Imagine starting out as an actor and, within a few months of doing so, winning an “Oscar.”
Far fetched? Well, yes, in some ways it is but that is pretty much what has happened to Fabio and Martina Gruppioni.
One years ago he took over a very run down old restaurant in Waterloo which has been operating as a brasserie for over 12 years.
The very friendly Fabio and his pleasant wife Martina invested a lot of time and money into transforming the place into what it is today: a gleaming Italian eatery that is proving very popular, not least with the bit expat community living locally.
But that came with a lot of time and effort and the couple were – very quickly – rewarded with what is a gold standard in the restaurant trade …. a Gault & Millau listing. (12-20).
The much sought-after award is evidenced at the front door of this very pleasant resto just out of the centre of bustling Waterloo.
Once you sample some of the fantastic cuisine produced by Martina you will see why the place was awarded such an accolade in so short a space of time.
While Fabio is from Sicily, this place specialises in cuisine from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, one example being the tagliatelle al ragu. This is not like the version, called usually Bolognese, that we find in Belgium. The Belgian version comes with lashings of tomato sauce and bits of meat but the more authentic one served at Emilia is the opposite: more meat than sauce and slow cooked for up to eight hours. The taste says it all … wonderful.
The same can be said for several other dishes served here, including the escalope which is served the Bolognese style and tortellini and gramigna alla salsiccia (saucisse marinated with red wine and quite different from that found in the south of Italy).
As explained by Fabio, Bolognese cuisine is (among much else) particularly distinguished by hand-made and fresh pasta, as opposed to dried pasta.
While Martina, who was trained in her native Bologna at one of the top catering schools in the whole if Italy, sticks largely to the wonderful local cuisine she also, occasionally, lets her creative juices run free and comes up with some “secret” recipes.
The same applies to the quite delicious desserts which include Torta Barozzi, a type of chocolate cake which is made to the same recipe as for Italian royalty some 400 years ago.
You might also like to enjoy a great ice cream made with balsamic vinegar which is ten years old. You will not be disappointed with the outcome, and the same goes for just about everything you will sample here.
The couple themselves have a fascinating back story.
Fabio first arrived in Belgium some eight years ago and worked at the famed Osteria Romano Italian resto in Brussels, working his way up to become head waiter and sommelier. He partly learned his trade with the wonderful Filippo La Vecchia before deciding to go it alone in search of what he says had always been the “dream” for him and Martina…to own their own resto.
That happened when they came upon the place in Waterloo which, despite being in need of major refurb, had great potential.
After a couple of months refurbishing the place, complete with a completely new bar and kitchen, the couple proudly opened the resto in March last year.
Within a few months they were credited by the renowned Gault & Millau award and, despite stiff local competition, they are doing very well.
Their lunch trade is a success too,partly due to the very affordable 3 course lunch menu priced just €35 pp, comprising a choice of 3 starters, mains and dessert of the day (served Wednesday to Friday).
Look out also for some quite exquisite wines, not least from the region featured but also from Fabio’s home in Sicily.
The couple, who live in Tubize and have a young son, actually first met while working at Filippo’s Brussels resto (Martina was in the kitchen while Fabio was front of house). They say they have not looked back since venturing alone and,judging by the quality of the food Martina serves,you can see why that is.
This lovely resto celebrates its first anniversary soon and it is highly recommended.
Emilia
Rue de la Station 29, Waterloo
Tel: 0+32.2.354.49.54
