Kalaya {Philly} – Pilgrimage Worthy

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Ziggy

The last season of Chef’s Table was both exciting and upsetting. At least they ended with the upsetting part allowing us to enjoy the show until that point. The last episode was about a restaurant in Mexico City that proudly shows sensitive political stances on the menu. Not sure I would like to live in a world where every restaurant or business I support shows where they stand on certain issues, some of which may be sensitive to some groups. We go out to be entertained, not preached. We have CNN and FOX News for that.

Compared to the last episode, the Kalaya episode was wildly refreshing. Not only for the great looking food but the owner’s bubbly personality, and her story. I immediately went to Google Maps to mark it only to find out its already marked. Why havent I visited until now? I ran out of daughters (that might go to school there), and my love affair with the Philly Cheesesteak never really changed. I was so enamored with one particular handsome beast (John’s Roast Pork) that it took me ages to even try another.

Kalaya not too long ago moved to the up and coming Fishtown. A fitting name for a new culinary powerhouse, especially if you stretch the border a little to include places like Laser Wolf. The place has the look and feel of a sprawling well oiled machine that’s quite far from your typical Thai. Great food, ample lighting, efficient service, and strong drinks. What else a boy can ask for. Dumplings shaped like birds?

The dumplings at Kalaya are the exception to the rule. Get them for the look, and hopefully you’ll enjoy the taste. The signature bird shaped dumplings with caramelized cod and preserved radish had a mild interesting funk but didnt exactly blow me away. The flower shaped chicken dumplings had a more agreeable flavor and texture. But the biggest surprise was how tiny they were. You could easily kill two birds with one bite.

While I didnt really explore the Appetizers column, I get the sense that Kalaya’s strength is with large entrees. A perfectly steamed whole Branzino topped with all sorts of delicate goodies was pure joy with every morsel. A fall off the bone Lamb Shank on an outrageous, well balanced Massaman curry, with potatoes, onions and almonds was fall off the chair wowzer. One we couldnt finish. The silky Cabbage side was another winner.

Rarely you see great looking desserts at Thai places. The mammoth shaved ice is a show stopper, but our shrinking stomachs went for the more than fine Thai Tea Tiramisu. I also rarely talk about drinks here because they are either not memorable or something I can do at home. The Lum Yong drink was neither. An unforgettable blend of Gins, Coconut, Lemongrass, lime and spices. Go!

Kalaya
4 W Palmer St, Philadelphia
Recommended Dishes: Both Dumplings, Lamb Shank Massaman, Branzino, Cabbage, Tiramisu

Categories: Philadelphia | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Fiaschetteria Pistoia – Under the Village Sun

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Ziggy

Just your friendly reminder that Fiaschetteria Pistoia is still awesome. You dont survive this long off Ave C without doing something right. And that something is the closest NYC has to a Tuscan Trattoria. When the owners of Pistoia opened this location in early 2017, they knew how to cook one thing, really well. The cuisine of Pistoia. That’s where they lived and owned a restaurant, just outside of Florence. That means Tuscan classics like the bready Pappa Al Pomodoro, Crostini with liver, Pici Cacio e pepe, and other fresh pastas.

Speaking of which (fresh pastas), when I walk inside Pistoia with a group, I know exactly where I want to sit. Facing the pasta making station. Sort of homefield advantage since I’m usually the only one who knows exactly where it is. I can think of very few places, Ulivo one, that offers a selection of high quality fresh pastas in all shapes and sizes. In fact, other than the occasional special, they only offer one Secondi, Veal Scaloppine, which is safe to skip.

Concentrate on the things Pistoia does well, some of which is best in the business variety. My “recommended dishes” here is one of the longest in the EWZ universe. Start with the exceptional Prosciutto San Daniele, or “proshoot” if you are dining with a Brooklynite. The Sformatino is another must. Wonderfully creamy Zucchini flan. Adding the classic Crostini Toscani to recommended list.

Too many great pastas on the menu, so best to bring friends, in-laws, etc. I hosted a wild party there once. By wild I mean some ordered two drinks and there was very minimal weather talk. The Tagliatelle al Tartufo is a new discovery. As expected for $34, its mostly truffle sauce base, but its incredibly satisfying. Another new one is Gnocchi with Spare Rib Ragu. Although the small Gnocchi could have been firmer, the familia had no complaints and I’d order it again.

