Manifesto on Italian Beef Tartare

I've had many a plate of raw beef in Italy. One thing prevails, simplicity above all else.

The Italians like to showcase what they believe to be a product of extraordinary quality. Why would one adulterate a product that is of quality? I appreciate the parochial culinary philosophy and 99% of the time, the Italians are correct.

However, in the case of beef tartare, adding a couple ingredients can bring out more flavor in the dish.

At the beginning of the trip in Parma, Zingaro offered tartare three ways, picante, seared and normale. The seared and chilled version was outstanding with olive oil and salt, the sear on the outside of the meat adding to complexity. The picante was flavorful, adding some pop to the tartare. While normale was exactly that, raw meat with scant amounts of salt and olive oil; a bit dull. Toast points in butter with salt would have lifted the dish. Zingaro was a culinary outlier, offering so many choices.

Continuing to order the tartare in different towns across Italy may border on obsessive behavior, considering the results, high quality meat without substance or follow through. Obviously all of the tartare versions were memorable, but they are not all sweet memories.

Once I determined that I was returning to the Laboratorio in Lucca, the first dish I constructed was beef tartare.

Keeping with the spirit of using Italian centered products, no Worchester, Tabasco, or Dijon mustard, in what would be American or French versions of a tartare. I could add peperoncino as that is a Southern Italian staple. Italians would use capers in normally cooking, but I didn't have access to those.

It is important to hand-cut your filet. No grinding. Hand cutting thin cubes of beef is a little painstaking, but worth the extra effort. Hand cutting allows for additional texture. Besides, I wouldn't use ground beef to make tartare in the United States. I would only use whole muscle (filet, sirloin) as I don't know the origin of the ground beef.

Toast points are necessary for texture and the ability to actually "chew" the tartare. What's to chew if you only have scoops of tartare? Nothing. Like caviar or foie gras, toast points or a cracker is helpful to spread the flavor of this luxury item on your tastebuds. Salt-topped focaccia was used for my in-house preparation.

Ingredient list:

1. Red onion
2. Lemon Juice
3. Green Olive
4. Fresh Oregano
5. Olive oil
6. Black Pepper
7. Salt
8. Chicken Egg Yolk

All of these ingredients are common in Italian cooking. No exotics. Nothing I couldn't get locally or in the winter season.

Use scant portions of red onion, green olive, black pepper, oregano and lemon juice. Where I go heavy is the olive oil, salt, and the chicken egg yolk (many a tartare use quail egg). So in other words, incorporate fat into a dish that doesn't have much fat if you're using Filetto di Manzo aka American Filet.

The results, in my opinion, are superior when one incorporates just a few scant items to the base of filet. The flavors are more mouth filling, continuous, and complimentary to the raw beef without overwhelming it.

With a little effort, expanding the list of Italian ingredients, would be beneficial and fun, but staying with the concept that the beef is the main ingredient and each of the other ingredients are playing supporting roles to enhance, but not take over. Versions of the Italian beef tartare theme, using a wider scope of Italian ingredients:

• Marinated Porcini, not raw
• Truffles
• Capers
• Mustarda variations (think horseradish flavors)
• Balsamic Vinegar, high quality not industrial, adding an umami depth
• Toasted Pine or hazelnuts, Michael Mina has used pine nuts and pears for years in his famous ahi tartare
• Parmigiano, Microplane grated would add umami.
• Peperoncino, for a Southern Italian accent and heat kick
• Walnut oil as a substitute for olive oil
• Other herbs, such as chives, chervil, parsley
• More complicated reductions, infusions or essence of an ingredient, such as Bay Leaf or Sage or Parmigiano.

There was finally some redemption for the Italians on my last night in Lucca and second to last night in Italy. Punto, recognized earlier by me for superior culinary thinking, amazed again with their version of beef tartare.

Punto in Lucca, Beef Tartare

Risottoria, Vicenza

A tour de force of risotto in Vicenza. This is a locals spot, a short drive out of the main center. Naturally, I was introduced to this restaurant by locals, this restaurant doesn't show up in the guide books or the Gambero or Michelin guides. The rule of thumb, one risotto per person. We pick them and the restaurant decides in which order to serve them. They will come out one-at-a-time.

Please take notice, the risotto has texture, yet remains loose. Individual grains have texture, "bite", not mooshy and over-cooked. There is also liquid surrounding the rice. Risotto is NOT served dry like pilaf or white rice. 

Mantovana, with crema di zucca, salsiccia cotta with rosemary fresco tritato. Great way to start off the evening. Creamy mouth feel, rosemary is mellowed out, sausage adds depth. I'm not a fan of rosemary mashed potatoes, the rosemary is just too pronounced. However, with risotto and with the lighter touch of rosemary, there isn't the pungency, only the fragrance, opening up the senses, almost as an appetizer should.

Mantovana

El Burielo, it had smoked meat and veggies in it. Smoke, tempered, just added perfume to this risotto. Think about adding a speck to a risotto. Spanish chorizo could be introduced here, a play on paella. Opens up a world of possibilities. Smoke is a meat flavor multiplier. There wasn't that much smoked meat in this dish, but that smoke makes you believe you've just eaten some barbecue.

El Burielo

Tartufato, with scagliette di ricotta fume. It's hard to beat this risotto. It's truffles for Pete's sake. A lot of them too. Really, I have not words. It's wonderful. It also removes any smoky nuances from the previous risotto.

Tartufo  

Piccantino alla Puttanesca, rice with black and green olives, capers, spicy tomato sauce, anchovy, peppers. Wins the award for unique. Why is puttanesca parochially reserved only with pasta? I think risotto melds the ingredients of puttanesca better than pasta. There's an edge on pasta puttanesca (I know that's the point), sharp flavors of garlic, pepper and anchovy can be off-putting. The risotto incorporates the flavors better because of the starch in the sauce. A bite of anchovy or garlic doesn't stick out in risotto like they would with pasta. With each scoop of rice, every single ingredient is part of every bite with the same basic concentration. With pasta, many of the ingredients are at the bottom of the bowl, not homogenized around each bite of pasta. With risotto, no ingredients are left behind, homogenized evenly in the entire dish.

Puttanesca  

I finished with a lemon sorbetto in a martini glass and the sorbet was a bit loose, and certainly had egg white. I sometimes forget how much I like something bright, clean and acidic to finish off a rich meal; a rich meal with a wide variety of flavors.

