Chef Angiolo Barni’s family business is originally a panificio or bakery an enoteca later in Prato.  The second largest city in Tuscany, Prato has been known for its textile production since the Middle Ages.  It is also famous for the biscotti from the Biscottificio Antonio Mattei that are enjoyed around the world  particularly dipped in Vin Santo wine.
Sommelier Elena Paci and Chef Angiolo opened a gem of a restaurant called Myo in late 2016, located in the modernistic building that houses the Center for Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci , which marked 30 years in Prato in 2018. Barni grew up with contemporary art.  He told me his inspiration for naming the restaurant was twofold: he asked his young son what it should be called, and got the reply mio, which coincided phonetically with a Cy Twombly abstract expressionist painting from 1951 named Myo.

Barni learned his craft at the Ecole des Arts Culinaire in 1994, helmed at that time by legendary chef Paul Bocuse, and situated near Lyon, France. After additional culinary stops in Spain and Japan, he ultimately returned to his hometown of Prato, and for his last venture he found a perfect setting given his artistic sensibilities in the golden-sphered Pecci Center. An elegant yet comfortable ambiance greets the guest, with circular ceiling lights and large windows brightening the dining area. Several attractive sculptures from the collection including a near-Giacometti pair of individuals walking in opposite directions and a Picasso-like assemblage of musical instruments grace the entrance, and the bar area sits front and center facing the kitchen and affording a view to the preparations within. Next to the bar, a seating area with couches and chairs is arranged like a living room, with bookcases featuring art tones and interspersed with a collection of vases and small paintings and object d’arts.

We enjoyed a pre-Christmas lunch, with a light scattering of other guests, primarily a large, convivial table of Italians enjoying a festive gathering.
Chef Angiolo introduced the dining options to us, and we left  to him to select a tasting menu featuring seafood to sample a cross-section of his culinary talents

Our wine to accompany our courses was a Tocai Friulano, a grape originally of Hungarian heritage, a white wine grown in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. In fact, Italian vintners have been banned from using that name for wine exports after complaints by Hungarian Tokay producers that this would lead to confusion with their brands.

Capesanta or roasted scallops were covered with a thin slice of zucca marinata or marinated pumpkin, with a cime di rapa or broccoli rabe puréed, and topped by a delicate sprinkling of chestnut crumble.

A perfectly cooked al dente pasta dish followed, Linguine Verrigni, cooked in an anchovy consommé stock and artfully accompanied by grated pistachios and pecorino cheese.

Our final savory dish was Cernia or grouper, a deep water fish, with delightful sweet onions from Certaldo and fried carciofi or artichokes.

A sweet finish of panettone, prepared with bread from the Barni family bakery, was embedded with candied fruit including golden raisins.

Prato’s historical center is a delight to explore on foot with its duomo featuring a unique external pulpit and art museum, Frederick II castle, medieval defensive walls and other artistic surprises in its churches and museums. However, be sure to journey outside the center to sample the contemporary art at the Pecci and the culinary masterpieces prepared by Chef Angiolo and his team at Myo.