In Tuscany, Cacio e Pepe is done with the thicker and chewier Pici, and after all these years, Pistoia seemed to perfect their version. In other places it may not be peppery enough, too creamy, or not creamy enough. Same goes for their Tiramisu. I crave it after an Italian meal as such, and it so often disappoints. The Panna Cotta, this time with a berry sauce is another winner. Go!

Original Post

Fiaschetteria Pistoia
647 E 11th (Off C), East Village
Recommended Dishes: Prosciutto San Daniele, Sformatino, Pappa al Pomodoro, Crostini Toscani, Spaghetti, Pappardelle, Maccheroni, Picci Cacio e peppe, Gnocchi, Tagliatelle al Tartufo, Tiramisu, Panna Cotta

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Z-List Update – January 2025

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Ziggy

Ladies and gents. The moment none of you have been waiting for. The beginning / end of the year biannual update to the Z-List, my favorite 30 restaurants in NYC. Congratulations to the winners.

In:

Cotra
Balaboosta
Chuan Tian Xia

Out:

Dell’anima (GWM its home, closed)
Minetta Tavern (havent been since the pandemic and frankly lost interest
FOB (closed)

The List

Categories: New York City | Tags: , | Leave a comment

RUA Thai – More Awesomeness on Smith

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Ziggy

Smith Street in Brooklyn is having a moment, again. Very few people know that Smith Street was Brooklyn’s original Restaurant Row, before greedy landlords brought things to a halt around 2016. Any locals here remember Saul? The first Brooklyn restaurant to receive a Michelin star, literally putting Smith St on the map, for me at least. The run lasted less than a decade.

RUA Thai is one of a plethora of eateries responsible for the revival and at the same time early revival casualties. Popular places like the fiery BYOB (Bring Your Own Bounty) Ugly Baby, and FOB Filipino either priced out or lost their luster amidst the International expansion. When you look closer today, Smith Street is covering the International scene, from Ramen to Mexican to French, like very few NYC streets. Last month I told you about “Stupid Good” Bar Bete, one of the more interesting new arrivals on Smith.

On the initial glance, RUA might look like just another Thai, not terribly different than the rest. You got all the rainbow color curries, the usual wok suspects, Drunken Noodles of course, crab fried rice and just about every Thai dish known to man. NYC man at least. But looking under the hood, you find a playful menu with plenty of signatures by a NYC Thai veteran. Chef/owner Kornpon Theeraumpornkul grew up around the floating markets of Ratchaburi where he got much of his inspirations.

With such an extensive menu, the three of us just scratched the surface. Other than Mrs Z’s uneven “Lychee Tini” there was no dud in the house. With drinks, any disappointment is usually met with some approval of my own bartending skills. Especially when it comes to Lychee Martinis as she’ll attest. Is there a patting myself on the back emoji?

Started with Shumai-like Dumplings that were above average, and way above once you dipped them in the accompanied curry sauce. I could drink this like a smoothie. The fried wings were ladened with addictive larb seasoning, featuring pleasant lime and chili notes. But the star early on was the signature Shrimp Donuts. Not particularly distinct flavor wise, but quite unique and tasty nonetheless.

The Pad Keep Mao (Drunken Noodles) is above average. Although I really need to stop ordering this with a protein other than seafood. I’ve had the seafood version at RUA on a lunch visit once and it was outstanding. Another signature is the Mama Tom Yum Grilled River Prawns with noodles and veggies spilling out of the Mama bucket. Yes, get this. Good crab fried rice as well although I regret not getting something a bit more interesting for the same price like the Crying Tiger.

“No Dessert Tonight” was code for “We are very busy and understaffed”. While it felt like they were understaffed, especially from our vantage in the front, it was still remarkable that two people somehow managed to run the front while helping the back at the same time. One of the servers handled the bar, took our orders, and spent significant time in the kitchen. Less than a third of the number of employees we find in similar size joints in NYC. That’s one way to survive Smith Street.

RUA Thai
204 Smith St, Brooklyn (Cobble Hill)
Recommended Dishes: Fried wings, Shrimp Donuts, Shrimp and chicken dumplings, Drunken Noodles, Mama Tom Yum Grilled River Prawns

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Osteria Imperfetta {Guarene} – Almost Perfect!

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Ziggy

How do you criticize a place called Osteria Imperfetta? How do you criticize a picture perfect Vitello Tonnato shaped like an apple. You cant, but for different reasons. You cant criticize anything about the restaurant as any imperfection is well advertised. No one forced you to go there. You can simply agree with the premise or argue that the name is misleading.