Pasta is still my favorite dish in Italy, perhaps in the whole wide world. However, this stretches the boundaries for risotto as truly a main dish and a dish that can take on any combination of ingredients and styles, just like pasta can. And for the gluten free crowd, a proper risotto preparation is ten times better than any rice, whole wheat or quinoa pasta.

Osteria Le Logge, Siena

Osteria Le Logge, not 50 yards from the Campo in Siena, normally wouldn't be a restaurant I would choose, due to its proximity to a famous landmark; these places are touristy and terrible. But Le Logge is different. They are also a Brunello producer, are noted in the Gambero Rosso guide, have their own cookbook, and limit the menu to a few choices in each category to what I would consider classics. Yes, it's an institution of traditionalism, but it seems to serve them and their guests, well.

One wine with the entire meal, Gianni Brunelli 2010 Brunello di Montalcino - this is a more traditionally styled Brunello.  Not heavy on the palate with oak or fruit or tannin, but softer, more anise and earth on the nose than fruit notes. Paired up great with each dish, save the foie. I'd love to see what happened in 24 hours and how it would have developed. The food and wine were one, not only because I finished the bottle, but because this wine was crafted to be elegant and not overpowering.

Italian Ham and Eggs

To start, ham and eggs with toast. I'm poking a little fun here about my description, but upon presentation, that is the first thing in my head. The cracker of amaretto was both sweet and texturally playful in a world of oozy eggy hamey goodness. The local Proscuitto was similar to the lonza that I cured a few years back, ripe and wild flavors with great texture when sliced thin enough. The egg was sous vide and served at room temp, not hot. The liquid around the egg and the base of the plate was hot, while the egg remained cold in the center. I ate the dish with a spoon and bread. If I'd been polite and used a fork, I would have missed out on three-quarters of the dish.

Seasonal winter pasta

The pasta was spaghetti "Faella" with onions, shallots, green onions, and pancetta. I've basically made this dish in Italy about 5 times or at least a version of it. This pasta confirmed that the pastas I have been cooking at the apartment have been seasonal, because of the onions, the cabbages, the chicory and lettuces that are in season. I thought I was being unoriginal with my thought process, doing a version of this pasta in Lucca and here in Siena; but I was thinking properly, seasonally. The use of cured meat also makes sense, that was the whole reason you cure in the first place, to use it in winter. No tomatoes. No squash. No eggplant. No peppers. No summer fruits and vegetables.

Spinach was fantastic in this dish

Lamb shoulder en croute. The lamb was thick cubed and cooked sous vide. There was no other way the lamb could have been this tender unless there was a sous vide machine involved. The spinach, however, made this dish. The spinach was sweet and has nearly none of the oxalate that dries out your mouth. The en croute was a phyllo dough applied just prior to finishing the lamb in the oven. This is continental cuisine with the use of a modern sous vide technique.

A bit of a left turn from traditional Italian

Bonus from chef. Cold chicken liver pate, dredged in curry/tandor spices, a quick grape jelly and avocado. I told the owner that this was a version of a dish I had at Robuchon with eel and avocado. The play on textures and flavors is there. Fun, yet cross cultural. The curry style spice mixture was powerful, so wine pairing will temporarily be on hold until you have a coffee or grappa.

Liquid Gianduja

Dessert was liquid Gianduja  puréed in cream or mascarpone with hand-torn pieces of doughy bread. Then if it wasn't rich enough, pastry cream filled cannoli and add some creamy gelato to the mix. It's sweet, rich, mouth filling and the perfect end to a really savory meal. The dessert was fantastic.

Il Campo for the 2009 Palio in Siena, my shaved head in the foreground.

A delightful afternoon at Le Logge. It's hard to believe that back in 2009, not 35 yards away I was in the middle of Il Campo for the Palio. Good times.

Il Santino via Santo Spirito

Vibe! Atmosphere! Presence!

Il Santino via Santo Spirito is a great place to be for drinks, brunch, a snack or dinner.

I think I just got lucky. I sat at the bar in an Italian restaurant for my entire meal! The Italians really don't want you sitting at the bar in the main dining room. They just don't. They do everything to persuade you that a table would be more comfortable. If this were a wine bar, then you're going to stand (most bars have no chairs to sit in) at their bar. At an Italian restaurant, table service is an expectation.

Call me a stubborn American for this one point. I like eating at the bar when I'm by myself. Honestly, the restaurant should like the fact I'm not taking up real estate at a table. I watched, for over 2 hours, people come in and be turned away from the bar immediately. Like I said, lucky.

Chestnut Tagliatelle

To start, chestnut tagliatelle with oxtail and "dolce forte" sauce with sliced radish. The aroma, the scent takes you first; there is sweetness in the air. You approach carefully, finding just the right spot to make your move, longing for that the pasta to touch your lips. Then it comes, the first bite, the buttery nature or near sweet flavor of the dolce forte sauce is a deliberate, premeditated tease to keep luring you in. The demanding flavors of braised oxtail are next. Flavorful, rich, the passionate deep kiss of the sauce, oxtail and pasta are coming together. Enter the radish.The radish, a bitterness, near the end, just to remind you that it can't be bold, sweet and sexy all the time. You have to take everything on the plate together, not just the piece you want.

Brunello and this meal was a wonderful pairing

This chestnut tagliatelle dish is best described as Monica Bellucci in the Matrix. Sexy. Risk taker. Bitter. Passionate. Single minded. Ruthless. Practical. Wise. Complicated. Simple. Carries a pistol. Willing to fool around in a bathroom. And she has a crazy boyfriend who speaks French. The whole package or nothing at all.

Moving on.

Roasted veal rib chop with pomme purée and Calvados poached pear purée. I couldn't get enough of the pear. I ate all the pear and half the potatoes. The potato was super smooth and creamy and well seasoned, but that pear just hit. The veal chop couldn't have gotten any better. Great color, seasoning and cut. Again, no one asked me how I wanted my veal chop cooked, there's only one way, medium rare. Great cut of meat.

Veal on the bone

I had the folks behind the bar put together a trio of sheep milk cheeses to finish along with a grappa. The sheep's milk cheeses all came from Sardinia and were each a different age, roughly 3 months, 9 months and what was probably over a year. I favored the fresh and oldest cheeses. The middle one just didn't have the extremes of flavor.

