First - how can one pass by a restaurant that is festooned with over twenty flavors of fresh…read moregelato? This is a beautiful, modern Italian eatery, but be prepared for a long, relaxing dinner (our's was a three hour event of three courses).
The servers and staff are well dressed and proficient with their knowledge of the menu. One selection that is highlighted is the chef's choice, which ranges from two to six courses, and one simply provides a list of foods that would not be enjoyed. My dining partners all chose the same main of spaghetti Parmesana, but mostly different first courses.
Wine glasses full, we we're ready for our journey to begin.
First, an amuse bouche. Salmon tartare topped with an airy chive foam in the cutest cone. My tastebuds were definitely amused!
One had carpaccio, and the other two had bruschetta. These were large, artistic plates of beauty! The three bruschetta were adorned with caramelized onions, Parmesan, roasted tomatoes, and a high grade balsamic vinegar served on a beautiful wood plate (they looked messy, but so good!). The carpaccio was a huge dish, adorned with grated Parmesan and that fantastic balsamic (more like a syrup than a traditional vinegar), and the meat was so thin that one could see through it. My surprise first course was a mackerel flank that had been marinated in lemon basil oil, a ring of pearl pasta that was prepared in a Parmesan and lemon cream, then adorned with fried spaghetti (kind of like chow mein noodles, actually), while the plate was decorated with lemon foam to break the richness of the pungent fish.
We had our plates for about half an hour, but this is a meal about relaxing. Until the drama of a neighbor's table grabbed my attention. A half wheel of Parmesan, bowls, oil, lighters, and pots of spaghetti was trolleyed right to their table. I knew what was going to happen, and I was so excited! The server prepped that beautiful round of cheese by further hollowing it out with a scraper. Then came the alcohol and oil blend (I couldn't tell what type of alcohol was used, but I could tell by the flame color that it was burning off) astutely poured around the bottom portion of the concave surface, and then it was lit with a dramatic flare rivaling that of a magic show. The server deftly moved the flame further into the cheese created a grainy, melted bath for that perfect spaghetti to dance in. A large portion of spaghetti was poured in, and it was moved around in such a way that every noodle was dressed. My mouth was watering as the server spooned significant portions into bowls, then dressed them with even more Parmesan. I wanted that, and then my dining partners told me that's what they had ordered. Sadness on my part, as food envy is a real emotion.
After another twenty minutes, the giant wheel of awesomeness made it to our table, and we watched the show with rapt attention. I was at this point completely salivating! It smelled so good, and the dishes were even prettier close up. My tablemates had their dishes when mine was brought out. Nothing to be disappointed in - roasted duck breast in a porcini wine reduction, romanesco, roasted tomatoes, grilled polenta, and celeriac foam. Sad part here - my knife was not sharp enough to easily cut through the almost tough duck breast, but the flavors were amazing and complex. I shared my duck, but I opted to not try that lovely spaghetti (I plan to go back for my own dish). The gentlemen ate every bit of their dishes, but I was not even close to finishing my gorgeous plate. Ugh! But, there was dessert to think of...
After our plates were cleared, ice cream menus appeared, written completely in Dutch, but that wasn't really a problem. The server said I could choose ice cream instead of the surprise - that was a marvelous choice that I was thrilled with! I opted for a banana split, no chocolate sauce. The other three chose sundaes and a shake. Wanting to know what I was missing by not opting for the chef's surprise, we had to ask. It would have been a white chocolate egg with a fig compote - so happy to have chosen ice cream, though I'm certain it would have been lovely.
About fifteen minutes later, the frozen beauties arrived. Just, oh my goodness, over the top perfection! Cute dishes, magnificent gelato flavors, and insane flavor! Mine had hazelnut, vanilla, and dark chocolate gelato scoops sitting in a sliced just-ripe banana, dressed with a strawberry sauce and whipped cream, then topped with three perfectly soaked dark cherries. Winner!!! One table partner had a caramel cookie sundae, another had a sundae of cookies and cream gelato, and the shake was an insane concoction of fruit syrup, vanilla gelato, and milk that caused an instant spike in blood sugar, almost to the point of a diabetic coma. Just wow!
For the four of us, the bill was €188. Really not bad.
Just remember to save room for dessert!
