EARLY JUNE 2013 TRIP TO TUSCANY, ULIASSI IN MARCHE, VILLA FIORDALISO IN LAKE GARDA, VENICE AND OSTERIA CERA

The restaurants reviewed in this report are the following.

Lorenzo in Forti di Marmi

Veanzio in Colonnata

Trattoria Martinatica in Pietrasanta

Locanda S. Andrea in Lucca

Cibreo in Firenze

La Pineta in Bibbona Beach in Maremma

Il Mecennate in Lucca

Uliassi in Senegalia

Villa Fiordaliso in Gardone Riviera, Lake Garda

Da Romano in Burano Island, Venice

Antiche Carampane in Venice

Alle Testiere in Venice

Osteria L’Orto de Mori in Venice

Venissa, Mezzorbo Island, Venice

Osteria Cera near Padua

FORTI DI MARMI

LORENZO

The refined elderly gentleman, Mr. Lorenzo, was not there, but neither the food nor the service suffered. The excellent fresh seafood  was cooked simply but with flair.  The perfectly firm and juicy filleted “triglie” slices were given extra depth by the bitter escarole that is placed in between the slices and the  tangy gazpacho of green tomatoes.  Green tomato broth, emboldened with a touch of vermouth, also blends well with sweet and delicately textured raw “gambero rosso”. Their “bavette with shellfish” is one of the best seafood pasta dishes in the universe.  The “orecchiette” with mustard greens (cime di rape), cherry tomatoes, and mantis shrimp (cicala), was sub-par because it was less cooked than al dente and the fish did not blend as well with the pasta.  But the “scampi al forno,” cooked in the oven and dressed with sea salt and an excellent delicate olive oil and white wine, was beyond reproach. The quality of langoustines was to die for.  Equally stunning in quality were the baby calamars, “calameretti”, cooked in the oven with olive oil and Vermentino wine.

Finish with homemade “sorbets,” such as green apple and mandarin.

Unfortunately the wine recommended by the young sommelier,   2007 Schlossberg Benner Alsace Grand Cru, did not match the food. This behemoth, with 16% alcohol, very ripe fruit and low acidity, may score high from industry “experts” but is the wrong style of Alsace wine to match the delicate cooking of great seafood.

Ranking: 16.5/20

COLONNATA

VENANZIO

This is a truly distinguished osteria in the mountains near Carrara.  Their “piatto misto di lardo e carno in salamuia” is an antipasti I dream of for the whole year.  (You can buy the great lardo, but I don’t believe you can reproduce the same raw marinated carno.)  Warm “polenta with lardo, taleggio cheese and radicchio” is good too, but I would rather order two piatto misto. The “green lasagnette” with fresh seasonal porcini and wild borage was excellent.  You can finish with young lamb in the oven (order in advance) or pork, but their “filet mignon wrapped with lardo and cooked in Chianti wine” is one of the very few tenderloin dishes that excite me.  They use Piedmonte beef.

The desserts are satisfactory.

They have extinguished their stock of aged Case Basse-Soldera, but they always have some aged Chianti and Brunello.  1997 Brunello from Castello Romitario had the restrained nose I associate with Brunello, but blossomed in the glass.  It did not have any trace of oak, and the tangy red fruits (which later turned sweeter) and an amalgam of soft spices kept revealing  themselves in the quite long, but not alcoholic, finish. 93/100

Ranking: 15/20

PIETRASANTA

TRATTORIA MARTINATICA

Unfortunately, this restaurant did not live up to past memories.  Nothing was under average, nor was it memorable either,  except for 2007 Castello di Ama Chianti, which is a very nice example of Chianti and attractively priced.

Ranking: 11/20

LUCCA

LOCANDA S. ANDREA

Pizza is pretty good here, but not memorable.

FIRENZE

CIBREO

Antipasti are simple but tasty, and raw materials are of high quality:  yogurt pudding with turmeric, ricotta cheese ball with shaved parmesan, fresh ricotta, prosciutto, pecorino cheese with fava, veal tripe in olive oil, very good bread…

We had excellent “dentice crudo” with olive oil, ground black pepper, and shaved celery.

