I came here because of the scathing article written by Geraldine DeRuiter on her blog called…read moreEverywhereist, posted on December 8th, 2021. Her experience was apparently so outrageous, that I had to come check it out myself! I otherwise, would not have thought to make my way all the way here from my home in Sicily. So, I have Geraldine to thank for one of the most interesting dining experiences I've ever had! I've been to my fair share of Michelin star restaurants, and I have to say that this one is beautifully unique it's own way. The wow factor, which is challenging to measure, was ever-present in all aspects of the meal!
Priced at 200 euro per person, I got the "13-course" tasting menu for lunch. I brought my 3 year old daughter for her birthday and they made her feel special by including her on some of the dishes and a nice birthday cake at the end. The whole event lasted about 3 hours which involved moving to different locations in/outside of the restaurant.
Here is what my menu looked like:
CARBONATED GRAPEFRUIT
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WHEY, SANAPI
FISH SKIN
DRY MUSHROOM
PICKLED MUSSEL, CELERY
FERMENTED RICOTTA CHEESE
TANGERINE
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CLOVER ICECREAM
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SAN MARZANO, ORANGE
BLACK CELLINA OLIVE, ROCKET
BREAD, STEWED GREEN TURNIP
OYSTER, BLACK TRUFFLE
CRAB, CURD, YEAST [GREEN JUICE]
POTATO, SEA ANEMONES
ONION, CAROSELLA, SEA SNAILS
_ BREAD, OIL, CARROT
PASTA, GARLIC, RANCID OIL, HOT CHILLI PEPPER
SQUID, ALLA CONZA GREEN PEPPERS
BLACK EYED PEAS, HERRING, ROSEMARY [CITRICS, MEZCAL]
CUTTLEFISH, PICKLED ARTICHOKES
MEAT, SEAWEED
_DRIED FRUIT, QUINCE
WAXED APPLE [OXIDIZED APPLE]
DRIED APRICOT, SAMBUCA
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MILK, CROISSANT
RED FRUITS, SHEEP RICOTTA
CUTTLEFISH
CAROB
COTTON CANDY, RASPBERRY
LICORICE, CARAMEL
CONFETTI
As I normally try to do after eating edible artwork, I was lucky to be able to meet and take a photo with the owner/chef, Floriano Pellegrino, in front of his restaurant. He was grateful for our patronage and his staff snapped a photo for us with a polaroid. He then gifted us with an Italian holiday special cake--their version of the panettone, which they called Another F**king Panettone. They made limited amount of this cake and I got number 174 out of 200. If you know about Italian holiday cakes, you would know that you can't not run into mountains of panettone at stores before the holiday season, signaling it's almost time for Christmas cheer.
I sense another Michelin star coming for this young entrepreneur! This is a must-visit restaurant if you're ever at the heel of Italy.