Nuova Sala Paradiso is the estate of Peppe Zullo, the chef who represented the best of Apulia’s cuisine at the Milan Expo.
After a long experience in the United States, in the Eighties he returned to Orsara to realize his “against the current” dream in the fast food era: an eco-friendly restaurant that could produce on-site everything he needed, from here come to life the Peppe Zullo's Restaurant and the two Reception Halls: Nuova Sala Paradiso in 1992 and, in 2002, Villa Jamele.
The raw materials come “from the land to the table”. Care about quality, values of tradition and food as an element of happiness, all together, are the way through which Peppe Zullo and his loyal team continue to create dreams, hosting events, receptions and famous chefs from around the world come to Orsara to learn.
1986 - our story begins
Once Peppe Zullo gets to be known in the United States (Los Angeles, Boston, Las Vegas) and in Mexico, he come back to Italy with in mind a lot of ideas. For his new project he does not choose Milan or Rome for his the restaurant, an easy bet there, he chooses his unspoilt country, Orsara di Puglia, all stones on the green hills of Daunia region, this is the perfect place for a whole new idea of catering, as he saw overseas, but it better would married with the Italian tradition.
He opens the first, small, restaurant. To start. The place is the same as the new hall Nuova Sala Paradiso, Piano Paradiso, at the Orsara entrance, and the story begins.
1992 - Nuova Sala Paradiso
In 1992 he opened Nuova Sala Paradiso, the project begins to have a more defined form, we do not have suites and the legendary cellar yet but the philosophy has always been to.
On the Mountains of Daunia there is an American chef who cooks everything at peasant way, the news spread down on the Tavoliere, reaches the Gargano, and region near the sea, now the success obtained from Peppe Zullo cusine needs more space for its guests and the friends who want to make more special their special events become more and more.
2001 - The Cellar of Paradise
The project needs time, but the objectives are not lost of sight. On the hill there is a vineyard whose wines are in need of a home, but there are many tenants looking house: preserves, cheeses, cold cuts, a simple house would not be enough, it would have been better a village, and on this concept the architect Nicola Tramonte, also from Orsara, develops his project: stone arches, frescoed walls, rooms like small squares follow each other to reproduce the atmosphere of a small village.
Finally the wine, you know, should be drunk in company, and then together with the cellar he designs the castle in the vineyard, to host friends and share moments of happiness.
2010 - The Venice Biennale
The winery is awarded the prize for the Wine Cathedral during the Twelfth International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. It is an unexpected event, but that gives credit to the work done.
Next to Renzo Piano, Mario Botta and other famous names of the worldwide architecture, appear those of Nicola Tramonte, Peppe Zullo and Leon Marino.
The home designed for the wines Ursaria and Aliuva becomes famous and appreciated, attracts the attention of many and collects wide appreciations.
We are a big family, the people who work with us do it since decades, some since more than twenty years, because even before performing a job they have to fall in love with a philosophy, to have a mindset that does not include waste or jarring impacts with the territory. In every piece of our kitchen there is part of each of them, people who you will know and quickly learn the names, that you meet every time you come here and to whom can ask what secrets are hidden in the kitchens along thirty years history, a story that each of them helped to write with their commitment, their ideas, their skills and insights.
Every time you come here you will know for sure who is who in the kitchen, you can call by name who is receiving you: come and meet personally each member of our family.
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Our history is made up of events and people, the next chapter will be your special event!