The “porcini soup” with olive oil did not make an impression, but kudos to the “pepperoncini soup” with baby croutons, parmesan and olive oil.

“Fresh porcinis” came with zolfini beans and purslane salad.  We had had more impressive porcini, and the beans were underseasoned.

The piece de resistance is the “veal brain” baked in paper, simply dressed with butter, nutmeg, and lemon peel, with a garni of ceci beans.

By contrast, the “pigeon” should be avoided. It is cooked well beyond the point I would call medium!  We ate the good artichoke served alongside the pigeon, but could not savor the dry meat.

They make a very good cheese cake with grapefruit puree and a good panna cotta with caramel.

I would like to thank the sommelier for the recommendation of 2007 Brunello di Montalcino from Stella di Compalto.  It is quite aromatic for a relatively young Brunello, has a spicy-sweet aroma, reveals ripe strawberries and black rasberries on the palate, has a nice mid-palette, and is suave, elegant, and balanced. 98 Euro. 95/100

Ranking: 14/20

BIBBONA BEACH IN MAREMMA

LA PINETA

This is one of our favorite seafood temples, not only in Italy, but in the world.  This time it was still very very good, but perhaps half a notch below its average.

“Anchovies” with tomato and onions are always one of my favorite amuses, because the anchovies here are always fat and fresh.

The “raw seafood platter” is good.  This time it featured scampi, gamberi rosso with an orange slice, mackerel with ricotta, squid, palamita, a berberecho clam, and a belon oyster.

“Calameretti al forno” with cherry tomatoes and breadcrumbs was good, but not as stunning as the year before when calameretti tasted sweet.  They grated some ricotta salata on top.  (We were skeptical but it worked.)

“Stracetti di pasta fresca con le triglie” was thickly cut and good pasta. Our 11 year old had “ravioli filled with brandade de morue” and shaved bottarga on top.  This one is the “must have” pasta.

“Scampi al sale” was the piece de resistance here.  I liked it even more than the “astice” cooked in the pan with basil and cherry tomato.

Apple sorbet with calvados and semifreddo with caramelized pasta rounded up a very satisfactory seafood feast.

2010 Mas de Daumas Gassac white, composed of Viognier, Chardonnay, Gros Manseng and Chenin Blanc, accompanied the meal well. It has nice floral, citrus, ripe peach, and apricot aroma, with a touch of mineral in the finish.  It is full and round on the palette, with ripe pear and peach notes. It has a nice silky texture, medium long finish, and fine acidity.  79 Euro 93/100

We tasted some other very good wines:  2006 Serra di Contessa from Benanti (96/100), 2007 Pietrasanta from Benanti (97/100), Palari Faro (90/100), and Paleo from Macchiole (93/100).

Ranking: 16/20

LUCCA

IL MECENATE, also known as L. VERCIANI

This is an excellent simple Osteria, which is new in Lucca. Before coming to Lucca, they were located in Gattiola.

We started with nice foccacio caldo with lardo from the house.

I recommend “salumi from Norcia” from Ballentini.  It features guanciale, coppa and other salumi.

Pastas are really good and honest. We liked very much “tordelli lucchesi” with its meat ragu, spicy tomato sauce, and cheese.  “I veri testaroli artigianali di Pontremoli Al Pesto”, consisted of thin pasta sheets with pesto that was second best only to CA PEO’s handmade pesto sauce.  (This great restaurant of Liguria closed.) “Maltagliati alle tre farine al profumo di prima vera” was another great pasta.  The dough was a mix of grano saraceno, semola farina, and white flour, and it featured all that is fresh and in season: asparagus, peas, artichoke and baccelli.

“Spiedini di maiale di Cinta Senese con radiccio di campo” was also more than satisfactory. It featured pork sausage, cubed pork leg, and country bread, cooked on a skewer like shis kebap. Nice crunchy vegetables and cooking juices complemented this no miss main course.

Instead of dessert, we opted for the “pecorino al forno con le pere”. We did well!

