Hey Friends,
So, I was re-watching one of Tucci’s episodes about Lombardy and there were two parts that peaked my interest. (It seems like every time I rewatch them, I catch something that I didn’t see before) The first was about a Michelin starred restaurant that grew all of it’s own produce year round, which started me thinking…is seasonal cooking becoming extinct?…but I’ll save this for another post.
The second part of the episode was about the Italian AutoGrills which are the roadside restaurants lining the Autostradas and I started thinking about, once again, how different the Italians view travel and food….and the food that they eat when they travel. So I did a little research and uncovered some really cool stuff.
AutoGrills aren’t just rest stops…they’re a whole quirky, deeply Italian cultural institution. They began as tiny post-war pastry kiosks in the late 1940’s. The very first one wasn’t a modern rest stop at all…it was a humble kiosk owned by Mario Pavesi, a Lombard baker’s son, on the Milan-Turn highway where he sold cookies and coffee to truck drivers. This tiny stand became the side of Italy’s entire highway dining culture.
In 1959 Pavesi invented the ‘bridge-restaurant’ Autogrill which was suspended over the road…a glass walled-bridge where diners could watch cars stream beneath them. My first thought was, were these the forerunners to American roadside restaurants? No, actually American rest stops (especially the orange-roofed Howard Johnson’s) came first. Pavesi and his architect traveled through the US highway system in the 1950’s and were struck by these ‘Oasis’ rest stops built as bridges over the highway. They returned to Italy and started designing and building their own highly visible, architecturally futuristic structures copying American-style foodservice to Italian tastes. A newculture of stopping, eating, and socializing on the road began to take place. This was a radical shift for postwar Italy as it transitioned form a largely agriculturally driven economy into modern, consumerism including the romance of travel. Another fun fact…in 1999 AutoGrill acquired Host Marriott Services, the dominant operator of US airport and highway concessions.
These Autogrills introduced a more ambitious architectural approach, greater emphasis on food quality and a shift toward multi-concept food halls rather than single-chain diners. They now serve real regional food that actually shifts with the region. As an example, in Tuscany they serve wild boar (cinghiale) dishes…in Emilia-Romagna…Parma ham and Parmigiano..and everywhere proper espressos are served by trained baristas…they treat food as culture….not as convenience.
In the Tucci episode he ordered Osso Bucco Milanese which was served to him in a matter of minutes because the pre-cooked and then froze the pasta taking only 30 minutes to reheat and serve. The whole veal shank wasn’t obviously served, rather it was a smaller version of tender braised beef placed in the center of the risotto in traditional fashion.
Autogrill emerged from the merger of Motta, Pavesi, and Alemagna…three giants of mid-century Italian pastry and coffee culture. Their DNA shapes the Autogrill vibe today…espresso bars, pastries, panini, and a certain Milanese modernism. During the 1970’s oil crisis, all three of these founding companies struggled, but the Italian government intervened and saved them merging them into Autogrill S.p.A., preserving the highway dining network as a national travel infrastructure.
Today, the Autogrill operates
- 625 high locations
- 147 airport outlets
- 162 train stations
- 94 city center shops
It’s one of Italy’s most recognizable brands worldwide and the Italians love them. They now include charging stations for EV’s, sleek interiors, curated food halls, and even chef-driven restaurants like the one Tucci visited where they claimed the chef’s work 3 years to perfect his risotto dish!
The Italians treat Autogrill as part of the joy of road-tripping. A pre-made panino, a quick espresso at the bar, a browse through regional snacks…it’s a ritual for them. They are a cultural time capsule of Italy’s post-war economic boom known as Italy’s “Miracolo economico Italiano”…their ‘economic miracle’.
And now you know the whole story…
Ciao Amici…
David & Tino
