Paolo Trillo: Bar topnotcher

MANILA, Philippines - Paolo Trillo is a dynamic young man who’s at the top of his game. This Ateneo AB Communications graduate, who’s got the good looks and brains to match, is more popularly known to hordes of Filipino basketball fans as a TV sportscaster/commentator. Fact is, Paolo belongs to sports royalty, following in the famous footsteps of his father Joaqui Trillo, former sports analyst and now manager of the Alaska Aces basketball team. And if his name has the giddy connotation of wine, it’s because Paolo is heir to the Trillo wine empire set up by his grandfather Antonio Trillo, now 94. On top of all that, Paolo is manager and co-owner of Fiamma bar and restaurant, today’s hottest happening place in town. And did you know that aside from collecting awards for his winningest Ateneo basketball team and praises for his work, Paolo also collects shot glasses?

Not a long shot, really, since the Trillos are in the wine business and Paolo learned the ABCs of this invigorating fermented beverage at the feet of the master, his grandfather.

“The last I counted, I have 120 to 130 shot glasses,” says Paolo. “I actually only started collecting after college. “My family has been in the wine business for a while now. My dad used to work for my grandfather, he’d help out in sales. I’d tag along and we’d go to the different supermarkets, restaurants, and bars. I remember I had my first sip of red wine when I was in high school. But I wouldn’t drink much because I was an athlete in school.”

With an Ateneo diploma tucked under his belt, Paolo went on a backpacking tour around Europe with some of his friends. “That was how I got started on my shot glass collection,” he recounts. “My first shot glass came from Amsterdam. After that, I’d always get a shot glass like a souvenir everytime I travel here or abroad. Eventually, I kept getting more and more, and my friends and family kept giving me, so I decided I might as well start collecting.”

It certainly doesn’t take up a lot of room in Paolo’s trim luggage. “It’s easy to carry around and pack. I group them by countries — I have shot glasses from 20 to 30 countries. The nice thing about shot glasses is every place, every country you go to has it. They really have souvenir shot glasses made. In one country, I’d have from three different places. But always, I’d get a shot glass that reminds me of the place where I’ve been or something characteristic of the place. I have a couple of favorites, like the one I got in Vienna, Austria — it’s a shot glass version of a boot-shaped glass. I think the boot is supposed to push the beer down. They have a lot of this in Austria. Another favorite of mine is a shot glass that I got in Park Guell in Barcelona, Spain. The park was designed by the legendary architect Antonio Gaudi and the shot glass also has a Gaudi design.

Paolo pours out the fun memories: “On a trip around Europe, when I got to London — I was gone for almost two-and-a-half months — I was burned out. I saw this shot glass that says, ‘I got absolutely pissed in London.’ I also got some funny ones in Las Vegas — one has a couple of dice hanging outside while another has a dancer inside the shot glass.”

What is Paolo’s favorite city in the world?

Oui, according to Paolo, Paris is tres nice. He also loves New York. And Rome is simply magnifico!  On his wish list of places to visit are Russia, Egypt, Greece, and Dubai.

“I’m adventurous, I love traveling,” Paolo gushes. “When I go to a new place, of course I look forward to the sightseeing, eating, soaking in. Japan is good in terms of food.”

He learned sports on the knee of his father. He relates, “The first sport he got me and my older brother Luigi into was football — I was about four or five years old. My dad would take me and Luigi to the park — my sister Chesca was the only girl and Carlo was still a baby then — and we would just throw a football around or even have a baseball mitt. My father really wanted us to get into sports because it was healthy, you learn a lot of discipline and teamwork, and you stay away from drugs and stuff like that.”

His dad gave him his first basketball while his loving mom Dada Trillo gave him his first pair of rubber shoes when he was eight years old. “I remember those firsts: first basketball, first pair of rubber shoes,” Paolo beams. “I remember the shoes were so big for me, but I was really excited I would hold them the whole time, even slept beside them. I used to wear double socks just so I could wear those oversized rubber shoes.”

Paolo continues his play-by-play account of how it all began, “At six or seven years old, I started playing basketball, dribbling the ball around. We had a small basketball court. Growing up, we’d see him play basketball or analyze a game. He played point guard, which was good for his height of 5 feet 9 inches. He played basketball, football, track and field. He was a varsity player for those three sports. After that, he coached for a while and became the manager of Alaska, a position he’s held for 20 years now.”

Older brother Luigi is assistant coach for Alaska. Luigi played for La Salle while Paolo played for La Salle Zobel at the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines). “But I got a really bad knee and it was very hard to come back from an injury like that. So when I got into college, I didn’t continue playing varsity basketball. Instead I got into sportscasting for the Philippine Basketball Association as a commentator. My dad was an analyst. I have also covered both as an analyst and anchorman for the PBA games. If you know and love the sport, it comes like second nature.”

Sidelined by an injury, Paolo hopes to play basketball again after his second ACL reconstruction is done on his right knee and he’s undergone full therapy. Basketball is a passion that Paolo shares with his dad and brothers. “I don’t see it as a job, it’s something I enjoy doing,” Paolo enthuses.

And while enjoying what he’s doing, it doesn’t hurt, too, to learn something along the way. He shares, “My dad taught me to always be a good sport, win or lose. It’s really how you play the game. He taught me and my brothers how to be gracious both in victory and defeat.”

Paolo’s other love is Fiamma, that unpretentious all-white building on Jupiter St., Makati that houses a cool bar and restaurant. With its warm ambience, it’s become the favorite chill-out place of basketball players, models from the Professional Models Association of the Philippines (PMAP), and showbiz celebrities like KC Concepcion, Anne Curtis, and Heart Evangelista. They’ve become a closely-knit group so that everybody knows everybody. Here, the company is good, the food is good (get a piece of the action and your fair share of the delicious pizza and assorted bar chow), and the music is great.

There’s a different theme for each night of the week. Monday, it’s flashback music playing different hits from the past — R&B, alternative, reggae are mixed up for what’s called mashed-up music. Tuesday is a free night. Wednesday, it’s called after-work Wednesday where an earlier crowd comes in at 8 or 9 p.m. to listen to retro music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. The biggest and most popular night, Fresh Friday is about the latest music to hit town.

Needless to say, Fiamma has a great wine selection, but it caters not only to wine drinkers but also to beer drinkers. Thus, it’s got a beer menu with a good selection of imported beers. It’s got a good selection of signature cocktails as well, like the bracing Brazilian national cocktail called caipirinha. There’s a drink-all-you-can promo for beer and wine from 7 to 10 p.m.

Whether you’re eating or drinking or both, Fiamma is the place to be. The two-floor bar/resto that can seat a total of 250 for both floors has become a favorite venue for product launches and corporate events as well as birthday parties. Only recently, Alaska Aces’ Willie Miller celebrated his birthday at Fiamma. Since it opened in October 2005, Fiamma has also hosted memorable parties like New Year’s celebrations.

“Fiamma is doing very well, but my dream now is to work Fiamma up to a point where maybe we can branch out to other restos, concepts, etc.,” Paolo muses. “As for Ateneo, we won the championship last year. My dream is to win another one this year.”

Going back to his favorite sport, Paolo declares, “Basketball teaches you many values. It teaches you how to balance your time, to set your priorities. At the same time, when you train, even if it’s hard, it toughens you up, it gives you that mental discipline. It makes you a well-rounded person.”

Shall we all raise our shot glasses to this young man who knows that beyond basketball, there’s a bigger game called life?