Cristian Stradaioli
Resident Chef | 2024 Season
We first met Cristian last fall when we took him on as a chef for our first wedding at éla! in Patmos. There was an immediate connection between the way that he worked and our philosophy. Cristian was cool as a cucumber, fast on the draw, and steadfast in his commitment to straight-forward, rustic, plucked-from-the-earth food. It was a match!
We then invited Cristian to join as one of featured chefs for our month-long pop up in Mexico City with famed restauranteur Edo Kobayashi. He didn’t blink and we watched as he navigated the topsy-turvy waters of Art Week in Mexico City with giddy glee. The open-kitchen at éla! x édo provided Cristian with a chance to show his social chops as he walked guests through of the evolving tasting menu. Everybody ate him up (his food too!). Cristian made the papaya + tomato salad sing like it was belting a swan song. The most subtle of flavors melted into this sort of tangy and slightly sweet thing that landed on the way back of the tongue. The crunch of the crickets tied the whole damn dish together. Intriguing and shows his ability to make everything the most simple of ingredients taste like the whole world.
After Mexico City, there was no doubt that his specialty is harnessing the essential flavours of each vegetable and masterfully parsing out the sophistication of the profile — the exact dream of what we want our chefs to do at éla! Take our homegrown organic vegetables from Patmos and make them shine in a humble yet serious way.
Cristian’s been on Patmos for a few weeks now and he’s already crafted some delightful summer dishes. Let the summer of éla! x Cristian begin.