Italo Calvino, one of the most important Italian writers of the 20th century, shortly before his death in 1985, had been writing a book about the five senses, managing to capture his thoughts on only three: hearing, smell and taste.
He gave his essay on taste the title “Sole Giaguaro” (Under the Jaguar Sun), masterfully interweaving the passion for flavour and the desire for love. It is no coincidence that another Italian, Giovanni Scaraggi, now famous for his participation in the Greek MasterChef 5, opened a restaurant under the same name in South Rhodes, housing his love for the woman for whom he left Italy and came to Greece.
In the courtyard of “Sole Giaguaro” we were greeted by Vicky’s hearty smile: “Welcome to our restaurant! Gio is in the kitchen cooking. He will be with you in a very short while. What can I bring you to freshen up? Would you like something to eat?”
Under the scorching midday -not Jaguar- sun, we quenched our thirst with plenty of water as our sense of sight delighted in the elegance of the restaurant, the careful choice of table seating, the subtle decorative details that adorned the beautifully restored 1923 building with its flowering bougainvillea and curly basils. The smells emanating from the small window openly challenged our taste buds. Moments later, Giovanni solved the mystery of what was going on in the kitchen: “We just made sea bass tartare, marinated in sour tea, and a little while before, tortellini stuffed with cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, creamed peas, Italian spicy salami crumble and charred lemon oil”.
In order to enjoy the unique flavours created by Giovanni and his team, you should make a reservation three to four days in advance, while on weekends, it is best to book a table a week in advance.
Customers start flocking to the small courtyard with the big heart, as the key ingredient to all this is love: “Since I was a kid, I worked in restaurants and as I got older, I got more into cooking. I always loved earning my way through university by doing something I loved. I studied Sociology and Anthropology in Rome. I practiced my profession, participated in NGO projects, travelled, but eventually I returned to Rome to study Culinary Arts. I felt like I always wanted to do something creative in my life, something expressive of myself, and I finally found it in cooking”.
Having worked in prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants in Denmark, Japan and Greece, this charismatic and humble Italian exudes an enviable placidity as we speak, fully aware of his priorities.
Asked how he decided to set up a restaurant in a village in the middle of nowhere, the answer is simple: ‘Partly because I was fond of the village and its surroundings and partly because of the potential success of a more sophisticated gastronomic concept in an area where until then there were only traditional taverns. I would like to stress, however, that these taverns offer very good food, but sometimes you may just want something different. Another key element is that the audience that would respond to a concept like “Sole Giaguaro”, which is based on Italian creative cuisine, is very much around, as people from all over the world live here. Rhodes is a cosmopolitan island. Coming to the small and quiet village of Lachania in 2018, having since spent much of our lives here – with Vicky and our daughter Phaedra – was definitely a beautiful life decision”.