Grappa of Cab Sav

The grappa was made from Cabernet Sauvignon and one of the bigger grappas I've had since I've been here.

The Arno at Night

A great night and a great walk back home down the Arno.

Zeb, Firenze

I wouldn't have found this place without Cousin Vince. It was the first thing he mentioned to me when I told him I was visiting Florence for a weekend. On the other side of the Arno and near the walk-up to Piazza Michaelangelo, Zeb is a counter only, mom and son run restaurant of solid reputation, not just because I trust Vince, Zeb has made its way into the Michelin Guide the last two years. Vince was on to something BEFORE the Michelin Men.

This was a late day lunch for me, around 2pm, I wasn't feeling super hungry and didn't really want to go big this afternoon. Plenty of items to choose from in the counter display, but I decided on a classic from the menu.

Wild Boar Ragu

Wild boar ragu with pappardelle, and upon presentation, there is certainly rosemary in the sauce. Pasta were wonderfully cut wide ribbons, yellow in color and with a nice bite on the tooth. The sauce was rich, the rosemary coming through on my first bite, with the meat falling apart from the slow braise in sauce. This was textbook wild boar ragu. It's not going to get better. This is why we have to love tradition and the classics and understand them. What's to improve here? We can use sage instead of rosemary, but that's a twist, not an improvement.

This sauce has been made and will be made for time eternal. It takes patience, a few basic ingredients, some timing and simple execution in the last minute before presentation. Personally, this type of food never goes out of style, it's always in fashion, never a fad.

Pastry cream torte spiked with Vin Santo and mixed nuts was awesome. I made pastry cream a couple times over the summer for my desserts in Mammoth. Dessert making is not my favorite thing to do, it needs to be done in advance of the savory prep, in the morning and with a certain precision, following instructions that my brain doesn't always care to do, oddly enough. I could have eaten the whole torte presented to me and the remaining torte in the dessert station. The play of various nut flavors, textures, sweetness, everything was just so damn delicious.

Pastry Cream and Nuts

Zeb is about the most informal dining experience I've had in Italy, yet the food is of top quality. It's rare when you can eat at the counter and talk to the owners and chefs at the same time. Great wine selection to. 

Great find Vince!

La Menagere, Firenze

​I went to La Menagere on two separate occasions, firstly for an aperitif and snack, secondly for lunch.

Sous Vide machine is working well

On aperitif night, I tried the "Fried Egg", basically a sous vide egg, coated and deep fried with a pea purée. Fun. Good starter.

Nice fry job on the egg

They also gave me a plate of Ruffles potato chips and fresh veggies, fennel, carrot and celery as a snack. It's just funny to see a plate of Ruffles offered. Sure, I ate them, they're salty and good and pair well with a Negroni.

Bankers Gin in my negroni along w a shaker for bitters...way more perfume than normal, I like it. Using a a higher end Martini brand sweet vermouth and they are infusing chili in the Campari as well. The Italians don't care for it... But some one does. Also doing a chili hot vodka infused martini with the glass washed w Hot chili Campari/white and red...for an inferno look to it

Hello, we cater to Americans and Vegans

 Lunch Day 2:

Awesome lunch of gnocchi that were toasted in seasoned cous cous lightly adorned in sheep cheese and then placed on top of a sauce of sheep's cheese and garnished with black pepper, sliced apples and zested lemon. Outstanding. Sorry, no picture, it would have been rude, I was with a guest.

Dessert of olive oil chocolate mousse, but creamier, topped with pineapple gelato (I'd do coconut in a second) and just dripped with olive oil. then crumbs of what could have been Oreo cookie were incorporated into the dessert. Almost trifle-esque. Simple to make, but decadent,

Zibbibo 2.0, Florence

Chickpeas on toast...Hummus

When I lived in Florence back in 2009, my apartment was in the Santa Croce neighborhood. Because I love nostalgia and tradition, I rented an apartment for the weekend in the same neighborhood, about 5 blocks away from my apartment in 2009. Zibbibo 2.0 is a well regarded restaurant in the area and a Gambero Rosso top pick.

Degustazione Pesce for the evening

Hummus on toast to start. Not much more to explain here. Toast was crunchy, hummus was smooth. I was offered a glass of sparkling as a welcome.

For the entire meal, I drank a singular bottle of wine, Roero Arneis from Valfaccenda. Arneis has depth and length, without all the acidity of Vermentino or the match stick quality of Greco di Tufo. Sicilian Chardonnay would have been a fine option as well, but with my experience drinking Arneis at Punto a week before, I wanted to keep trying Arneis.

Trio of seafood

The trio of fish as a first course was a good exploration of flavors and skills. My favorite of the grouping was, seabass tartare. Unctuous mouth feel, yet with a simple salt and olive oil, preparation. The seabass is a fattier fish, so this makes some sense.

What was described as Char by my server, was marinated for a long time, a bit tipica but spot on, but that's what it's supposed to taste like. A cured fish, with vinegar or some acid based mixture, takes on a texture and flavor that says to me, I'd rather finish this portion of fish earlier, rather than later. I don't want my last bite to taste like curing liquid, because my next sip is going to be wine and those two won't pair well. I'd rather drink a beer with marinated and cured fish.

Scallop was cooked exactly right and the salad was a nice pop. Nothing tricky, just a solid scallop, cooked properly. Thankfully it wasn't stacked on the salad or vice versa, to make the scallop cold. Solid first round of fish, Michael Mina style in trio.

Best of the trio, sea bass crudo  

Gnocchi with salt cod, off the charts good. Has a lemon and lime zest, black pepper and chive spike to it, which is superb. Salt cod can be overpowering and texturally chewy. This is where the pasta comes it. The textures are similar, a hint of a bite for each, but the flavors and textures work together. The stronger profile of the sauce really brings things together. I liked this dish and the Arneis wine paired well. 

Outstanding gnocchi  

Tortellini was stuffed with lobster. The pasta itself was right on, perfect boil and texture, however it stood alone, surrounded by its sauces. This was a shame. I wanted butter all over it!! The pasta needed to be consumed immediately and with the sauces on it. Sitting there without sauce is a mistake. The pasta gets cold fast and actually begins to dry out. Not a good idea. Solid technique on the pasta, poor execution on plating.

