A NEW CULINARY DIALOGUE TOOK PLACE AT AUTHENTICA: FRANCO PEPE JOINED TALENT WITH BARCELONA-BASED CHEF PACO MÉNDEZ IN A MEETING THAT CROSSED BORDERS
Caiazzo, May 8, 2026 – The Authentica calendar continues to unfold. The most intimate and exclusive space within Pepe in Grani opened its doors this week to a new voice: Barcelona-based chef Paco Méndez from Come restaurant (*Michelin), in what was one of the most evocative encounters of the season.
Following the first event of the year – a deeply rooted tribute to the territory of Alto Casertano, staged alongside chef Domenico Marotta – Authentica now opens to a wider world. Méndez arrived carrying the weight and warmth of Latin American flavour, shaped by years working alongside Ferran Adrià and refined through his own restaurant Come in Barcelona, where Mexican culinary tradition meets the rigour and imagination of avant-garde technique. In his hands, tacos become small works of art and moles are reframed as contemporary narratives.
True to its founding spirit, the dinner was reserved for just eight guests. An intimate, unrepeatable experience that took shape in the moment, through direct exchange between Franco Pepe and his guest.
At Authentica, no menu is defined in advance: it is born from the energy of the encounter, leaving full space for spontaneity, instinct and the kind of creative dialogue that only happens in real time.
Two distinct gastronomic identities came together for the occasion: Pepe’s deep inquiry into dough and his profound bond with the Campanian landscape on one side, and Méndez’s bold, internationally minded vision on the other. The result was a dialogue that crossed geographic and cultural borders.
Authentica reaffirms itself, once again, as a living laboratory of ideas and creative exchange, a space where fire is both instrument and ritual, and where every encounter leaves something behind that no recipe can fully capture.
The next Authentica event will be announced through the official social media channels of Franco Pepe and Pepe in Grani soon.
About Franco Pepe
Franco Pepe is widely considered the most famous Italian pizzaiolo in the world. Dough runs in his DNA: his grandfather was a baker, his father a pizzaiolo, and he has carried forward the family tradition. His international reputation was further strengthened by an article written by Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold, who described his creation as “probably the best pizza in the world.” He was named Best Pizzaiolo in the guide Where to Eat Pizza by Phaidon and is featured in an episode of the Netflix series Chef’s Table: Pizza.
He has received numerous awards, including Ambassador of the Mediterranean Diet, Ambassador of the Territory, Pizzaiolo of the Year by Food and Travel, Pizza Awards Italia, World’s Best Pizza Chef (2021–2024) and Maestro dell’Arte Bianca from ALMA – The International School of Italian Cuisine.
About Pepe in Grani
Pepe in Grani is Franco Pepe’s pizzeria located in Caiazzo, a town of 5,000 inhabitants
in the province of Caserta, where it welcomes around 400 guests per day and prepares approximately 800 pizzas daily. The project is built on the research of raw materials, innovation and the valorisation of human capital, with a scientific approach to frying techniques, the use of electric ovens and the design of kitchen equipment.
Its pizza is born from innovation while remaining deeply rooted in tradition.
About Authentica
Authentica is much more than a dining room: it is a laboratory of ideas, a place for dialogue and experimentation where hospitality and creativity meet in a direct and authentic way. A space designed to encourage exchange, sharing and the creation of new visions.
Opened in 2017, Authentica is located on the top floor of the historic 18th-century building that houses Pepe in Grani. Over time, this landmark has expanded its identity beyond that of a pizzeria, developing tasting rooms, B&B accommodations and ultimately this reserved space dedicated to small-scale, highly exclusive events designed to offer intimate and unrepeatable experiences.
Over the years, Authentica has welcomed some of the most influential figures in contemporary cuisine, becoming a place of encounter and exchange among leading personalities of gastronomy. Chefs from Italy and abroad have taken part in these special evenings, contributing their own vision to create a creative dialogue with Franco Pepe’s dough and the Alto Casertano territory.
Among the chefs who have participated in Authentica experiences are: Albert Adrià (Enigma; El Bulli**); Ana Roš (Hiša Franko***); Chicco Cerea (Da Vittorio***); Giuseppe Iannotti (Krèsios**); Floriano Pellegrino and Isabella Potì (Bros*); Alessandro Pipero and Ciro Scamardella (Pipero*); Antonia Klugman (L’Argine a Vencò*); Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza*); Riccardo Camanini (Lido 84*); Andrea Berton (Berton*); Xanty Elias (Acánthum*); Moreno Cedroni (La Madonnina del Pescatore**) … and many others.
Images HERE
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PRESS CONTACT
Vanessa Kroop – vanessak@mateoandco.es – M: +34 608 849 809
