Ristorante “Il Colombaio”, Casole d’Elsa, Tuscany, Italy

One hot evening in August 2011 I found myself in the garden of the restaurant “Il Colombaio” in the outskirts of the beautiful Tuscan village of Casole d’Elsa.

Casole d'Elsa Coat of Arms

The restaurant came highly recommended by a friend who visits the village almost every year.

The restaurant is also listed in the Michelin Red Guide and has one star.

I started with a selection of salumi from a producer in the area.

It was divine.

Cinta Senese

I particularly liked the locally produced Prosciutto di Cinta Senese, which according to “Barilla” owes its sweet, slightly gamey flavor, oily fat and aroma to the heritage Italian breed of pig called “Cinta Senese” used to make the prosciutto.

Another first dish was based on polenta, with and without cuttlefish ink, and a vegetable mousse. Very light and tasty.

My main dish choice was a tartare from the famous “chainina” cattle breed.

The meat was served almost undressed. There was a touch of olive oil,oregano, some salt crystals, and a few peppercorns. The sauces were more decorative as they were extremely subtle.

Chianina

It was the first time I had tartare almost undressed. And it was worth it. The meat was juicy and sweet, after the first couple of bites I made subconsciously the switch from main dish to desert. What an experience!

Other main dishes were pork roast and pigeon breast, caramelized in a wine sauce.

The wine was a Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico 2001, priced extremely reasonably. The same comment applies to the whole of the wine list, which is a steal. Some of the best Tuscan wines, offered at prices that amaze me. Let alone that you cannot find them in the wine shop.

Overall, “Il Colombaio” is a restaurant I enjoyed and want to visit again. Both for its food, but also because of its wine list.

Imago Restaurant, Rome, Italy

In my last trip to Rome I had the pleasure of dining in one of the best restaurants in town, Imago, on the top floor of Hotel Hassler, with fantastic views of the eternal city.

Hotel Hassler

I quote from Times Travel:

“Grace Kelly honeymooned at this turn-of-the-century palace at the top of the Spanish Steps, and it’s still the hotel of choice for many of today’s celebs and stylish tastemakers in search of old-world elegance (Gwyneth, TomKat, and Victoria Beckham are all regulars). Renowned for its personalized service, the Hassler is a family affair — a place where guest relations are taken very seriously. The 95 stately rooms are a checklist of classic good taste, with elaborate moldings, gilded furniture, French silks, 16th-century antiques, Limoges porcelain, playful frescoes, and marble, marble, marble, plus mod cons like flat-screen TV’s. Imàgo, its modern Italian restaurant, has heart-stopping views of St. Peter’s Basilica and Rome’s terracotta-tiled roofs. And the concierges can accommodate just about any request, including mapping out routes through the Villa Borghese gardens, near the hotel.”

I was staying at a nearby hotel and walked the distance, passing through Via Veneto. It is a beautiful part of Rome, and I highly recommend staying in this area.

The view from inside the Imago rooftop is amazing.To the extent than when I saw it, I started having second thoughts about the food, as one of the golden rules of the restaurant business is that when the view is stunning, the food sucks. Thankfully, I was proven wrong.

View of Rome from Imago

With determination I moved on and got a table. The clients of the restaurant are varied. You have the visitors who come for the views and the ones who come for the food and the elegant atmosphere. In one of the tables there was a family with two kids, with both grandparents, celebrating the birthday of one of the kids. Wonderful “tableau vivant”, with the grandmother reminding me of one of the powerful female figures in the black and white Fellini movies.

Lets move to the food now, and the gastronomic menu the chef prepared. The menu overall is structured in three stages. Stage I is the “delicate” one, with two appetizer dishes, both of them seafood based.  Stage II is the “taste explosion” set of two half-portions of first courses. Both are strong in taste and flavor. Stage III is a combination of two half-portions of main dishes.

The first starter was raw fish of the day. I do not recall the name of the fish, but it was quite tender, moist and tasty. The high point of the dish was the combination of the raw fish with pears infused with grappa. Personally I do not understand the foamy bits, in my eyes they are like aesthetic pollution, but lets ignore them, everyone these days seems to put a little foam here and there!

The next dish was an imaginative preparation of scallops, as they they were stuffed with mozzarella and then fried.The chef added a touch of black truffle to the finished dish, which was extremely subtle in taste and texture, a true delight. The dish is extremely delicate, and the frying must be very quick and swift, otherwise the scallop is destroyed.

The continuation was more intense in flavors and powerful, as the chef prepared pheasant ravioli with cauliflower puree and truffle-flavored honey. Full-bodied, intense flavor, and meaty texture were the characteristics of the dish.