Osteria Imperfetta is my favorite discovery of the last trip to the Langhe. An extremely talented and capable staff awaits, and all you need to do is arrive in one piece. I’ve driven in Italy many times. In fact I prefer a car in much of Europe and generally choose destinations where cars are handy. But driving from La Morra to Guarene at night is quite the hair-raising experience even though its only 25 minutes. A local who moved in recently from Naples admitted that its an adjustment. I can still hear that truck.

The imperfect Osteria opened during the pandemic by two brothers. One runs the front while the other the kitchen, with extensive high end experience including the coveted Piazza Duomo. A young, energetic staff that makes you feel welcomed (not a guarantee for tourists usually). If they are not happy to work there, they do a splendid job fooling the patrons. The atmosphere in the cave-like room was very pleasant, with a surprisingly high number of families. You know you are an American tourist in Europe when you dine earlier than families with little children.

The trio of antipasti alone is worth the price of admission. Vitello Tonnato of course, peppers stuffed with tuna, capers and anchovies that may have stole the show within the show, and yet another sublime Fassona tartare. I may not be able to enjoy French style or any kind of Tartare anytime soon. Maybe a Tartar-less January will help, adding to my New Year resolution, dry Mondays.

Yet another outstanding Tajarin with Bra sausage ragu. So light, seemingly simple, yet addictive. The Maialino here is a specialty, and for good reason, albeit could have been a little crispier. The baked lamb however is closer to perfect in flavor and texture. All washed down with a fine Barbera by the glass. We came to Piedmont to enjoy the Nebbiolo, Barolo, Barbaresco but found a newfound appreciation for Barbera.

We rarely order two desserts but couldn’t pass on a couple of them here after much deliberation with the staff, and seeing the items parade all over the room. A trio of hazelnut creations and the lightest, silkiest panna cotta you’ll ever encounter. The latter gets the nod, but I’d try both.

A pretty flawless meal from start to finish, and one of our new favorites. I also developed a weird new fondness toward Guarene, the village, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy according to I Borghi più belli d’Italia. Which means next time I plan to stay a few nights at the stunning Castello di Guarene – Relais & Chateaux to make sure I arrive to Osteria Imperfetta in one piece. Go!

Categories: Italy, Piedmont | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Ocean View Cafe – Veselka Without the Hoopla

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Ziggy

Starting 2025 with a lazy one. Blogging is kinda like sex. The more you do it, the better it gets, until you get to the age where the more you do it, the worse it gets (I heard). Hormones often dictate how often we blog and the quality of the posts. Am I in the mood to write a short post about Carnitas Ramirez (spoiler alert: Best tacos in Manhattan, maybe in NYC), another large(ish) post on Piedmont, or just binge-watch Yellowstone. On this lazy Sunday, I have a compromise. A post/reblog.

Ocean View Cafe is like some of these misleading Aruba hotel ads. Is it really ocean view, or even partial ocean view? The cafe is close, but quite far from the ocean. It’s more like Babushka and elevated train tracks view. I never bothered to ask any of the workers or the owner why its called as such in the decades that I’ve gone there. To be honest, I usually keep my conversations to the minimum (“two bags of frozen Pelmeni please”), and I never actually had a conversation with the owner. I’ve also never seen him smile or even talk to anyone. A “made man”?

Maybe we should ask Nicholas Cage. He is more intimately familiar with Ocean View Cafe since filming Lord of War there. You still see his pictures on one side of the wall, although I recall pictures on the other side as well at some point. Nicholas Cage Cafe would have been more appropriate than Ocean View.

Other than less Cage pictures, not much has changed in all these decades other than the neighborhood itself. Brighton Beach is less Russian, and more Uzbek, Georgian, Armenian, etc. Ocean View is one of the last of the true Russian/Ukrainian diners, although I dont recall ever a place quite like it in Brighton Beach. Its Veselka without the hoopla and lines.

After attending the annual Jan 1st Polar Bear Plunge in Coney Island, Borscht and Pelmeni at Ocean View Cafe felt like the obvious choice. Well, more like Borscht for them, Kharcho (The Georgian better tasting cousin) for me. Although, this is just about the only place on the planet where I’d have Borscht. This time we also tried a fine Chicken Tabaka, another Georgian classic. A slow cooked crispy, juicy, butterflied chicken. Along with potato Pierogies/Varenikiy, and fried potatoes with mushrooms.