Naked and afraid pasta

Gambero was cooked right on sucked that head and ate it but the squid ink flan was the star of the plate. Outranked the prawn by a long shot. A first for me to have a squid ink flan. Call it flan or budino or sformatino, generally I don't care for them. I wrote about this flan mental block in my head previously, flan is dessert and therefore sweet, not savory. This squid ink flan broke all my rules. I still don't think I'm a convert to savory flan, but this helped move me in a savory direction.

Outstanding squid ink flan

Cioppino. For many Italian Americans, I think that's what most people would see, smell and taste with this soup dish. No, it's not loaded with crab legs, but the concept is basically the same. Octopus was tender in the extreme. The broth was strong with a heavy herb influence. Red wine could easily pair with this fish stew. Arneis is holding up. Not a basic herb profile, I'm guessing bay leaf, but there were bits of green in the broth. Not tarragon but maybe, it was cooked a long time. Solid finish to the multi-course menu.

Wine offered for dessert was orange Muscat from Sicily.

Homemade Nutella! It's like ganache with hazelnut infusion and nuts so stable and smooth at room temp, so maybe cornstarch? I don't know. Totally spreadable, awesome, fun.

Homemade Nutella! 

The mini cheesecake bites are also lovely. The dessert chef is earning their stripes tonight. A sweeter version of a marmalade is the topping. My palate was a bit fatigued and with the savory finish of the fish soup, these are welcome sweets at the end of the meal.

A new and interesting digestif  

My server, probably had figured out that I was ready to tap, so she suggested a digestif. The milk based digestive is like a lemon bar on the nose. Not strong, cause it's creamy. Limoncello would be lemony in the extreme. This isn't.  New experience, welcome experience.

Lucchese Meals

As you saw in the last post, I've got everything outside my door. With access to great product, of course I'm gonna cook. Here's a sampling of what I was cooking at home.

Enjoy the slide show!

Gnocchi with Lemon and Parmigiano

Homemade Beef tartare

Cantucci with chocolate

Greens and Chicory for sauté

All these greens were put into a large pan with water, a splash of wine, hot chili, garlic, onions, broccoli rabe, treviso, and lettuce. They sat in a pan for probably 30 minutes cooking on low heat

Bone In Veal Chop

From the butcher next door. 

Pan cooked veal chop and wilted greens

A mid-day lunch, because I'm not eating this meal at 10pm.

Veal Chop close up

I pan fried this chop in butter, shallow small pan and allowed to rest after cooking with fresh butter and salt. The greens are a mixture of broccoli rabe, treviso, garlic, green onion, and mixed lettuce

Lucchese Salumi Dinner

Local Proscuitto, mortadella with pistachio, finochionna salami, sheep's milk cheese and bread

Lucchese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Sheep's milk cheese and some of my favorite bread, the native yeast multigrain bread

Cream Puffs

These were awesome for dessert

Treviso and Onions

My base for the pasta I made for lunch

Penne with treviso, onions and mortadella

A simple afternoon lunch at home

First night in Lucca

Big salad, Salumi as big as your head, cheese, and local wine.

Leftover greens and eggs

Frittata. Great way to use up some of the things I have in the kitchen and it feeds me for several days

Finished Frittata

My favorite bread, a cross section

Nutella on Toast

A breakfast staple in Lucca and Oakland

Veal bone broth and corn bread focaccia

Remember that veal chop? I boiled my scraps, added some wine, garlic and reduced. 

Chicken with fennel and carrots, braised in red wine

Big fat steak and Brussels sprouts

Punto Officina del Gusto, Lucca

Napkin at my table

Just a napkin or a symbol of rebels in the kitchen?

Punto is 100% Italian, but more like an up-and-coming Italian designer rather than Brioni. Brioni is classic in every way and you know what to expect.

Punto Officina del Gusto is a bit unexpected amidst the ancient walled city of Lucca, or the Roman wall outside the front door, which happens to be nearly 2000 years old. The atmosphere is fresh, modern. Despite being less than 2 years old, Punto has already received accolades from the Gambero Rosso guide book, high praise indeed.

Amuse of arancini

​If a traveler to Lucca was looking to find a version of Italian American cuisine in the heart of Lucca, keep walking. If you were looking to find a spot to come every year and have the same dish you had when you proposed to your spouse so that you can memorialize that bowl of pasta that was so delicious when you dined at Punto in 2015, forget about it, they've changed the menu 11 times since you've been gone.

This is a chef and staff that like change, experimentation and diversity but pay high respect to traditional methods, local ingredients and high quality execution.

An amuse from the kitchen is an arancini, with lemon zest spiked risotto inside. The arancini itself, could be the single best fried item I've had all year. The texture, crunch, flavor is why the People of Planet Earth love fried things. The visual contrast is also striking, the deep forest green covering the top of the perfectly brown arancini. The presentation of the "Arancini on a Stick" is not traditional Italian, it's Italian modern art, it's what one might expect in a molecular gastronomy styled restaurant. But frying a risotto ball is not molecular gastronomy, it's Italian 101.

"A rose, by any other name", Romeo and Juliet

First course, peeled artichoke, stem left on, slowly cooked then finished on the grill, but left whole, to impart greater flavors and textures, laid on top of cooked barely and finished with a chili salt. This was an unexpected and refreshing stance on the standard grilled artichoke, or maybe I'm thinking too much like an American who's been to the Hitching Post. The visual of the artichoke with its stem looked like a rose on the concrete plate, and this edible portion of the artichoke, is naturally the flower bud. It made me smile. It was art and food. Whole grain barley as "the ground" which the artichoke flower is grown in. The concrete plate signifying to me another earth symbol, yet another statement and symbol to the guest that dinner is more than just food on a white plate.

Most people know my love of pasta. I love that it can be simple or decadent and sometimes both. There are dishes that I'll always remember, but this particular pasta at Punto I will never forget. The fresh noodles, made with licorice, to give it a black color, could easily be confused for squid ink, as that's standard practice with many restaurants. A smoked butter and a bit of grated Parmigiano was the complete sum of parts. In a word, Wonderful. Other "Never Forget" pasta dishes include Linguini with ricci in Bari many years ago. Fusilli con Tonno with Maestro Lucci Fanni. Not just good, outstanding. The applications for smoked butter were a flutter in my mind. Scamorza would have been the typical thing to do. Boring. Pedestrian

A pasta I will never forget! 

Punto is not boring or pedestrian.