The place is very informal, and there is no wine list. Upon inquiry and for 25 Euro we had a honest, non-manipulated Chianti:  2009 Isole e Olena.  I enjoyed its rustic side that was balanced by a garrigue nose, tangy red fruit, underlying bright acidity, and a refreshing finish. Probably they use wild yeasts. 91/100

Ranking: 14.5/20

SENEGALIA IN MARCHE

ULIASSI

This is a top notch seafood temple in Marche in a coastal town which lacks character.

We did not like our table, and they graciously moved us to a better one.

There is a creative and traditional menu.  We tried dishes mostly from the latter.

There are not many amuses offered, just tasty burnt wheat bread sticks with reggiano, and a very likeable foie gras and hazelnut butter on a waffle.

We opted for the mixed antipasti composed of four small plates.  They were outstanding in composition, execution, and taste. “Gamberi Rosso, acqua di limone, melone e basilica”, also contained sun dried tomato, cumin, and turmeric. “Cannocchie n’briaghe all’ancone” featured very flavorful cannocchie, a shellfish from the Adriatic (deboned), a bitter herbal white wine, and cannocchie head sauce with vinegar and salt.  “Triglie croccante, zuppa di prezzemola e camolo con misticanze di tampo” was also heavenly, and included deep fried, but juicy, deboned triglie, sitting atop creamy parsley soup, wild herbs, and rhubarb.  Finally “Seppia giovani arrostite sporche e granita di ricci di mare” turned out to be sliced, barely cooked, tiny seppioline and sea urchin tongues on top of several wild leaves, such as beet and sorrel leaves.  For Ceylan (our daughter), they offered calamaretti and seaweed, but she did not eat much.

One pasta not to miss is “spaghetti affumicati alle vongole e datterini  arrostiti”.  This was spaghetti cooked al dente, smoked, and was a touch spicy, with excellent quality deshelled vongole and datterini cherry tomatoes.  It sounds simple, but it really is a great seafood pasta.

An equally stunning pasta was with cod tripe, with pepper, fossa pecorino cheese, and a tad honey. It is called “mezzi rigatoni, trippa di baccala, cacio di fossa e pepe”.

The only pasta that did not make an impression was the one with my favorite seafood, ricci di mare. Ricci di mare should be freshly deshelled, (like in Il SAN LORENZO in Roma), and this was not.  What I liked in the “fusilli ricci di mare,” which was cooked a tad more than al dente, was the use of wild herbs, both raw  and pureed, like sorrel and chicory-ortichie.

“The brodetto di pesce” is probably the best in the world and should not be missed. I would drive four hours to savor the most intense seafood broth on earth. It is prepared from mostly shellfish and tomato.  The soup features excellent vongole veraci, sole, branzino, small scampi, crab, skate wing, and triglie, but it is the broth that makes it so distinguished.  (The fish is cooked separately.)

They buy frozen game from Scotland, because the chef knows how to handle game.

“Oca laccato alte di cilieghe, fegato grassa d’oca, mirtilli, lamponi e ananas” was very tasty, and we noticed the excellent quality foie gras and very expert handling of the goose which is very hard to cook.  The skin was glazed nicely and sweet-tart fruits counterbalanced the rich and fat meat.

“Beccaccia alla marchigiana” was also very good.  The internal organs of the woodcook were spread on a brioche, and an intense sauce was prepared with internal organs, bread, and olives.  The dish was served with onions and smoked potatoes.

Desserts were nice, but not outstanding.  We had a de-construced tiramisu and “passion fruit soup with yoghourt ice cream, pink pepper and candied banana”.

We had a great champagne for 85 Euro: Georges Laval, Cumieres 1er cru, brut”.  It has a leesy nose, with caramelized nuts and crème brulee. The full palette is basically crisp tart apple.  The boules are small and persistent.  The long finish leaves a nicely ripe exotic fruity aftertaste, with a touch of caramel. 95/100

Ranking: 17.5/20

GARDONE RIVIERA-LAKE GARDA

VILLA FIORDALISO

Our memories held here.

If you dine there, you must stay in the villa which once belonged to Mussolini’s lover who sacrificed herself for him.  The Claretta suite is kept intact and is very apt for families with one child as she sleeps separately.

The chef has changed since our last visit, but the cuisine has held its standards.