Ok, enough with the blogging. Here’s a reblog of one of my favorite NYC posts. Back to Yellowstone and Hockey…

A Day in Brighton Beach
Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Turin – 10 Random Tips

Posted on December 30, 2024 by Ziggy

Turin is not the city people usually visit on their first, second, or even third trip to Italy. It took us 9 trips. With the post Covid revenge travel still in full swing, Rome, Florence, Venice, and the rest of them are redefining crowded these days. Even regions like Puglia and Sicily seem to be catching up and joining the mainstream. Turin still feels under the radar, but offers plenty of culture and beauty to entertain tourists for even a week. With the rest of the country having a moment, I wouldnt rule out Turin on your first visit to the Italy. Here are some tips to help you out…

Get a proper introduction from Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte dei Cappuccini. This is where you get the classic view of the city. Ample parking at the streets at the bottom. An atmospheric spot, well outside the tourist area

Buy as many chocolates as your luggage allows. Turin is the city of chocolates. You’ll see chocolate stores galore all over the city selling artisanal Gianduiotto (a blend of chocolates and hazelnut cream) among other goodies. They are a lot more expensive in the states, in Eataly or Venchi. And if you feel that you didnt get enough and you are flying from Milan, you have Venchi right there in the terminal.

Stay in San Salvario. This is partially a personal choice, as I generally prefer to to stay walking distance to the center, instead of inside it. But San Salvario is an up and coming neighborhood that reminds me of East Village in some ways. Not the most attractive area in the city, but loaded with great restaurants, bars and shops.

Check out the park within the Parco. Turin has stunning squares and parks, with Parco del Valentino being one of the prettiest I’ve seen in Europe. In particular the Giardino Roccioso section and its unusual photogenic statues. Look for the two lamp lovers sitting on a bench. You can combine the park with a tour of Castello del Valentino led by students on Saturdays.

Dont overlook Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile. Turin has some really impressive world class museums like the Egyptian Archaeological museum, and the Cinema Museum. But I feel like people overlook the Auto museum because its a bit out of the way. You’ll encounter eyepopping displays with extremely thoughtful layouts and engineering. I’m a movie buff, not much of a car buff, and I enjoyed the auto museum more than the cinema museum.

Overlook the Royal Palace. Sometimes popular attractions are popular due to their location. The Royal Palace of Turin is easy to do, and a fine activity on a rainy day. But if you’ve seen palaces as such throughout Europe, this one wont stand out IMO.

Take a food tour. We already went over this but its worth pounding the table on it. While the large food tour companies took over the larger cities, you can still find the small guys in the less popular places. Turin is a unique food city and spending quality time with a local chef helps understand the dynamics involved. And its just a fun way to experience the city.

Book L’Acino weeks in advance. Turin has no shortage of fantastic restaurants, and L’Acino stands out among the great ones. Maybe not the typical mom and pop, but once you experience it, you’ll understand why. I’ve already covered it here

Have your Bicerin at the Original. You’ll find this layered drink of espresso, hot chocolate, and milk (or whipped cream) all over Turin and only in Turin. One of many things invented in Turin. Caffé Al Bicerin is the place where it was invented in 1763. Opened by women, and still operated by women all these years. Drink it the proper way, without stirring.

Have Gelato at Casa Marchetti. Full circle, ending the same way we started, with the world famous Hazelnuts. While I would be tempted to try the Hazelnut gelato, you are actually here for the Gianduia. Try both.

Categories: Italy, Piedmont | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

Leon’s – Fortune Favors the Brave

Posted on December 25, 2024 by Ziggy

Being a food enthusiast while living in the ‘burbs in NYC is a major handicap. There are very few places I can think of, like Chuan Tian Xia in Sunset Park that I frequent about once a year, and that is as regular as it gets for us. There’s a restaurant in Turks and Caicos that we visit more often than 99% of our favorites back at home. Our appreciation of a large number of cuisines, and craving for the new and exciting is largely responsible. The list of places I want to try just about doubles every year.

That’s why it feels strange visiting places I truly admire like Foxface Natural, Werkstatt, Pig & Khao, Pure Thai Cookhouse and so many others without a doctor’s note explaining my absence. Freak paragliding accident in Switzerland. Chest contusion while rescuing baby elephants in Chiang Mai. I can generate a list for each place.

One way to fix this and get my immediate attention is for one of the chefs I admire to open a new place. One month old Leon’s is the latest from Anton’s “mom & pop”, Natalie Johnson and Nick Anderer. According to EWZ historians, Anderer’s name has been mentioned here 10 times between Maialino, Marta, Martina, and Anton’s. That means an obvious exception to the rule of waiting at least a year before trying a new place. I gave the dude a month.