Rabbit got me thinking

I started thinking more about the meal, its construction, with each course. I began to think more about elements and themes, more artistic than generalized culinary techniques; and yet these are one in the same. My rabbit dish, which tasted much more wild than caged, had texture, simplicity, contrast and uplifting nuance.

Texture: the rabbit itself was meaty, cut boldly without pretense, cooked just to temperature and not much more.

Simplicity: minimal ingredients, bascially three on this plate, skilled technique (a kidney was cut in half on the plate, showing attention to detail), nothing on the plate was superfluous

Contrast: the cabbage added pleasing bitterness to the wildness of the rabbit

Nuance: fresh herbs were there for sweetness, a foil to the cabbage, added a domesticated and familiar herbal lift to the rabbit.

The torte to finish was again an lesson in simplicity, contrast, texture, and nuance.

Final course

Texture: raw sugar was placed on top of the torte, so that every bite has a crunch. Yogurt foam instead of plain yogurt.

Contrast: Raw sugar to creamy yogurt foam. Slight bitterness of yogurt to sweetness of torte.

Simplicity: Look at it. So much flavor, texture, contrast in what amounts to three elements

Nuance: Interaction of ingredients and flavors what torte and yogurt foam are eaten together, rather than apart with just a hint of hazelnut, The fact that a yogurt cream was used instead of plain yogurt says Chef is thinking about texture; the cake is the heavy element, the yogurt is a light element when foamed, plus, anyone can place yogurt on a plate.

Local mystery digestif. 

I've been to several restaurants during this trip to Italy, from Tipica to Michelin starred. Punto deserves my highest praise and respect so far on this trip. It's Italian, it's classic and modern, it's traditional and avant garde, it's thought provoking and comforting; full of symbols and facts. It's everything I look for in a restaurant, but like every symbol, one has to know where and what to look for, otherwise, it's just a napkin with a skull on it.

Bravo Punto! 

Osteria del 36, Parma

Upon entry, I didn't see anyone at the front desk. So I made a little cough noise. I can only assume it was the owner that heard me, he clapped twice, loudly, as if to summon someone from the back to help. That's exactly what happened. The summons clap, something you won't ever hear in an American restaurant.

Incredible wine list here. Pages of stuff. Lots of big names and verticals from Tuscany. This is where traveling solo has a disadvantage, missing some great wines at reasonable prices. This is probably the reason this restaurant is on the Michelin list as an up and comer.

It's pasta, it's soup, it's good. 

This is the first place that I noticed non-Italian music in the background.  Club beats in English no less, from Pitbull. Truly Mr. International.

To start, tortellini con brodo. It was pure. I added 2 spoonfuls of Parmigiano. There's not much to say here, it's broth, it's pasta (some meat filled, some only cheese), it's good. Look at the picture.

Time for your close-up Ms. Pasta

Wild board with pears

For my second plate, wild boar. The cut is a loin chop, bone in, with pear in a red wine reduction finished with what are small enough to be huckleberries and  a ton of butter. A true pan sauce style. The boar is gamey and wildish in texture and flavor like wild ducks. Frankly, a bit tough and chewy. The rare part near the bone is where it's at. The Italians can cook a steak perfectly rare, but pork or boar, always cooked through. The pan sauce is the bomb. I actually took bread to soak it up. If it weren't for the sauce, I would have been disappointed.

A first, Parmigiano with honey

Parmigiano with honey. A first. The pairing doesn't clash with the pitcher of wine. No problem. Never seen honey served with Parmigiano, only w Gorgonzola. 

This is basically what I drank at Osteria 36

My pitcher of red wine is a drinker, plain and simple. It's my Jug wine. It's red, Sangiovese based and an easy going bouquet that will pair with everything I eat. This is why I made the Jug wine.

Grappa generally has a couple choices, morbide or dolce and then bianco or the caramel colored variety that has been aged in oak. The Italian purists believe that anything other than bianco is not one should drink. Basically, the oak adds color, some sweetness and mellows out the flavor. That oak treatment is something I've seen in many an American restaurant for sure. We do love oak, sweetness and mellowing. I tend to get bianco and morbide.

Grappa and the end of another meal

Was this my best dining experience in Parma? No. However, there was one very positive take-away, chunks of 24 month or older Parmigiano pair very well with wild honey and dry red wine and for that alone, I'm glad I dined here.

Another night (or two) at home

Creating my own meals are just as important in Italy as going out to dinner. I get to shop at various markets in my general area, work on my otherwise horrible Italian language skills, and walk-to-shop something I haven't done in too many years (I drive to shop for everything these days). 

Buying some basic stuff from the market; fennel, oranges, persimmon, raw onion, and treviso I can create a simple, seasonal salad. While this salad is just basically chopped stuff on a plate (because that's what it looks like), I did slice the fennel and onion about an hour ahead of time, squeezed oranges and a pinch of salt over them to allow the fennel/onion mixture to "cure" as I didn't want the harsh flavor of the onion and overly crunchy fennel, as my knife selection here isn't sharp (or I would have cut the fennel thinner)

Fresh winter style salad. 

The salad makes a great starter course to be followed up with pasta with braised fennel, onions and mortadella, topped with Parmigiano. 

Homemade pasta in Parma

Dolcetto d'Alba. Easy drinker for the week. 

Re-working a dish of leftovers, is just as important as a new dish when you're only in town for a few days at a time. You may recognize the big green cabbage roll (below) that I had earlier in the week (that's another purchase) since it's filled with pork, it's going to be tonight's protein. Beneath the cabbage roll are the denser and greener stalks of fennel as well as the whiter parts of the treviso, scraps from the salad I mentioned above. Add a little bread to the plate and bingo...another meal in the books and no waste. 

Pork filled cabbage roll with braised fennel and treviso

What's next in the kitchen? Don't know. I keep a supply of yogurt for breakfast along with a big hunk of Parmigiano for when I get hungry mid-day. We'll see what the market has to offer.  

Ristorante Cocchi, dal 1925, Parma

I discovered this restaurant on one of my random walks down (or was it up?) one of the main thoroughfares of Parma. Located in the Hotel Daniel, ​Ristorante Cocchi has been around for some time.

To start, Insalata Mista with warm speck and potato. Speck is a smoked ham, usually found in mountain towns. The dressing was simple, a sweet balsamic and olive oil. Solid. Normally I wouldn't order salad but it was kind of nice considering its cold outside, around 38 degrees and I walked about 2 miles to get here. Good start.

