Located in the Hilton Columbus Downtown, FYR is best known for its Latin-inspired dishes, which pack a punch of flavor. Now, FYR is bringing a taste of Italy to Columbus, featuring a menu curated by Chef Sebastian La Rocca. This exclusive dining experience, which highlights his Italian heritage, is available only during March and is more than just a special menu.

La Rocca’s Roots

“Having a Spanish heritage from my mother’s side and Italian from my father’s, you can imagine the food was always amazing.” says La Rocca, “But the biggest influence we had was always Italian.”

Born in Buenos Aires, La Rocca was deeply influenced by flavors from an early age. He takes great pride in his Argentine roots, which form the foundation of his work at FYR daily. He leans towards southern Italian cuisine on his father's side, as his family originates from the Puglia region.

As a child, La Rocca visited his grandparents' ranch nearly every weekend, where he gained a deep understanding of what it means to cook with love. His grandfather, Eduardo, taught him the significance of food in fostering a sense of community. To him, it wasn’t just about making the best pasta but also about having the best people around and conversing over the meal.

Enamored with the art of food, La Rocca attempted culinary school but decided to endeavor in a more nomadic approach. After 27 years, he has lived on nearly every continent and worked with some of the most prestigious chefs in the game, like Chef Saito, who taught La Rocca about discipline and technique, and Jamie Oliver.

“I had the great opportunity to work with Jamie Oliver for five years. I learned about the passion and DNA of the ingredients, where they come from, the story behind the producer, and the connection with them.”

Finding his FYR

“I fell in love with (Columbus). It’s a beautiful city– everything is close and peaceful. There is fashion, art, sports, and it’s a growing food destination with great potential,” says La Rocca, “The most important thing is the Midwest spirit. I always say Midwest means hospitality.”

Three years ago, La Rocca settled into the pace of the city and his position at FYR. After spending years traveling with the unbridled curiosity of starting as a chef, he appreciates the pace of Columbus: it’s bustling and evergrowing but not too overwhelming.

La Rocca finds comfort in Columbus's calm, which he conveys through his food. He lives by the famous Albert Einstein quote: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

“My belief as a chef is “less is more.” I believe that when you put too many components on the plate, you lose the focus on what you are eating.”

La Rocca has become increasingly fascinated by the number of small farmers in Columbus and the surrounding areas. Sebastian dedicates much of his time to meeting and working with these farmers on their menus, always putting product before price.

“The intention in the kitchen is really important, and it starts with the farm suppliers. We can’t make great food without great products.”

Haven’t had FYR before? No problem!

While the FYR Italy experience is running, a small portion of the menu, “The FYR Classics”, is dedicated to preserving some of their best dishes.

“I’m so secure in this time of my life as a chef, I can just put a tomato on the plate and nothing else because it’s going to blow your mind,” says Sebastian La Rocca.

And it will. The chilled wood-oven roasted tomato, served with panela honey, goat cheese, and charred onions, is so flavorful and inventive that even a tomato hater like me ate every last bite.

“Jamie Oliver brought me back to who I am. I worked for him at Barbecoa, where we cooked with open fires. That made me realize that you know, I am Latino, and cooking with fire is in my DNA.”

If you’ve ever dined at FYR, you can’t help but be captivated by the enticing fire in the kitchen. It’s bold and lively, requiring a skilled hand to control. FYR introduces open-fire cooking to downtown Columbus, a technique that takes patience to master.

“My superpower is being able to play with fire and control fires. I’m really passionate about that. I love fire; it’s magical, and I’ve found that cooking with fire is really romantic.”

^{The captivating flames of FYR (Photo by Eat Local Ohio)}

FYR Italy

For the rest of March, FYR is paying tribute to La Rocca’s Italian roots. The otherwise Latin menu was transformed into an Italian grandmother’s Sunday menu, full of comforting foods, deep flavors, and learned methodologies.

“With Jamie, I really got exposed to Italian cuisine, traditions, festivals, and ingredients. So, for FYR, we worked for three months sourcing products and ingredients to combine family recipes and travel,” says La Rocca. “We sourced products like anchovies, Parmigiano Reggiano, and the prosciutto aged for 24 months that we got imported specifically for us.”

Far from the commercial Italian cuisine that many of us are used to, FYR’s Italy menu features dishes La Rocca could talk about for hours. Each dish comes from an experience or memory, a love letter to his family, mentors, and the citizens of southern Italy.

Everything on the menu is fantastic, but we got the special honor of learning a little bit more about some of the star dishes. For example, the sourdough bread with homemade lardo is inspired by Dario Cecchini, the famous Italian butcher. La Rocca visited his shop with Oliver and had the creamy, deep pork fat spread along a piece of bread. It was deep and mature, and FYR’s is a play on Cecchini’s classic.

And for those eyeing Alejandro’s Spinach Malfatti Gratin, you’ll be taken back to the very first time La Rocca met his stepfather, Alejandro. This dish honors the first meal Alejandro made for him and fell in love with thereafter. It’s a gnocchi spooned into the water, offering a different texture than you’d usually find.

“The stracciatella dish— stracciatella is the stuffing for burrata, and it is produced in the town where my father was born. Then, the kumquat compote we’re using on the dish is my grandmother’s recipe.” 

Teleport yourself to the coasts of Italy with the Gamberi, which La Rocca modeled after fishmongers splitting open fresh shrimp and serving them with olive oil, lemon, and salt on top. The lightness of the dish, with FYR’s rendition being shrimp tartar topped with lemon, almonds, capers, chives, and shrimp aioli, brightens up the palette.

Every dish you enjoy at FYR, whether a unique Italian creation or one of the classic favorites, carries a piece of the restaurant's history in its recipes. This meaningful tribute to La Rocca's Italian heritage transcends what it means to dine out.

“Being able to share these memories with our guests is incredible. It’s an extension of who I am,” says La Rocca. “It’s not just about going to a restaurant; you sit down, and you eat what’s on the plate. Food is about memories. We’re storytellers here, and we want to tell you the story behind every dish.”

On the first day of service, La Rocca felt a wave of emotion as his father had passed away three years earlier. FYR Italy is La Rocca's way of honoring his father and the rest of his Italian family through their recipes, shared experiences, and stories.

If you’re going to FYR, you’re not just going for food, but you’re going for an experience. In Columbus's growing culinary hub, FYR stands out as a restaurant with bold flavors, heartwarming stories, and an unforgettable experience.

“When you come here, you’re going to get exposed to different approaches and how we work with ingredients,” says La Rocca. “And being part of this community and part of a growing culinary center in Columbus makes me feel great. I’m happy, happy about what’s happening in the city.”

 

 

 

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