If Leon’s feels like a place that’s been a year in the making, it’s because it was. “Mom and pop” second acts usually dont exist, not to mention as ambitious as this. Sprawling, high ceiling, and smack in the middle of it all on Broadway near Union Square. Technically just outside of East Village, though for the purpose of this blog its in East Village. I realize there’s no “Greenwich Village” category here and changing category names on WordPress is as complicated as rent negotiations. Rarely something interesting opens in the village that’s not in west or east.

Everything about Leon’s is daring. The space has been abandoned for many years. It’s open all day including breakfast. Even the name is gutsy. NYC has almost as many businesses named Leon’s as Ray’s Pizza. The menu is somewhat of a gamble as well, but if anyone can pull this off, its this team. Italian by nature with an Egyptian and French twist. Egyptian, to honor Natalie’s heritage. French, to honor Anderer showing off!

We started with some of the best cold cuts I’ve had in NYC in recent memory. A sweet and aromatic Bresaola with a very pleasant aftertaste. A more delicate, fatty, peppery, not quite Mortadella, Salame Rosa from Berkeley. Try them without the bread first for the full experience. A free Focaccia with quality EVOO. Almost a rarity in NYC these days.

A couple of items where we played my favorite new game, “Guess the Falafel”. The answer is the balls sitting on Tehini sauce of course, but even that may not be real Falafel according to purists. Its the Egyptian version which means Fava Beans instead of Chickpeas. While it may not convert the purists, it’s delicious. With that said, the light, airy Eggplant Boulettes with the creamy tomato sauce is the clear winner in this Schweddy Balls contest.

Another winner is the silky smooth Tuna Carpaccio with capers and fried shallots. Although, I cant help but wonder what it will taste like with a hint or two of pink peppercorns and less oil. This is off the “Mare” section of the Antipasti which sent me back to the coasts of Puglia.

Choosing pastas at an Anderer establishment is like choosing between your children. At the moment its the oldest since she calls more often, and for that reason I chose the Busiate. Pretty much what you expect, a simple but satisfying tomatoee Pistou Rouge with Almonds. Trapanese with a French touch. Fettuccine with Bolognese al Pastore was a lesson in proper ragu. Meaty, rich goodness that left us debating whether to get more bread to properly Scrarpetta that thing.

There’s also a Pasta con le Sarde on the menu, a rare Sicilian classic. Sicily is the one region with a big Arab influence, hence represented at Leon’s. There’s also Spaghetti with Madagascar Cacio e Pepe. If you havent smelled Madagascar peppercorns, you havent lived life to the fullest. Another dish I’d like to try soon is the Brick Chicken Baharat. If you havent tried Anderer’s chickens at Maialino, Marta, and Anton’s, you havent, well, you know. Go!

Leon’s
817 Broadway (E 12th)
Recommended Dishes: Salame Rosa, Bresaola, Eggplant Boulettes, Tuna Carpaccio, Busiate, Fettuccine Bolognese al Pastore

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Rampolina {Stresa} – A Room With a View (Supposedly)

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Ziggy

Do you ever find yourself talk about travel experiences to friends and family like they talk about their newborns or grandchildren? You realize at some point that they dont care nearly as much as you, especially after showing them some serious raw meat porn. But you do it anyway, since it feels good to relive said experiences. Such was the case with Casa Rampolina and its restaurant La Rampolina.

Rampolina towers in the mountains above Stresa and majestic Lake Maggiore, with mythical views of the lake and the Borromean islands. By mythical I mean all we witnessed during our entire rainy stay was 50 shades of gray, and at some point the views became a myth. Plenty of pictures on the internet, possibly AI generated, like the one below. I’ll believe it when I see it, Federica!

Casa Rampolina

Federica and husband Davide own this jewel in a hamlet called Campino, an easy 8 minute drive from Stresa. After seeing the third penis shaped Limoncello, I was relived that we didnt stay within Stresa itself. Casa Rampolina provides ample, easy parking for its sizable 5 rooms. Comfy beds, baths, a sauna, and a superb breakfast overlooking the splendid AI generated views. The main feature is the kind of hospitality you’d expect from a family member, not a stranger.

La Rampolina, the restaurant was an unexpected doozy. When I read the reviews, I got the impression of a possible tourist trap. It wasnt very clear whether the draw was the food or the location. The confusion intensified when their parking attendant asked me to park closer to the next car in a lot bigger than the entire hotel. Are they really about to fill the entire lot? Yes they did, and then some.