Mixed green salad with warm potatoes and speck

Next up, pasta with potato filling and shaved truffle. Good crack of black pepper. There was a starchiness to the sauce, which leads me to believe the pasta was placed in a sauté pan with butter and black pepper with some of the pasta water and tossed through with extra butter. Notice a bit of a brownish sauce coating the tops of the pasta., super viscous.The potato filling was good and hearty, the truffles are all about luxury and perfume. A couple elements on the plate to produce a wonderful lunch.

Pasta with truffles

Grilled steak. Let's get something straight. My server didn't ask me how I'd like my steak because there's only one way it SHOULD be prepared, THIS WAY! No medium or well. Medium rare to rare. No sides. The sauce is olive oil and the garnish is salt. The simplicity of it all. Yes it was tender, yes it was tasty. And if it makes you feel better, I went Paleo on this course.

Filetto di Fassona

The mezzo of Sangiovese from Fattoria Zerbina went with everything. 100% Sangiovese Grosso, aged in stainless steel and concrete vats, no oak, and I'm guessing not aged for more than a year. Easy to drink but not weak or thin. The wine easily paired with this whole meal. This is why I make Sangiovese, because it's good and pairs with lots of things.

Zabaione with crushed amaretto cookies. We've got a Goldilocks moment here. Too much liquor whipped in with the egg yolks and the zabaione is ruined. Not enough and it tastes like mousse custard thingy. But the zabaione at Cocchi, just right. The magic of having a crushed cookie lurking in the depths of that yellow custard is a nice surprise to, not all creamy and luxurious, but with an edge.

Zabaione with crushed amaretto cookies inside

Always some grappa to finish! 

Grappa to finish

Ristorante Cocchi, Parma

I enjoyed my lunch experience at Cocchi and my 2 mile walk back home. 

Ristorante Parizzi, Parma

As I mentioned in my last post, I can't always start a multi-course meal at 9:00pm. I'll be up till 2am with a heart rate nearing cardiac arrest levels trying to digest 10 courses. Which is why there are multi-course lunch options with the same menu as dinner.

One of those options is the Michelin-stared Ristorante Parizzi. 

Lonely Waffle

To start, compliments of the chef, a Parmigiano waffle. Tasty. A good waffle. The next level would have been to sauce it with balsamic as the "syrup" or Saba because basically it's a lonely waffle that needed a partner. Balsamic infused butter? Fried chicken? (too American) Gorgonzola honey? I liked the waffle, but it needed something to pair with it.

A second amuse was a mache salad with stuff I couldn't identify. It was very good and was perfect with the Pinot. It sort of looked like and tasted like cous cous spiked with saffron and sun dried tomatoes. But I can't be sure. It was all served cold....I liked it, I just wished I asked again what was in it.

Mache Salad

Slovenian Pinot, wine highlight of the day

The wine for my game bird courses was a Movia 2005 Slovenian Pinot Noir and it was outstanding. 92 pts by W&S at release, this wine drinks fresh, with full-palate depth, I wouldn't have expected. Cherry skins, licorice and completed integrated and well rounded tannin structure. I would have loved to try this wine at release to compare.

Cracker sandwiches of pheasant pate were next up. The Pheasant pate was uber smooth in texture, a fitting foil for the cracker crunch. In the middle of each pate cracker sandwich, there were caramelized onions waiting for you. The appropriate contrast for the rich smoothiness of pate.  Gelatin, placed as garnish, was made with white wine and offered yet more contrast and all important acid to pate cracker sandwich. Well done overall and visually attractive.

Pheasant pate cracker sandwich

Surprise! Caramelized Onion! 

Roasted quail with winter salad. The quail was delicious, moist and well seasoned. The winter salad of persimmon, fennel and pomegranate seed is a combination I expect from a 1-Star establishment at this time of year. I could have done without the chickpea cake, don't think it added much. The dish was paired spot on with the Slovenian Pinot. And since I ate the bones with my fingers, they gave me a bowl of warm water with a towel in it to clean my fingers prior to the next course. Excellent attention to detail and unexpected.

Game Bird #2...Quail

Pasta with duck and a bit of broccoli rabe was a high point. I love my pasta. If you're worried about gamy flavors, broccoli rabe will get rid of that notion in a hurry. Sharp flavors of broccoli rabe that contrast the warm, rich, wild flavors that come with rich duck pasta. I like the dish very much and could easily see cauliflower or cabbage used as the contrast to the duck. Possibly a grilled item, such as fennel, as a further flavor development.

Time for Pasta

To finish the Degustazione di Terra menu, a grand presentation of loin with foie gras. The middle of the loin was punched out and foie gras was inserted in the middle. Three sauces or garnishes surrounded the main, true center-of-plate many a chef fail at creating. Not whispers and smears of sauce, but statements of sauce. The foie and loin were balanced out. I thought for sure the foie would have been the star, it almost always is, but there was harmony here.

Highlight of the meal, Loin and Foie

Near the end of its life for my palate

Both the duck and the loin/foie were paired with Castello di Farnetella 2007 Cabernet, Syrah, Sangiovese, Merlot from Sinalunga near Siena in Tuscany. The wine was beginning to give off a hint of oxidation and raisin notes on the nose after about 10 minutes in the glass, on a bottle that was poured to 3/4 empty. I'd say the wine was paired off better with the beef and foie than with the duck filled pasta, as the broccoli through it all off. More thought needs to go into the pasta and wine pairing because of the flavor profile.

Cheese, glorious cheese

Regional cheese selection focusing on one item and one region...Parmigiano Reggiano! Duh! 14, 24, 36 months from different areas of the province. I've experienced this type of tasting before a while back in San Francisco, when the Consortium for Parmigiano came to visit and presented to the trade. I liked the 24 month cheese for this tasting.

Pre dessert #1, Creme anglaise w lemon was light and easy dusted w chocolate. I like this Pre-Dessert compliment a lot. Refreshing, colorful and clean. Winner.

Pre-Dessert #1

Chosen dessert...chocolate cannoli with candied orange and raspberry coulis. Cannoli shells are filled fresh, as they are crunchy, not soggy. Easy, one-bite cannoli. Candied fruit and crushed nuts are often served with cannoli, and there was no exception here. I don't like candied fruit inside my cannoli. I want the option to eat it separately; Parizzi gave me the option to explore the candied fruit on my own, which, I happened to really like. Great dish. Fun, exciting to look at, playful and well de-constructed.

