By Claudia Cencini
Since 2017, at the gourmet restaurant Tuber Experience in Campello sul Clitunno, Claudio and his family’s warm welcome has been the hallmark of their top-notch selection of truffle-based dishes -the real deal!
Say “Fortunati” and your mind immediately turns to the world of truffles, starting with Dad Alfonso, a pioneer since the late 1950s in truffle harvesting, sales, and processing in Campello sul Clitunno. Claudio, the eldest of three brothers, founded the Tartufidea brand and opened the Tuber Experience restaurant in 2017, right across from the Clitunno springs immortalized by Virgil. A name that could not be more fitting, because here you don’t just come to eat, but to enjoy an emotional experience that blends flavors, atmosphere, and old-world hospitality. Just like the host himself, a man who never forgets his roots but looks forward with passion to reimagining a culinary offering centered on the prized tuber—one that, in addition to taste, delights the eyes.
From a Small Village to the Global Market
Today, Claudio is a highly regarded restaurateur, sought after by an increasingly loyal clientele who appreciate not only the gourmet dishes served at his restaurant but also the warm, family-like welcome in an atmosphere where guests immediately feel at home. This is thanks to a man who has never forgotten the “child” he once was in Silvignano, the village on the Via della Spina where he spent his childhood and teenage years. “Life in the village,” he recalls with a touch of heartfelt emotion, “was a life lesson for me. There were few children and many elderly people; I learned so much from watching and listening to them. We played cards and bocce; we grew up fast.
From a very young age, I absorbed the smells of the earth—the scent of freshly cut grass, even the acrid smell of manure that we children carried to the compost heap.”
Until the age of 14, Claudio lived in his hometown, where his mother ran a grocery and tobacco shop that served as a general store for all the families in the village and the surrounding countryside, followed by a two-year stint at boarding school in Piediluco after the birth of his third child, Danilo, where the distance from his family was softened by the emotional closeness of his uncle Franco, who lived in the Rieti area, and finally his permanent return to the family. It was there that a new life began in the large house in Campello that his parents had built, a home destined to become not only the family residence but also the corporate hub of the Fortunati Alfonso company, thanks to the idea of his mother, Annunziata, who suggested using the ground floor of the building as the company’s first production facility.
Claudio has always accompanied his father during summer vacations in search of truffles in the woods and mountains of Campello, all the way to Subasio, the Martani Mountains, and especially in Abruzzo, in the company of his trusty Moretta, a black mixed-breed dog who was a champion at truffle hunting in every season. For Alfonso, the step from truffle hunter to entrepreneur was a short one, and on this journey he could not help but involve his sons, Claudio first and foremost.
The Truffle Boy
After earning his diploma as an electrical engineer, Claudio set his degree aside to devote himself to the truffle business, which had completely absorbed and captivated him since his teenage years—thanks in part to his father, who recognized his eldest son’s interest and encouraged him to pursue that path. At 15, he got his first moped, which he talks about as a youthful love: “I stopped at the Corvelli shop window, which sold mopeds and Lambrettas on Via Flaminia Vecchia, and my eyes fell on a Caballero model, a 50cc 6-speed off-road bike—back then, only Zefferino Monini had one like that. My father took me aside and shot me down: ‘Hey, young man, that’s not for you.’ It cost too much—a whopping 285,000 lire, compared to a Cinquecento that cost less than double that. The fact is, with the salesman’s help, we went into the shop and came out with that scooter.
Contrary to what one might imagine, in the 1970s Spoleto was not as familiar with truffles as it is today, with the exception of a few restaurants—no more than four or five—including the Hotel dei Duchi, the Trattoria del Pallone (now La Barcaccia, ed.), and “Lello Caro,” famous for hosting the tenor Beniamino Gigli. Claudio recalls that period as follows: “I literally hit the road and began offering the product to other restaurateurs, who started including truffles on their menus—in bruschetta, omelets, and even as a sauce for strangozzi—pushing me as far as Orvieto; then, 18 years later, I got my driver’s license. At 25, my father bought a Mercedes, the 240D; I still remember his words: ‘Young man, I’ve given you wings—now fly!’ I didn’t need to be told twice and crossed regional borders to market truffles in neighboring regions—Marche, Tuscany, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna—particularly in Bologna, a city where I was warmly welcomed and to which I remain deeply attached.”
The boutique of flavors…
With a solid background in truffle sales and processing, Claudio has put his operational and culinary expertise to good use in his family’s crown jewel, the Tuber Experience restaurant—an intimate venue where every detail is meticulously curated with almost obsessive attention. Even the choice of furnishings and finishes is no accident: “We had Golden Forest marble brought in from abroad, whose veins mimic the characteristic branching of truffle mycelium.”
“This place,” he confesses, “is my pride and joy, not only because I see my name on the sign but because of the atmosphere here and the connection we build with our guests—the relationships formed with people who know us, appreciate us, and keep coming back.” Behind the restaurant’s success is a dedicated and skilled chef, supported by his family—starting with his wife Lidia and their children Ilaria and Emanuele. Emanuele, in particular, has helped give the restaurant an extra edge, as his father Claudio confirms with a touch of well-deserved pride: “My son is a giant in stature, but he has a very refined sensibility when it comes to presenting dishes with striking plating, and, moreover, as a sommelier, he recommends the best wine pairings from our cellar.” All of this is seasoned with a dash of creativity, which never hurts and, without betraying tradition, has brought something new to the table: alternative flavors based on sweet-and-sour combinations, berries, and other delights that pamper the palate.
… that makes the difference at the table
If you had to sum up in a single word why you should choose Tuber Experience among the many restaurants today offering truffle-based menus, the first adjective that comes to mind to describe the Fortunati family’s offerings is “authentic.” If you want to taste truffles—the real thing—this is where you need to come. The owner explains it best: “ No sauces or artificial flavorings, just fresh, in-season truffles.” Among the must-try house specialties are truffle bruschetta, scrambled eggs with truffle shavings, and tagliolini and gnocchi handmade with a rolling pin and pastry board by a local housewife. The cleanliness is not to be underestimated—it makes everything look brand-new, starting with the restroom.
The passion of this farmer’s son is contagious; he preserves the memory and values of the land, embodied in his respect for people and things, like that fifteen-year-old Caballero, still shiny and in working order today, kept in the garage like a relic. The very same one that kicked off the adventure of a lifetime.
Info: Tuber Experience, Ristorante esclusivo di tartufo e Store, Viale Fonti del Clitunno, 8 – Campello (Pg) / Tel- (+39) 331 380 4052 / www.tuberexperience.it