Turns out La Rampolina is a local legend. Not only it was a very packed multi-room, multi-building house (imagine a large Florida seafood palace), but we were also the only tourists there, confirmed by Davide. In addition, a local celebrity chef just happened to dine there at the same time. By the end of the night the parking attendant was directing traffic like an air traffic controller.

Started with an awesome silky smooth Fassona carpaccio special with Puntarelle, and Bagna Cauda. I noticed on this trip wild mood swings on days we didnt eat Fassona. Coincidence? Egg, Toma cheese, veggies concoction was exactly what you expect. Excellent Tagliatelle with rabbit ragu. A different flavor profile than the ragus we tasted in other parts of the region.

Mrs Z and I usually share everything including mains but this time we had our clear favorites. A fine slow baked beef for Mrs Z. Fassona Hanger (Tagliata di Diaframma) for me. This was the best cooked Fassona of the trip. The waiter suggested to have it rare, and I could see why. Its much thicker than the usual Hanger, features a good amount of char, and supremely flavorful. The more you cook it, the more flavor you lose.

We even ended a mini streak of subpar Tiramisu here. My only regret was not taking advantage of the tremendous wine list and getting wine by the glass. But overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better finish to another wonderful eating trip in Italy. Worth travelling to Lake Maggiore just to eat and sleep here. Go!

Categories: Italy, Piedmont | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Il Centro {Priocca} – King of the North

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Ziggy

Ever thought about what are your favorite restaurants in the world? Multiple trips to Piedmont will raise the question. Our favorite experiences are often the most recent, but some stay up there for years if not decades. If I had to make a list of my top 10, most will probably be in Europe, a couple in the Caribbean, and some elsewhere in the US. Weirdly none in my hometown NYC even though the food scene here is insane. The list would also include two places that are 40 km away from each other. A few weeks ago I’ve written about one of them. The other is Il Centro in Priocca (Piedmont)

If I had to shrink the list even more to top 5, 3, or even 1, Il Centro would probably still be on it. We’ve been really fortunate to have some amazing meals all over the world, and Il Centro is responsible for now two of them. I’ve written about the previous meal 10 years ago, so if you could only imagine the anticipation this time. Like a loyal dog waiting for his master to come home.

Il Centro is owned by the Cordero family for roughly 70 years. The busy kitchen is run by the mega talented Elide. Her husband Enrico walks around shaving truffles and schmoozing with the ladies. While the son Giampiero who is a respected sommelier, helps with the wine, the Italian challenged like myself and everything else pretty much. The space is a mature, businessy environment, with a menu that respects tradition, but also full of surprises. Their Michelin star is just one of the growing list of accolades.

Like pretty much any meal in Piedmont it begins with a beautiful bouquet of Grissini. Unlike any other meal however, here it continues with thoughtful, small flavor bombs. A preview of things to come. Millefeuille of Jerusalem artichoke with Bagna Cauda was the star early on. It even beat the outrageous red/white Mille Crepe cake pictured above, which is actually layers of raw Fassona veal thigh, and lardo.

Plain Tagliolini (Tajarin) with truffles and just the right amount of butter was very satisfying. Piedmont is the one region where I would gladly order the International kid’s meal of pasta with butter. Agnolotti del Plin, not surprisingly best of the trip. So delicate, yet flavor packed. The actual surprise was another Agnolotti, with butter, anchovies and bread crumbs. Unlike other Anchovy pastas we had, this was well balanced, well textured, and one of the best dishes of the trip.

Beef cheeks with caramelized figs, just as last time, deep, lasting sweet flavors, with the figs really shining throughout. But the theme of “as good as that was, wait until you taste the next one” continued with the crusted veal fillet with cauliflower. Superb!! Baby angels singing with every morsel. One of the many dishes showcasing the signature attention to detail of Elide.

I asked young Cordero if he can set us up with a local Roero, both white (Arnais) and red (Nebbiolo) and he delivered big time especially with the aromatic, delicious red from Cascina Chicco. Every aspect of this meal was done with tremendous care by a talented team. The staff is both professional and grounded. You dont come across such flawlessness of both food and service very often.

Although your meal at Il Centro can be as short as you want, if you are not a fan of three hour lunches, Il Centro may change that. You will not only leave with a lasting memory, but it will change the way you think about lunch. You’ll essentially start thinking like an Italian. Holidays should never be a sprint to check as many boxes as you can. Less is more. More often than not, memories come from experiences, not attractions. Ok, enough preaching for today :). Just trust me on this one!

Original Post

Categories: Italy, Piedmont | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Blog at WordPress.com.