I chose Dessert #2, Cannoli

Post dessert...In rapid fire and in order of how I consumed them: raspberry topped panna cotta was about as light and clean as Pre-Dessert #1; therefore it was devoured. Creme brûlée was not so good, I had one bite and finished. The 4 candied nuts were good so I ate them all, the single chocolate truffle was good, the single lemon ball was great. Done, done and done.

Dessert #3, Post Dessert, Dessert

Sicilian Cab / Cab Franc

From the cheese course through the last dessert, the wine offered was a 2006 Planeta Burdese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend from Sicily. 92 pts by WE and one of their Top 100 wines on release and 91 by WS on release. Riper edge when compared to the other wines I sampled at Parizzi, with prunes, tobacco and spice. The bright fruit was gone, this was a wine that needs to be drunk sooner rather than later. I appreciate its longevity, but it was least favorite wine in the mix; Slovenian Pinot wins the wine award today.

Grappa to finish. No espresso today.

Grappa

Service was solid, attentive but not intrusive. Everyone hustled and I never felt rushed or alone. Stemware replaced swiftly, silverware replaced swiftly, plates taken away 80% of the time by the time I placed the utensils down. Everything is brought on a cart or in a tray and placed away from the table and then brought to you from a service location in the center of the dining room. Michelin service standards here, professional.

A very good experience at Parizzi. The level of service, attention to detail, intricacies on the plate, and atmosphere all  lead to a professional dining experience in a restaurant that is expected to cater to a wider, international clientele because of their star rating. Is this better than some of the other places I've dined so far? No. Is it worse? No. It's apples and pineapples; very different dining experiences. Each with their own expectation level though. 

Some nights, I have to eat early

Eating out for dinner in Italy translates into 9:00pm for an actual sit-down multi course dinner; unless you want to go to some touristy joint on a big street. Sure there are places you can go for a cocktail and food at 6 or 7pm, but it's not the same experience fo me to eat snacks and cocktails.  

I'd rather have dinner at the apartment. Which means using my Zone of Assessment Map and hunting for items to eat and drink. I basically walked outside and shopped for everything on this plate in 10 minutes.

It makes sense to purchase Parmigiano and Prosciutto when in Emilia Romagna.  The greens are actually cabbage rolls filled with what amounts to pork rillette. The last item on the plate is basic olive oil focaccia. The wine for this particular meal is a Lambrusco like local drinker, 8% alcohol, lightly sweet, effervescent and 5eu.

For dessert, some fried dough with powdered sugar. They're gluten-free. Just kidding.

Appartamento Lucchese

I used to live in a lot of hotels Marriott hotels, over 200 days a year, all over the United States. I still live in lots of places, but the focus has narrowed and there are less nights in hotels. One thing that bothered me about living in hotels, I couldn't cook for myself.

My apartment in Lucca is within the ancient wall that surrounds the city. I'm in a 3rd floor apartment in the center of town. I have a meat market just below me. I have wine down the block; fresh fruit and vegetables are next to the wine shop. In the opposite direction of wine, about a 5 minutes walk is fresh bread, Forno Casali. 

This reminds me a lot of living in San Francisco with my brother in the late 90's in the Outer Richmond. I had everything within a few blocks walk. Gym, butcher, dry cleaner, ocean, grocery, coffee.

A couple things Lucca doesn't have that the Outer Richmond had? Great Dim Sum and Gordo Burrito. Two things I actually do miss when I'm in Italy.

Another evening in Lucca

Meats, Cheeses, Eggs and Sparkling Water just outside my door

Forno Casali, my bread shop

La Gatta Matta, Parma

Roughly 3 minutes walk from my apartment and on a line back to the train station, La Gatta Matta was an easy find and recommended in the Gambero Rosso guidebook.

To start, Budino of Parmigiano with shallot confit and 30 month Parma Ham. Budino of parmigiano is all about texture and shape. I still don't know if I'm a fan of budino, I know the Italians are. It could be the warm texture that I associate with dessert. Or it could be the shape, it looks like a flan or a lava cake or maybe a angel food cake. There was nothing wrong with execution, just a personal preference. The flavor of cheese was integrated well and maybe if I slathered the budino in turkey gravy on Thanksgiving, budino would suddenly turn into fancy stuffing. Not such a bad idea.

Highlight on the plate was the confit of shallot. Powerful flavor. And I love to confit things like garlic and onion. Leeks and fennel would be solid with this combo. Yes, I'm taking for granted that there was a 30 month aged Proscuitto on the plate as well. Proscuitto is on every menu, everywhere and I have it everyday. I'm in PARMA, duh.

My pasta was a chestnut and potato gnocchi with boiled cotechino and lentils. Cotechino is a special type of regional sausage I have made back in the States before and often paired with lentil. Each item is cooked separately, combined just prior to assembly on the plate. The salami melts. The lentils still have texture and loads of flavor. The gnocchi have solid mouthfeel and offer heft to the dish. Lentils and sausage sound a bid pedestrian, but add gnocchi on a pretty plate and you've got a complete meal...although I didn't stop eating. Solid punch of black pepper on the dish. Downside on this dish, literally was the dish itself. The plates should be warm and this one was stone cold. It rushes the dining experience for the plate to be cold, as it's a race against time to eat quickly cooling pasta. Paired the pasta with a local Romagna Sangiovese. Simple, well constructed and easy to drink with most foods I gather.

My final course, Guancialino (veal cheek) braised in white wine and served with polenta and pumpkin cream. The second thing I notice, after a lovely presentation, is another cold plate, which was a bummer and increases the speed at which I eat. However, outstanding dish.  Polenta is there as decoration and to soak up sauces. The polenta is good, but background noise when compared to the veal and the braising sauce. The veal itself is fork tender, with no residual fat hanging off the edges. If you generally like short ribs, these are a step above. The dark sauce on the veal is deep rich and warm the result of roasting juices from the Guancialino and wine. The second, more decorative sauce is pumpkin. The pumpkin is smooth and flavorful, akin to a pumpkin soup but cold because of its position on the plate. All in all, a splendid dish, but a bit rushed due to a cold plate.

