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| The Early days in Legnano
After having fought in the first World War and survived the battle of Caporetto (1917), Cesarino Comani
(the grandfather of the present owner Cesare), moved in the 1920-ies from Parma (where he was born) to Legnano.
Legnano at the time, had a booming textile and mechanical industry and seemed the ideal place to start a small
restaurant (osteria). He met his wife there and together they ran the restaurant. In the 1930-ties the restaurant
moved to the City Centre and was running well when Cesarino was called to arms again in 1936 to go to Africa where
the Italians were fighting the British over the control of Somalia.
His wife took of over the kitchen and with the help of the children (Rina and Gianni) she kept the restaurant going until
her husband came back in 1940 wounded from the war. In the years during and after WO II the restaurant continued, moving
location a couple of times, basically run by the whole family. Rima helped her mother in the kitchen. Gianni helped after
school waiting tables. After he finished school he started working in the restaurent full-time because his father, after
coming back from Africa, never again regained his full health.
In the following years, Rina gradually took over from her mother in the kitchen en Gianni from his father in the restaurant.
The restaurant did well, it's success based on the the same principles as today. Only fresh, first quality ingredients and a
passion for good food. It had a loyal group of clients who would come there for lunch or dinner every day.
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| Realising a dream
in Comabbio
In the beginning of the 1960-ties the economic climate in Legnano was deteriorating, many textile factories closed
while others made redundant large parts of their workforce in order to safeguard their existence. Gianni, now owner
of Cesarino's, felt that to ascertain livelihood for the family, they would have to move from Legnano to an area where
there were better prospectives.
He got in the car with his father and drove up to the area west from Varese in the direction of the Lago Maggiore,
They found themselves in an area, declared not fit for agriculture, with hardly any industry but with beautiful little lakes,
small villages, little hillocks, the perfect tourist environment. Tourism in those days had just started to come in reach also
for the average Italian who would come from Milan to spend time 'in de country'.
They stopped on a spot with a beautiful vista of the Lago di Comabbio and thought this the perfect place for the new restaurant.
In two years later on June 2nd 1967 Cesarino's opened. From the opening in 1967, Cesarino's has slowly but steadily built a loyal
clientèle just as they had in Legnano.
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| Recent History
Cesare Comani (1959), current chef and owner of Cesarino's, is an autodidact. His inherited his love for food en wine from his
father and grandfather. Growing up as the son of a restaurant owner helping out when necessary was the normal thing to do so
Cesare worked with his aunt in the kitchen. He discovered that he liked cooking so his aunt began teaching him basic techniques
and receipies, especially in the field of patisserie an area Cesare was, and stil is very passionate about.
He finished school and decided to follow a course for Sommelier. In fact Cesare holds a diploma for the highest level.
But the kitchen kept calling, Cesare began working alongside his aunt and finally took over her place when she retired
in the beginning of the 80-ies.
Cesare refined the already high quality standards of the restaurant, his style made traditional dishes lighter and more up
to the high standards of today's gourmands but without never losing sight of the traditional Italian values as first rate
quality and freshness of ingredients. This approach has earned the restaurant a Michelin Recommendation for the last 30 years.
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