We sat along the lake and sipped a Negrone (for me) and Champagne (for Linda), munching pickled onions, peppercorns, and excellent small green olives.

We then moved to our table in the pergola next to the lake.  We had nice amuses, including red beetroot soup with ricotta canola, canola stuffed with ricciola fish and capers, another one with salmon tartare, all dusted with seaweed powder.  Finally, we had some quinoa chips to dip in homemade mayonnaise.

Both antipasti displayed extremely fresh seafood.

First, we were served “gamberi rossi alla plancha, burra di arachidi, mela verde e agrumi”, red shrimps with peanut butter, green apple, and grapefruit purees.

Even more impressive were the jumbo juicy scampi served rare: “Scamponi al natural, lime, maionese, all’olio extra vergine d’oliva.”

They also have a 36 month aged “culatello di zibello” of superb quality that Ceylan really ate and liked.

One pasta not to miss is the risotto: “risotto di riso vialone nano, stracchino e sarde di lago alla spiedo.” I believe they used fish stock and licorice to bind the risotto, and the sarde was very fat and juicy.

Another pasta I recommend is “tortellini al formaggio Bagoss.” Bagoss is a very rich cow milk cheese from the region.

It is also hard to miss “linguine di faro e orzo, ricci di mare e tuorlo d’uovo affumicato”. The smoked egg and candied lemongrass add depth to ricci di mare.

The secondi not to miss is “Anguilla cotta lentamente alla brace, aglio nero candito in grosso d’anatra”.  They changed the presentation of the candied garlic, but this is one of the best flavor combinations from Adriatic.

I was less fond of a new pike dish: “luccio in conserva, polenta di grano macinato a pietra.” This is pike marinated in oil, flavored with capers, onion, lemon, parsley.  The polenta, which is smoked in the fire, is tasty.

Before dessert we had Bagoss cheese with honey and cugna or grape must.

The dessert we shared was also a “wow:”  torta di rose baked to order with rich Sicilian lemon zabaione.

Ceylan enjoyed very much her wild berry soufflé with bourbon ice cream.

Unfortunately the white wine we chose was so so: Jermann Capo Martino.  This is a coopage from Friulano, Picolit, Malvasia and Ribolla. We noted inadequate acidity with dried fruit and nutty notes. It lacked freshness and character and is a fine example of the commercial style. It was not cheap for 70 Euro either.

Ranking: 16.5/20

BURANO ISLAND-VENICE

DA ROMANO

This is a fine trattoria.

The frittura di “moeche” with fried pepper and zucchini was not the best, juicy fresh soft shell crab we have had in Venice.

But they hit the mark with the spider crab “grancevola in letta di salata”.  This was sweet, juicy and well cleaned.

Risotto di pesca alla “Romano” was good.

We had a combination of “Anguilla griglia” and “scampi fritti”. The latter was average, but the former hit the mark.  When it is handled well, eel is one of the tastiest fish.

2011 Livio Felluga Terre Alte is a good example of a commercial style wine. It has Sauvignon, Friulano, and Pinot Bianco in barrique fermentation.  The problem is that where was too much maceration which imparts some intensity at the expense of character and freshness.  This is a fruity, easy to like wine. 89/100

RANKING: 12.5/20

VENICE

ANTICHE CARAMPANE

This restaurant has good food for insiders and passable food for others.

We had nice fried  baby shrimps to eat whole from the house.

The “scampi” in “saor” is fine.

The “razor clams” were not well cleaned and a touch overcooked.

The “rigatoni with sword fish, olives and parmesan” was well conceived and executed.

The “cuttlefish” in its own ink with polenta  was above the level of Venetian average.

The crème brulee was fine.

I recommend the Gjulia beer with the fried shrimp.

Ceylan liked the 24 months aged prosciutto with salad.

RANKING: 12/20

VENICE

ALLE TESTIERE

This restaurant is still very good, despite two services at night and overcrowded tables that tax the tiny kitchen’s capacity to turn out flawless simple dishes.

Unfortunately the  moeche in saor was not available.