The wine paired with the Guancialino was named Epibios by Podere Colombaiolo 2011, from just outside Siena in Tuscany. Stunning! It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Simply put, an awesome glass of wine. Supertuscan and probably a 3oz pour. Bright and fresh for a 2011. 4.50 eu a pour on BTG.

Survival 101: Zone of Assessment

I'm a big fan of Survivorman, Les Stroud. Bear Grylls got all the attention and the celebrity status, but Les had more appeal to me. The situations Les put himself in were real.

Your friendly neighborhood winemaker is also a survivor, both an Urban and Backwoods survivor, although the alpine surviving skills haven't been put to the test since 2010ish. Luckily my urban skills are regularly tested.

When I get to a new town, I tend to walk endlessly without a map, once I have a base to operate from. It was no different upon arriving in Parma. Drop the bags, get some walking shoes on and walk around and around. Oh, and lucky me, my apartment has this hugely convenient wall map of the city!

Pay attention to landmarks, restaurants, wine shops, laundry, ATMs, espresso bars. Then go back again, after dark and see if you can find your way around again. Some of the shops you walked by earlier probably closed, do things look differently? Remember to get food before Sunday...cause things are closed on Sunday in Italy.

Things aren't as easy as a grid system of numbered streets and roads, like we have some much of in California. Streets curve, dead-end and street names change for what seems to be no reason at all in many a international city. Parma is no different. 

Yes, there's Google Maps and it does work here in Italy, but that won't help you much if you have a dead battery.

More restaurant food picks in the next review. Ciao. 

Zingaro in Parma

Parma, home of Proscuitto di Parma was the perfect place to revive The Cured Ham.

For my first real meal in Italy, I chose Osteria Dello Zingaro. Within 5 minutes walking of my apartment, it was an easy choice after browsing about a half-dozen restaurants in my immediate area.

Upon the entry of guests and the response from the owner, there appears to be lots of locals, lots of regulars. Taking that cue, everyone starts with some form of cured meat, culatello, Proscuitto, and or salami, with sides of various roasted vegetables and large chunks of Parmigiano. Wine is also ubiquitous, with several bottles of Lambrusco being consumed.

Not one to turn down cured meat, naturally, I had a plate. The salami was served skin-on, which automatically suggested, eat this meat with you hands and peel the skin for yourself. A fairly typical salami, nothing more than salt and pepper. The Proscuitto was the highlight of the plate. Creaminess and depth. All the meats are displayed at room temperature, with a single, dedicated hand to slice everything, repeatedly and efficiently throughout the night.

My second course was pasta. Simple, arugula and ricotta stuffing, with a sauce of butter and grated parmigiano. That's all. How can a dish these days be this simple? When all the elements are executed properly. No fancy garnish. No surprise filling. No complex sauce making. Bringing together the simplicity for some chefs and many customers is difficult, however, I find it refreshing.

My final course was a trio of Cavallo, yes, for those who are not Italian, Cavallo equals Horse. And before people freak out, it's a local delicacy and the Italians would think no differently to serve a pig as they would a horse or cute little deer for dinner. Cavallo Tartare served with a simple salt and pepper, while the second was spiced up considerably more with a hot pepper, Tabasco like flavor and then mixed with raw egg, which made it considerably more rich The third preparation was sliced whole loin, quickly seasoned and seared, then allowed to rest cold and then seasoned with olive oil. One of the staff suggested roasted potatoes with my trio.

Seared Loin

My favorite tartare, upon first bites, was the spicy and enriched with egg, more classic in preparation. However, with my roasted potatoes, the seared loin stood out. The more basic salt and pepper variety of tartare was my least favorite, not because it was poorly prepared, quite the opposite, it was beautiful in color to the eye and gave me a sense for how lean and clean Cavallo can be, it was obviously the purest expression of the three, uncooked and a minimum of ingredients; it probably could have used olive oil to richen it up.

Spicy Tartare

Salt and Pepper Tartare

Irony. I love the pasta for its simplicity yet I choose the most heavily seasoned tartare for it's complexity. There are no absolutes. And it's not as though the tartare with Tabasco and egg were untraditional or overly complex.

I finished my evening at Zingaro, standing at the counter, talking with the owner and watching the slicing skills at the salami bar. I finished with a grappa, on the house, as a thank you from the owner.

A perfect welcome to Italy.

Dry Creek Valley, Mammoth and Cabernet

As much as I'd like to think I don't have a pattern or a routine, I'm as guilty as my parents for being somewhat habit bound. Thanks to some online tools at Wordclouds.com for figuring this out, I seemed to write and post in 2015 about:

1. Dry Creek Valley

2. Mammoth Lakes

3. Cabernet

As a winery owner who travels a lot around California, I suppose it's not so bad that I'm spreading the word about Dry Creek Valley, Cabernet and Sangiovese in towns like Mammoth Lakes, Healdsburg and Fresno.

So it seems only natural in this blog post to have you check out our Signature Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek Valley! 

New Year, New Releases.

We pulled more than a few corks in 2015, thanks to our customers (Thanks for the picture Mary!). From our Proprietary White Wine, Pinot Noir, Superstrada, and of course Cabernet Sauvignon; I'd like to personally thank everyone who had a glass. While many of your favorites from 2015 are sold out, there are several new release wines coming in 2016.

Cork, Picture and Permission provided by Mary

The triumphant return of Superstrada is slated for release in the first quarter of 2016. The 2013 Superstrada will be a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, exclusively from hillside vineyards in Dry Creek Valley. 

Our 2015 Proprietary White Wine will be released right around Valentine's Day, and promises to be a clean, crisp white wine you'll be able to enjoy all year long.

The 2012 Sonoma County blend, the one wine that is guaranteed to never be the same blend twice, just hit the shelves in late 2015. If you want the detail on the blend and process, it's all in the fact sheet. The short story is, it's the first time I worked with Malbec from Alexander Valley. Malbec packs a punch with aromatics and back palate flavor when combined with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

We will have our first Zinfandel released in early 2016. I found a great little vineyard in Dry Creek Valley in 2014, hand-picked and hand-sorted, I gave the wine both 1st Pass French and American oak for 18 months of aging for a full-bodied flavor, but without the sting of so many Zinfandels on the market today.

Naturally, we'll be releasing some big Cabernet and Cabernet blends in 2016, from the limited 1-T-L and Signature, along with the 2013 Cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Thank you again for all of your support in 2015 and looking forward to pulling some more corks (and sharing your pictures) in 2016.