This is how I recall our night from numerous notes and photos. It is very descriptive so we can relive it in our old age. So. Big warning don't read this on a full stomach. Just note we at the end did not feel in anyway over feed or watered. The serve sizes were tiny and just the perfect. Combination of flavour and textures. It was a total experience form ambience textures smells tastes and service unfaultable! Very deserving of its ranking.
So setting the scene we arrived after our 30 min taxi ride from Corrigio to a narrow cobbled lane way with no parking so a taxi is the best option and as we have been known to have a drink or two sounded like a plan. Sandy is looking gorgeous as usual and much less stress than she would have been if I had driven with Gloria! I was dressed in my new Italian jacket and shirt. Arriving at Osteria Francescaino's unassuming dusty pink facade proudly displaying discretely, his gold plaques at an A 4 size but with so much weight having just been named No.3 restaurant in the world. A lot of restaurants we have seen in medieval towns have very little street signage but this was even more discrete the only thing that was on the road outside the door was a metal pot with a lavender.
Our driver stops, jumps out and presses the door bell..a bit premature for us as I wanted to straighten my jacket and photograph the front of the building. The glass doors seamlessly slide back revealing a line of 6 staff ready to greet us...ouch this is going to cost!
We were firstly asked to wait until they checked we were kosher and not a ring in without a reservation...once we passed that test we were then taken to our table in one of the 2 dinning rooms. This room had 5 large round tables for two, the flooring was a rich chocolate carpet walls pained beige and decorated with modern art. ....hmm coloured round circles one per picture no bigger than 40 mm diameter but inside a 500 x 700 frame in total 22 around the walls. The ceiling was the only indicator of history with large bearer and joists with the typical decorative carved timber square.
Our table was set with beautiful glass ware and Laumoge Gold presentation plates and no cutlery. Our food waiter...Denice believe it or not very Italian except the name. 3 options Classico, traditional, or sensations all 13 courses which was described as the chef playing in the experimental kitchen...so being who we are we just had to do that one and we opted for the matched wines or beverages in the case.
Bread was a warm sourdough rye bun served with their olive oil.
1) taste of the sea - Sicily as its origin ..granita almond flavoured ice with sweet sour orange peel, black salt and capers, on a separate plate to be eaten in conjunction there were 2 tiny 20 cent size meringues, in the savoury meringue was an anchovey sashimi with a cream , the second had an oyster moose in a sweeter meringue. A play on sweet and salty and matched with a 2012 white sherry for Sicily which was sweet and dry.
More breads arrive this time 400 mm long very thin crustinies and assorted little breads
2) from Naples fresh cod poached sitting on a rich sundried tomato caper and onion salsa then they came and poured a rich green olive and tomato soup with not a hint of red in site. This was topped with a breadcrumbs and thyme. This was still served with the sherry.
3) how to burn a sardine in 3 days! The wow factor is just not describable. It was on a huge white plate with a black line down the centre on both sides was a tiny sardine shaped burnt black fish....which was actually a prawn moose in a red mullet fillet with its tail and a skin made from black see weed and lemon deep fried and was then sprayed wit black squid ink giving it and the plate a charged look. This was teamed with a 2012 white from Sicily with the grapes being kept on the skin for 12 months giving it rich dark colour and to the nose it was salt and honey....and it was salty to the taste but bizarrely perfect.
4) risotto from the Po river . This was described to us as a catabolic sauce so who are we to dispute that. It had five pea shaped balls of cat fish sitting in a seafood risotto and chlorophyl peas with tangerine and mustard dots.
Again with the same wine
Next we are presented with a beer for Bologna pair from a great heigh into. Huge red wine glass and described and being made with smoked chestnuts and junipers. We were told to taste this first to cleanse our palette.
Wow now Massimo appears at it table in white lab coat, black pants and white runners, full of interest as we have been taking notes and pictures of everything thats happening..We jump to out feet it is just like meeting a rock star we shake his hand and thanks him for fitting us in at such late notice. He was humble and gracious that we were so interested in what he was doing. We chatted for quiet some time. He quickly did the room and it was interesting to see the other guest dismiss him like kitchen staff.
Now this was a dish
5) this was special and won both our awards for the night. It was a strip of eel from the Po river and had been glazed with Saba glaze ( see the balsamico day info) and grilled and dusted on each end with ash of blackened onions, served with a artistic splodge of creamy polenta and a green apple reduction. As eel is very rich and oily the beer and apple just cut the richness and was a prefect match.
Now we were presented with a clear spirit which was described and being the smell of a morning walk in a Forrest with the moist earth as it is basted with fresh rain hmmmmmm our instruction was NOT to drink it ....just smell it until you have finished the next dish....there is 2 teaspoons worth in the gkss Nd it was 43 % alcohol. Now food
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