Fiamma | Firing Up A New Dining Experience In Sun Valley Partner Website

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By Alex Clarkson

When celebrated and acclaimed chefs Britt Rescigno and Kinsey Leodler first arrived in Ketchum for the Sun Valley Culinary Institute’s Sun Valley Food & Wine Celebration, they, like many before them, realized they had come to a truly special place. While researching locations across the country to open a restaurant, they kept returning to the Wood River Valley for events, dinners, and various happenings, recognizing that Sun Valley was where they wanted to be.

“We prioritize collaboration as a fundamental aspect of our concept, inviting chefs from across the nation to participate in special dinners and events.”

–Kinsey Leodler, Chef, Fiamma

Fiamma began construction with an innovative concept for Ketchum a live fire open kitchen for culinary creation, featuring a chef’s counter that allows patrons to enjoy kitchen theater within the spacious 90 seat dining room and bar area. Surrounded by walls adorned with shou sugi ban, Venetian plaster, and Italian inspired tile floors, Fiamma’s design and allure evoke a big city and metropolitan feel in a mountain town.

“The exterior architecture was designed to be modest and approachable in scale, avoiding an oversized appearance for the lot,” describes project architect Lucas Winter of The Jarvis Group Architects. He adds, “The two story height aligns with the character of historic downtown Ketchum buildings.”

Natural stone, shaped into a brick format, paired with custom made patinaed steel panels, offers a color palette of muted earth tones and a contemporary twist on familiar natural materials. Fiamma’s second floor is recessed in multiple areas and features integrated planters and greenery. Handmade copper gas lanterns illuminate the exterior of the space each evening, welcoming guests inside.

“At Fiamma, we strive to provide the region’s most refined hospitality, featuring a one-of-a-kind ambiance, an award winning wine program, and food that sparks conversation, excitement, and celebration,” says Leodler. “We concentrate our efforts on a rotating seasonal menu that refreshes monthly, consistently in line with seasonal availability and sourcing the freshest products possible from nearby suppliers.” She adds, “Beyond that, we prioritize collaboration as a fundamental aspect of our concept, inviting chefs from across the nation to participate in special dinners and events, significantly enhancing our community’s dining and event scene.”

“The exterior architecture was designed to be modest and approachable in scale, avoiding an oversized appearance for the lot. The two-story height aligns with the character of historic downtown Ketchum buildings.”

–Lucas Winter, Architect, The Jarvis Group Architects.

Erin Boone of Boone Interiors, located in Chicago, Illinois, is responsible for the design and functionality of Fiamma, which includes the dining spaces, Taverna, a lower level wine cellar, and more. To create the overall aesthetic, they drew inspiration from the name Fiamma, which translates to “little flame” in Italian.

“Fiamma was designed to host guests in a myriad of ways, whether it be dinners with friends and family in the dining room, wine in the bar, or more private experiences and events in the lower level wine cellar. It was important to us to ensure that we could meet guests at their comfort level,” says Boone.

Leodler adds, “The wine room was not a key element of the space and design. In fact, when we began the project, we didn’t have basement space. Fortunately, that changed, and we were able to add a production kitchen featuring a humidified pasta room for perfect handmade pasta, and a 1,500 bottle cellar that quickly became a key to our whole concept. We decided to bring in a Wine Director, Brady McAlister, who has curated our dream wine list. We can’t imagine Fiamma without it.”

Fiamma can accommodate large parties and walk ins with its variety of spaces designed for this purpose. In addition, the Taverna and bar area are beautifully decorated with mirrored back shelves and a mahogany bar, reflecting a retro style and lush comfort, allowing for dining at the bar or throughout the Taverna space.

“Fiamma was and is our dream. We got to work with some of the best architects and designers in the country to put together a space that still gives us butterflies when we walk in the door. It’s timeless, inspired, and keeps us inspired.”

–Britt Rescigno, Chef, Fiamma

However, the centerpiece of Fiamma is its open-flame kitchen, which Rescigno and Leodler designed themselves and shared with their design and construction team to make the chefs’ dream a reality. The chef’s island and bar are dark green soapstone with heavy veining and a thick profiled edge, complementing the dark walnut furniture and booths in the dining room, bar, and Taverna area.

Boone reveals, “We sought to showcase Chef Britt Rescigno’s culinary talents, but also Kinsey and Britt’s exuberant personalities and true love for hospitality. The kitchen highlights an open-flame pit, California made clay tile, and rough hewn stone flooring, each recalling the natural rustic beauty of its surroundings.”

She adds, “The open kitchen plan is complemented by deeply charred shou sugi ban wood paneling, rich Roman clay wall treatments (a nod to Italian craft), leather and vel-vet upholstery, and brass accents. We sought to align Idaho and Italy’s fire and earth elements in our material selections.”

Boone also integrated various design elements necessary for cultivating an inviting open kitchen and enhancing the restaurant’s space planning, which includes an engaging bar area. Fine art from Gilman Contemporary gallery in Ketchum decorates the walls of the spacious dining area, which can accommodate multiple seating arrangement preferences for its patrons.

“We aimed to ensure that all seating provided an upscale yet comfortable dining experience. Finishes such as antique mirrors, brass lighting, and luxe upholstery naturally aligned with our developing concept,” says Boone.

The outcome of the build and design surpassed the expectations of Rescigno and Leodler, especially as they began planning Fiamma’s introduction to the Sun Valley dining scene. Rescigno says, “Fiamma was and is our dream. We got to work with some of the best architects and designers in the country to put together a space that still gives us butterflies when we walk in the door. It’s timeless, inspired, and keeps us inspired.”

“We sought to showcase Chef Britt Rescigno’s culinary talents, but also Kinsey and Britt’s exuberant personalities and true love for hospitality.”

–Erin Boone of Boone Interiors

She adds, “We’ve had several guests travel to Sun Valley specifically to dine at Fiamma. Couples and groups from Washington, Montana, Colorado, and more have joined us for bucket list dinners. Few things feel better than that. We’ve always aspired for Fiamma to be a house of moments, where people choose to celebrate and create memories with us. At the end of the day, that’s the whole point.

Architect: The Jarvis Group Architects; Lucas Winter, Project Architect in Sun Valley
Construction Company: Elias Construction in Sun Valley
Interior Designer: Erin Boone of Boone Interiors in Chicago

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