Aniello Casalino becomes head chef at the Favorite

MAINZ - A new face in the upscale gastronomy landscape of Mainz: the gourmet restaurant at the Favorite Parkhotel is starting after the summer break with Aniello Casalino as the new head chef in the Michelin-starred kitchen. The young man, who will be serving his creations for the first time on 27 August, comes directly from the starred kitchen of the Traube Tonbach in Baiersbronn. Aniello Casalino is the name of the gourmet chef who will now be providing exclusive moments of pleasure in Mainz Stadtpark.

The 31-year-old, who comes from Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart, has already completed a remarkable culinary career. He first came into contact with the Barth family, the owners of Favorite, a few years ago when junior chef Julia Barth was a guest at Heinz Beck's La Pergola restaurant in Rome, where she first became aware of Aniello Casalino. When the previous head chef Tobias Schmitt announced that he would be taking a career break for the birth of his second child and retiring from his position as head chef of the favourite gourmet kitchen, the Barth family remembered the very talented young man. Aniello Casalino's path now leads him to the family business in Mainz: "It's great to see how valuable networks in the catering industry always create new connections and opportunities," says Julia Barth.

In just a few weeks, Aniello Casalino will take over the kitchen of the gourmet restaurant - much to the delight of the Mainz hotelier family: "We are extremely happy that we will be able to continue seamlessly with Aniello Casalino after our summer break," says Christian Barth, Managing Partner of the Favorite Parkhotel. Aniello Casalino wants to inspire his guests with fresh culinary concepts in the Favorite Parkhotel's gourmet restaurant. "I love Italian, Mediterranean cuisine with classic French influences," he says. He brings a wealth of inspiration with him from Traube Tonbach, where he most recently worked as sous chef in the Michelin-starred restaurant 1789 and the Schatzhauser. It goes without saying that his guests can look forward to regional, seasonal and authentically presented products.

After his training at the Italian Chef Academy in Rome, he cooked in the Italian metropolis at the 3-star restaurant La Pergola under Heinz Beck and at the gourmet restaurant La Posta Vecchia in Ladispoli. After a stopover in his home town of Ludwigsburg, including at Schlosshotel Monrepos, which is run by the Finkbeiner family, he came to Traube Tonbach. "I am very happy to be able to take this path as head chef and I am incredibly grateful to all the people who have accompanied me on this journey," says Aniello Casalino. "First and foremost the Finkbeiner family, my boss at 1789, Florian Stolte, and of course my family, especially my mum." He can hardly wait to finally realise his dream in Mainz: to be able to implement his culinary ideas as head chef of a gourmet kitchen with a great team of existing and new employees.

The Barth family emphasises that the popular events at the Favorite gourmet restaurant will not change with the change of head chef. The opening hours will remain the same, as will the dates and prices of the Chef's Table and Favorite Young Line offers. There is great anticipation and excitement for the new head of the gourmet kitchen: "It's great that we have once again discovered a young gastronomic talent who can grow with us," says Christian Barth. "We are looking forward to developing the restaurant further with Aniello Casalino and opening a new chapter together."

The gourmet restaurant at the 4-star superior hotel in Mainz's Stadtpark is a meeting place for lovers of exquisite food from all over Germany and beyond. In 2010, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star for the first time and has been one of the top addresses in the region for top-class gastronomic experiences ever since. In addition to Christian Barth and his wife Anja, their two daughters Julia Barth and Anna Sand have now also joined the management of the family business.