By Paola Butera
Pianello is a place of passage, but if you stop at the service area on the state road 318, you will be able to discover stories that speak of genuineness, trust and above all of surprising coincidences. The family of Eraldo Ceccarelli and his wife Maria Pia have been running the IP petrol station for many years with a small adjoining bar, designed specifically for those in transit.
Their children, Nicolas and Vanessa, grow up in this environment and the stop imposed by the pandemic in 2020 prompted them to reconsider the future of work. Above all, Nicolas strongly feels the desire to create something that can satisfy himself and that group of friends who usually stop for a chat and a coffee. The idea of expanding the restaurant became more and more concrete: there was nothing around where you could stop for a bite to eat, so the family decided to create Road 318.
“It wasn’t easy,” Eraldo tells me, “The period slowed everything down and we urgently needed an expert in the world of catering, a skill that none of us possessed.” But coincidences have their times: they may seem slow, but in the end they find the right way to put everything in the right place. When the work was completed – new structure ready, furniture arranged, and kitchen equipped – only one fundamental thing was missing: the right staff. Many contacts did not meet the required needs or did not have the necessary requirements. Yet, the determination of the Ceccarelli family has never been extinguished.
“We wanted the restaurant to have a unique character, capable of clearly distinguishing itself from the classic pubs or trattorias typical of the area. So we were looking for a person with the right spirit and the creativity to give Road 318 a real identity. The restaurant has been furnished by us, following our personal taste, and those who do not know us are surprised to discover that in a service area we offer an authentic alternative to the usual places.”
It took three years to bring together two souls as similar as those of Eraldo and Mauro. In the meantime, Mauro Di Giglio lived in Trani, accumulating experience as a chef in important restaurants; he had just visited Assisi when he read an advertisement that immediately caught his attention, prompting him to apply: a challenge perhaps greater than he imagined.
“I was going through a difficult time in the family and I never thought of moving away from my loved ones, but when Eraldo called me after seeing my curriculum I immediately felt a deep affinity, as if we had known each other forever – which is really rare,” says Mauro.
With few words but a lot of concreteness and mutual trust, the two have built a solid understanding that has extended to the whole family. And so, on March 1, 2023, Road 318 finally opened its doors, following the instructions of Mauro, the chef who firmly took the reins with the awareness and elegance of a true leader.
“At first we experimented with burgers, then gradually moved on to first courses. It was a path of continuous growth, until we realized that what the public really wanted was a gourmet restaurant, but at the same time concrete and accessible. That’s why I call my dishes pragmatic: they have to be beautiful to look at, but above all delicious. Each portion must give a real pleasure to those who taste it.” Then he continues “I brought here a bit of my Puglia, but adapting it to local traditions. For me, fish is a certainty of home, but it is legumes, cereals and handmade pasta that give my dishes that uniqueness so appreciated by customers. Today, our customers mainly prefer fish, which two years ago I would never have imagined. In reality, it is the customer who creates the menu: we can propose, but we must always listen to people’s needs and adapt to them. Guests with intolerances or specific needs, vegans or vegetarians, often arrive; For me, it is essential that everyone is fully satisfied with what they eat. This is why I put myself at their service: I don’t impose anything, I suggest and accompany them on their culinary journey. The essential thing is that each person gets up from the table having eaten well.”
This growth has profoundly strengthened the relationship between the property and the chef, without ever forgetting the importance of tradition.
“Certainly, in these two years I have deepened my knowledge of traditional dishes, which today proudly represent a fundamental part of our menu, such as scrambled eggs with truffles or wild boar stew. The offer is really wide, ranging from traditional recipes to gourmet proposals and although we have only been open for twenty-six months, our restaurant is already among the top ten best reviewed in Perugia. We have chosen with great care the local producers to rely on — except for the fish, which comes fresh from the nearby Adriatic Riviera — and for the wines we have focused mainly on the renowned area of Montefalco.”
With the arrival of lunchtime, people begin to flock, I wonder who they are and if maybe they are just passing through. “Our customers are very different from each other, but for me what really matters is their satisfaction,” says Mauro with conviction. “Cooking is one of the deepest acts of love that exist. Since I was a child, the table has represented happiness and joy for me. When someone comes to a restaurant, they should be able to forget the stress of everyday life at least for a moment. My goal is to make those who sit here feel good and feel good, both for a lunch break and for a tasting dinner.” With these words Mauro greets as he enters the kitchen.
This challenge, which began during the COVID period, is turning into a beautiful story made up of coincidences that together create an authentic and warm picture, just like a family. It might seem like a final goal, but I am convinced that it represents only the beginning of a much broader path, full of ambitious goals that only those who possess these qualities can really achieve.
Info: Road 318 – SS 318 m 27 Pianello (Pg) (IP Distributor Service Area)
Tel 075 6099077 – 3342769252
Opening Hours:
lunch 12:30/14:30
dinner 19:30/22:30
Closed on Tuesdays