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The restaurant elBulli as we’ve known it over the last decade, the restaurant that’s re-written gastronomic history, is closing. Or better, it’s transforming.
«On July 30th 2011 elBulli will have completed its journey as a restaurant. We will transform into a creativity center, opening in 2014,» explained the restaurant in Roses, Spain, while registering its last reservations among the approximately 8,000 that it’s received over the course of its enterprise. «Its main objective is to be a think-tank for creative cuisine and gastronomy, and will managed by a private foundation.»
While the German documentary ElBulli. Cooking in progress (link ad allegato), which examines the life of this revolutionary chef, has just arrived in the United States – accompanied by rumours of a Hollywood movie (link ad allegato) on the life of Adrià – friends and colleagues ofFerran Adrià have paid tribute to him and his work in the limited edition book, Tribulli, which was printed in just 1,000 numbered copies and edited by Rafael Garcia Santos.
The graphic design carries the name of Bob Noto, who’s shared the book’s published images with Fine Dining Lovers in this photo gallery. This volume is a veritable choral thank-you, that gathers together 95 different viewpoints and testimonies from chefs and restaurant owners who have taken this chance to express their thanks to this innovative chef.
Here’s a little taste...
ASTRANCE | Pascal Barbot
Ferran Adrià’s contribution to cuisine, to gastronomy, to us – restaurant professionals – and to his own country of Spain, is too rich and varied to be measured in just a few words. He’s allowed many young chefs to find their vocation. And he gave all of us a cerebral and intelligent approach to cooking, a «psychological research » that taught us to no longer just work on our feet, but most of all with our heads...
BARBAPbl | Anatoly Komm
From my point of view Adria Ferran’s main achievement is that he managed to show tochefs from all around the world that cooking – as well as opera, ballet, architecture, theatre – etc is Art. By his work he showed to the world that cook’s profession in the 21st century demands having a serious education and deep knowledge in various fields of science, such as physic, chemistry and so on, that to establish oneself as a CHEF one should be the broad-minded and experienced person.
CRACCO | Carlo Cracco
The person most responsible for opening our minds and showing us a new way to look at cooking.
NOMA | René Redzepi
…A lot of people always ask me about my experience there (Editor’s Note: as an elBulli intern, 1999) and what I took with me. For me, elBulli, ever since I first encountered it, represents the full meaning of the word freedom. Freedom to think, freedom to act and freedom to cook. elBulli gave me the freedom to think of noma.
THE FAT DUCK | Heston Blumenthal
Ferran Adrià is one of the greatest culinary innovators of our time. His generosity and openness within the industry is legendary and he has influenced and inspired chefs throughout the world. It is typical of the man he is, that on closing his restaurant he created a Foundation to continue to inspire the world of food. As incredible as his professional achievements are, the most impressive thing about Ferran is him. Generous, loyal and kind, I am proud and lucky to have him in my life, as a friend, a truly great man.
ULIASSI | Mauro Uliassi
I had the fortune to attend his last 3-day lesson during a closed-door session at elBulli along with 10 other people including Stefano Bonilli and Moreno Cedroni at the beginning of March in 1999. Since then, we’ve become friends and my way of thinking about cooking changed radically. Now we have two Michelin stars. When someone asks me what Adrià has done as a cook I simply say that, over the last 100 years, there have been two people that have changed culinary thought worldwide. The first in Escoffier with the Ritz in the ‘30s and 60 years later, Ferran, who gave the whole world a great sense of freedom. Freedom of spirit and limitless intelligence that everyone has the possibility to express. Thanks for everything, Ferran.
