Renowned food and wine critic Paolo Tullio passed away on Thursday evening. According to the Irish Independent, the Italian-born critic finally succumbed to a long illness at the age of 65.
In addition to being a restaurant critic for 'Weekend' magazine, Tullio was also a chef who has won several Michelin stars. The critic's fellow chefs were understandably heartbroken when they heard of the news.
"He was a great friend of mine," chef Kevin Dundon said of Tullio. "I ate many a dinner with him and he was a great chef, a great food critic, a great storyteller and a great friend. He will be sadly missed, I just can't believe he is gone."
Dylan McGrath was also devastated by Tullio's passing. The chef explained why his friend was different from other critics.
"Unlike other critics, who had never owned a restaurant and felt it was their job to give an opinion either good or bad, he tried to encourage young chefs," McGrath said. "He really felt it was his job to help those who were really trying and could tell them from those who couldn't care less."
Twitter users also shared their sentiments online. Bairbre Power, the fashion editor of Weekend, shared a picture of Tullio on her Twitter account.
Cherished memories of true gent Paolo Tullio teaching my son how to make the perfect pasta sauce in his kitchen. RIP pic.twitter.com/MeACi1uyKc
— Bairbre Power (@bairbrepower) June 6, 2015
He loved people, and people loved him: he'll be missed by all https://t.co/coJ3LT5Yw5 pic.twitter.com/ehd20PTxvk — Independent.ie (@Independent_ie) June 6, 2015
The Italian-born Tullio spent most of his childhood in the UK before moving to Ireland at the age of 18. He worked several odd jobs before deciding to establish Armstrong's Barn in Annamoe in the County Wicklow. The restaurant's traditional Irish food helped it win a Michelin star.
Tullio has also appearing in various Irish films, usually playing a small role. He was in two John Boorman projects, which were 'The Tiger's Tail' and 'The Tailor from Panama.' The critic also played an ice cream seller in the Neil Jordan movie 'The Butcher Boy.'
The critic is survived by two children, Isabella and Rocco.