We shared “capesante” with the coral attached and grilled in the shell with orange, tomato and onion slices; baby scallops or “canestrelli” with lemon rind and ground black pepper; “cappelunghe” also known as canellicchi or razor clams, nicely cleaned and grilled with parsley, olive oil and garlic; and “cannochie” or mantis shrimp with parsley and olive oil.

All were fresh and grilled perfectly.

The classic “spaghetti vongole veraci” was good.  Equally satisfying was the “gnocchetti” with calamaretti and cinnamon in a white wine, onion, and celery broth.

We finished with a small grilled monkfish.

Ceylan enjoyed her tomato pasta and tiramisu and we had a very fresh peach tart that was excellent.

Luca recommends good wines for fair prices that match with the food. 2010 Caliconte Malvasia Pomici had floral, sea breeze aromas, citrus fruit and peach on the palette, and some saline-minerality in the finish. It was not heavy or cloying at all and had some depth too.  92/100. We had a taste of 2011 Klabian Malvasia from Slovenia which did not impress me.

Ranking: 14.5/20

VENICE

OSTERIA L’ORTO DE MORI

This is an honest Osteria that stands out among the very touristic eateries nearby which solicit clients as they pass in the street.

“Carpaccio di manzo con noci, rucola e salsa di parmigiano” and “sarde alla beccafico con caponata di sedano Bianca” were fine, tasty appetizers. We were less impressed with “scampi e zucca in saor”,  with sweet onions, pumpkin, and fennel salad.

The pastas are fine, but they did not leave a lingering impression. We had “pasta del granaio con bisque et fiori di zucchini”.  Ceylan did not finish her “maltagliati con salamelle e pomodori verdi”, which was the more interesting of the two.

The Saint Pierre filet with asparagus and potato, wrapped in paper and cooked in the oven, was bland.

The dessert was a crepe filled with cream and fresh strawberry coulis.

We tried a Verdiccio: 2009 La Monacesca Mirum.  I believe it is fermented in barrique or so it tasted that way.  It had nice tropical fruit and intensity, with a touch of a honeyed finish. 89/100

RANKING: 12/20

MEZZORBO ISLAND, VENICE

VENISSA

We had eaten here a year before, and the cuisine was truly one star level, much better than at DA FIORE where the kitchen has lost inspiration.

Now the chef has changed.  Yet the cooking is still very good.  It has personality and a vision.

The problem is the service and language barrier.  They gave us the menu degustation in English which was not understandable due to the poor translation. I also asked for a menu in Italian. Two courses in the menu did not show up.  I protested, and they feigned misunderstanding. I insisted.  Somebody who spoke English came to the table. That was his first day, and he was going to leave for Turkey.  Anyway he understood. It turned out that they knew what was happening.  They could not find the ingredients for the two dishes, and they had not replaced them.  They gave something like a 5% discount on the bill, for which I had not asked.

We also stayed in the hotel.  They are very seriously understaffed, and one girl in the reception tries hard.  The other makes it evident that she does her “job” with ne plus extra!

All this is too bad because the meal was impressive.

We had a nice “baccala montecato and pea cream”.  Then we had excellent “garusoli” or seasnails, with beet greens grown in their garden, a touch of cream and their own juice.  Next, we had very fresh “triglie”, with a sauce prepared from their innards, figs, and capers. The 4^th course was a kind of cannelloni, homemade pasta sheets enveloping squeaky fresh bay scallops or “canestrelli”, and the sauce was flavored with licorice.  An equally outstanding pasta was the “ravioli with Baumgartner’s blue”, which had liquidified blue cheese in a thin ravioli, accompanied by the in season cannocchie (mantis shrimp or cigale de mer) and lavender flower.   The 6^th course was odd and bland: “millet and beans” with ricciole or amberjack stock.  For the fish course, instead of the promised capone, we were served “mackerel”.  It was cooked slowly and came with spinach leaves, matcha powder, and green apple foam.  The dish was good intentioned, but not a mature chef’s dish.

