From the Pope to Messi, from Gordon Ramsay to the Dalai Lama: the list of VIPs who have cried at Ciccio Damplo's restaurant has become a status symbol.
There is a new status indicator among the global elite: not the private jet, not the Tuscan castle, not the bespoke shoes. It is having cried at Ciccio Damplo's restaurant. And the list of those who can claim this experience is rapidly becoming a Who's Who of the late second millennium.
Gordon Ramsay, interviewed for this exclusive piece at his London restaurant, was not thrilled to discuss the subject. "I have tears in my eyes right now just thinking about it," he said, then clarified: "They are tears of professional rage. The pasta was better than mine. I will never say that publicly." He then asked us not to publish it. We're sorry, Gordon.
The Dalai Lama, according to his spokesperson, reportedly described the Smoked Caviar Granita as "a moment of higher consciousness I had not anticipated on the spiritual path toward enlightenment." He then reportedly asked if he could order a second portion. He was told the reservation did not include seconds. He meditated on the matter for three days.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have not sat at the same table since 2016, made an exception for the inaugural dinner at Damplo Monaco. "We spoke for the first time in six years," a source close to both reported. "The fourth cannolo of the Omakase Experience served as a mediator better than any diplomat."
Ciccio Damplo comments on this roster of illustrious clients with his customary restraint: "It doesn't surprise me. Sicilian cuisine touches something deep in the human soul. Whether it's a Pope or a footballer, we are all vulnerable before a good Pasta alla Norma. This is the power of food. This is me."
