"Wow!" All I can say is, "Wow!!" (Or in Yelp terminology, "Woohoo! As good as it gets!!" And then…read moresome!!! And if you read all my reviews you'll know I don't say that very often.)
My wife and I like to go out for a special dinner on our anniversary. Every now and then we are lucky enough to be in a city with Michelin starred restaurants when our anniversary rolls around in June. (We live in the north woods of Wisconsin, USA, so this doesn't happen every year.) This year we were on holiday in Europe with a stop in Verona so we made a reservation at the Michelin starred "12 Apostoli." Needless to say it was the finest meal of our trip.
When I go to a top notch restaurant that offers tasting menus I love to turn everything over to the hands of the chef and whatever they serve, I eat.
At 12 Apostoli, one option is called "Giravolte," roughly translated: a spin, a turn, a u-turn, or as we Americans would name it, "Chef's Choice." Or, as they describe it on their web site, Giravolte is "A miscellaneous menu, a collection of tastes, without too much logic. . . a Chef 's playlist that tries to go beyond the classic concept of a tasting menu. The idea is to live the food with freedom, curiosity and self-irony."
I don't take many photos or make any notes when dining at the finest of restaurants, but here is some of what I most vividly recall from my meal. . .
. . . The cicchetti or, "amuse bouche," was a savory Madeline topped with fine caviar. A luscious way to arouse the taste buds!
One of the next courses was simply called, "Zen," a plate of fundamental, lightly pickled (or brined) raw vegetables. They were fresh and flavorful. (By the way, our son who was dining with us is vegan and this course, along with all his dishes, was 100% vegan -- see the end of my review for additional comments about this.)
We had two fish courses -- one featuring sturgeon, the next with mackerel in an onion broth. Both dishes were exquisite. The seasoning and sauce perfectly complemented the fish. (When no one was looking I used my finger to wipe up a last of the onion broth from the bowl. Yum!)
As the meal progressed the density and complexity of the proteins and flavors of the final courses intensified. One was a rich and unctuous cannoli with marrow, the next featured perfectly braised pork belly and pork loin.
A palate cleanser and some sweets completed the meal.
I know I've forgotten a few courses in this recap, but believe me, they were all wonderful.
The wine paring was among the best I've ever had -- even better than the "three star" restaurant I ate at a few years ago (and generous pours as well!).
As mentioned above, the restaurant was able to provide my son with vegan courses that corresponded nicely to the omnivorous courses that my wife and I enjoyed. He reports that it was the most fantastic vegan food he has ever tasted. So be sure to inform the kitchen of your dietary restrictions when you book a table -- they will accommodate you and it will taste wonderful!
By the end of our meal, most of the other diners paid their bill and departed. Just us and a couple from South Africa were still lingering over our coffee, when one of the proprieters asked if we would all like to see the wine cellar. Of course we said, "Yes!"
Well, it was more than just a look at the "wine cellar." It turns out that 12 Apostoli is built on top of ancient Roman ruins. After viewing the wine cellar and the lower level private dinning room we were escorted down another level to see the foundations of buildings dating back to the time of Julius Caesar and the other emperors we learned about in our world history classes.
It was an unbelievable ending to an unforgettable meal at one of the finest restaurants I've ever had the privilege to visit. If you are passing through Verona, book a table at 12 Apostoli -- you'll love it! Linger over your coffee and you too might get to see the "wine cellar!"