The meat course, however, stunned us!  “Tataki of Goose, Shitake and Bread Gnocchi” was what was written on the menu. No it was not goose. It was duck. (They only acknowledged this upon our remark.)   It was duck breast from Padua, shitaki mushrooms, gnocchi, and white turnip puree. The quality of this dish was on par with the praised duck dishes in some of the Michelin three star restaurat. Bravo to the young lady who is the chef!

The camomile ice cream with lemon zest, meringue, and crumbles was very nice.  The dark chocolate with celery and blueberries convinced me less.

Ceylan had two dishes and ate them.  First, she had thinly sliced white asparagus, wild asparagus, strawberries and fava beans. Then  she had rigatoni with tomato sauce, as usual.

I opted for the four glasses recommended for the tasting menu. They were good choices. First, we had a 2010 Kerner from Manni Nossing.  This is a bone dry wine with citrus fruit and intense acidity.  Then, we had a 2011 St. Michael Eppan Gewurztraminer, which is viscous and spicy and is a good match with figs and licorice (3^rd and 4^th courses).  Thirdly, we had a 2011 Pinot Bianco from Manincor, a nice, clean, balanced and elegant and not “oxidative” example from a biodynamic producer. For the duck, we were served 2007 Rosso Vignalta.  This is a successful Passito from Bisol, who is the owner of Venissa, but does not dictate the serving of his wines. (His prosecco is actually a very fine example of this bubbly.)

RANKING: 15.5/20

NEAR PADUA

OSTERIA CERA

Last year we had had an excellent meal here.  This year we had a good to very good meal.

The atmosphere is correct, professional, and neither cold nor warm.

With your prosecco you may enjoy a set of tasty tidbits: fried alici, fried squash blossom to dip in mayonnaise, focacio with cherry tomatos, mozzarella, and capers.

Kudos for their raw seafood platter: “Colori del Mare: scaletta di dodici crudi”. This dish contains a dozen raw fish and shellfish, each cured differently.  They give you a written explanation and suggest the proper eating order.  Follow it. You will be rewarded with one of the most fulfilling sashimi experience in the world.

It is exquisite.

The rest is good, but not on par.

Among fish soups “Broeto de Pesce” is better than “Tecia di Vongole e alici, con aglio, pepperoncino, pomodoro e pane bruschettato”. Neither is on par with fish soups at LA PINETA or especially at ULIASSI.

Pasta dishes are really al dente and all achieve the one star level.

We had “mezzi paccheri con frutti di mare, pomodoro, olive taggiasche, capperi e basilica,” and “ravioli di mazzancolle al fumo, guazzetto di calamaretti al limone”.  The former featured clams, shrimp, mussels and capers with a touch of tomato.  The latter ravioli was filled with mazzancolle prawns and rock fish, and the lemon cream sauce went well.

Another interesting pasta dish was the “cannelloni con asparagi e pesci di scoglio in acqua di piselli”.  The canneloni was stuffed with asparagus and triglie and gratineed.  It had a fresh peas and pea sauce.  This was the best of the three pasta dishes.

Ceylan’s spaghetti con le seppie was recommended.  It had fresh squid ink.

Other customers had risotto, and I remember their “risotto” being the specialty here.

I don’t like eating big fish in many Michelin star restaurants because they never cook the fish whole.

The same is true here.

So we wanted to repeat the giant “scampi di coccia al sale” from the Adriatic.

Unfortunately the big langoustines cooked whole were not as fresh and flavorful as the previous year.

Ceylan also ate her “uovo fondente con piselli, fave e pane alle erbe”.  She had “crème fredda al timo con fragile, rhubarb e vaniglia” for dessert, which was top notch.

Our dessert was also top notch: “Terra del sud dedicato a Corrado Assenzo: pistachio, mandorla, arancia, limone, marsala, ricotta, bergamotto”.  This is nice and breezy, with an inspiration from Sicily, with coffee granita and pistachio sorbet.

Their panna cotta with almond meringue and lemon and agrume peel is also good.

The wine list is good, but not cheap.  For price/quality ratio I chose a 2008 Sancerre from Sebastien Riffart.  It lived up to expectations with a freshly cut grass, pit fruit, celery nose and a complex palette which revealed quince, green apple, and lichee. It was nice and clean. 93/100

RANKING: 15.5/20