fantastic dinner experience! i love that the menu rotates and explores different regions of italy, such a creative concept.
our tasting menu focused on the sardegna region of italy and was very seafood forward. we started the night with a fritto misto which was classic and done well. i really enjoyed how light the batter was, and the pumpkin added a touch of sweet. we then moved on to the culurgione which was dumpling-adjacent. the culurgione was much more decadent, rich, and filling. the trout roe added delightful bursts of unami. the malfadine al limone was perfectly al dente, and the lemon was light and refreshing. the pasta was clean, a perfect transition from the culurgione.
next was the brodetto, which had three parts: a fried white fish, shellfish, and focaccia. i am truly impressed by how light the batter is here, the white fish was light and perfectly fried. i also really enjoyed the shellfish, the soup was so flavorful. maybe it is because of the small size of the restaurant and the limited staff, but my biggest complaint would be the timing of dishes. the brodetto had three parts, but each part came out so spaced out from the other that it didn't feel like a cohesive dish. the focaccia didn't come out until we were done with the other two parts, and while the bread was good, it would have much better served as a vehicle for the shellfish. different tables also got their courses at different times, which made it hard to follow the chef's explanations.
we had two desserts to end the dinner: the tiramisu and the struffoli sundae. the tiramisu apparently is served with every tasting menu, it is the one item that never changes. the tiramisu was delicious, and i really enjoyed the crunch on top. i did not enjoy the struffoli sundae as much, i thought the little donut toppings were too heavy to end a dinner. the ice cream was good though, it was a refreshing lemon flavor.
one of the best parts of this dinner was how intimate it was. it was a very small restaurant with few tables, and the chef came out at two points to explain her inspiration behind the menu and the dishes we were having. she was so funny, i would have loved to be her friend!
my friend and i left the dinner stuffed and satisfied. while i don't know if i need to try another tasting menu, i would love to come back for the a la carte. read more