sharing with guests our vision of life and the things that, for us, really matter.
It lasted too short, didn’t it?
We would have been hours chatting with Vincenzo, too bad he kicked us out to start setting up tables!
Joking aside, it was nice to have them tell us something more intimate and personal about the happiest island in the Gargano.
If you’d like, please share this article on Instagram, on Facebook, via email, on a postcard, with the carrier pigeon… In short, choose any medium you like, just share it, so Vincenzo will know you appreciated it!
Talk to you soon uagliù!