The dish that followed was the star of the menu. Capellini pasta with smoked eel. A divine dish, one that I would include in the Italian Gastronomic All – Time Menu, if there was ever one. A magic of textures and flavors emanates from the dish. The chef came by and had a chat with me after the dinner was over, and he more or less agreed that this dish is his masterpiece. It is quite interesting, that of all the dishes in the restaurant of one of the most expensive hotels in the world, the best is one based on the humble eel of the Lazio region and capellini pasta, which you can find everywhere in Italy. The other golden rule of gastronomy, that is to use the materials of the terroir is yet again proven 100% correct! The chef had at his disposal the most expensive materials in some of the dishes. Yet his signature dish is the one that serves humbly the tradition of the Lazio region. To be correct, I belive that the dish is also traditional fare in the central regions of Italy, like Umbria.

The next dish was a fish and shrimp combination, that left me untouched, as it was rather faceless.

The last dish of the menu was excellent! Roast pigeonwith all the game flavor of the world! Nothing beats that! And it was roasted to perfection.

I found the serving of artichokes with the pigeon an excellent idea!

To conclude the excellent dinner, the chef offered a sweet tray, where the pistacchio canolo stole the show!

Chef Francesco Apreda has a bright future ahead of him, all we need to do is follow him as he evolves and grows as a chef. The one Michelin star he has been awarded is fully justified. And there will be more!

Restaurant Guth, Lauterach, Bregenz, Austria

“Lets go  and have a nice meal, this is no weather for being outdoors”, said Manolis, when the snow started accumulating on the ground and the visibility was reduced to less than 50 meters. You have seen the pictures in the “white” post, now its time to get down to the eating and drinking business.

Restaurant Guth was around the corner, at the outskirts of Bregenz by lake Constance in the Austrian – German borders. In the map below, you can see Bregenz in the lowest right side of the lake.

Chef Thomas Scheucher is one of the most creative Austrian chefs and has created a modern environment to serve his creations.

The building is new, and the outside is austere in style. The inside is warm and with a beautiful garden view.

The chef’s menu was our choice, but Manolis asked for a swap. Instead of the soup, he asked for the tripe. Such a request would not be honoured in France, where you would be asked to order it as extra. Not in friendly, hospitable Austria, where the request was accepted with a smile.

The amuse bouche was a slice of foie with brioche and quince and pear marmalade, accompanied by scallop’s and musel’s hot beverage. Exquisite and multilayered in taste and flavours, this was one of the best amuse I have ever tasted! The philosppher of Atelier will offer his own views while he comments on the post, so I will not try to interpet him, which would in any case be sacrilegious!

Marinated tuna with horseradish mousse, accompanied by a pike croquette served on cubes of beetroot. The tuna was soft and sweet, the horseradish perfectly accompanied the oily flesh, while the croquette was like solid foam (a contradiction of terms and senses).

Sauteed tripe with herbs of the nearby forest. Never had this dish before, and it was worth the wait of so many years! A complete game with the senses this one, thin threads of tripe enveloped in the aromas of the forest, melt in the mouth and bless it with eternal memories of gastronomic pleasures.

Zander fillet with octopus, on a bed of fresh green beans. The dish of extreme lightness, attempted to supplement the memory of the mighty tripe with a presence of indelible subtlety and kindness to the palate.

Free-range beef fillet with mushrooms, celery and semolina crack dumplings (knoedel). The ultimate in meaty texture and taste, medium to rare, the knife was practically not needed to cut through this velvety flesh!

Hot chocolate desert, with fried bananas and bitter sweet foam. The perfect conclusion to a perfect meal. It took the chef almost 20 minutes to prepare the cylinders of delight, and was well worth it!

In the basement, you can find another source of pleasures, the wine cellar. We were served excellent austrian wines to accompany the dishes. More on austrian wines will come in a future post, they are the big discovery of the year for me!

Conclusion: When you get a chance, visit Guth, you will thank me for that!

P.S. For the culturally oriented, there is fantastic Opera Festival during the summer in Bregenz. Just imagine the immense combination of a beautiful opera performance accompanied by a meal in Restaurant Guth…..

P.S.2 Thank you Manoli for opening guth’s door for me!

P.S.3 Thank you Nature, for creating the unique Christmas images on the last day of November in the year of 2009.

P.S4 Thank you Romania, for having your National Day on the 1st December, which gave me the opportunity to visit Manolis and Guth and…

P.S5 At the time of the visit, the restaurant was recommended by the Michelin Red Guide as “one star”.

Restaurant Cilantro, Arles, Provence, France

Today I continue with a restaurant review from Provence, the picturesque town of Arles.  I want to share with you my experience from the Restaurant Cilantro, a stone’s throw from the famous Roman Arena of the town.

Συνεχιζω σημερα το οδοιπορικο στην Προβηγγια, και την ομορφη πολη της Αρλ, με την επισκεψη μου στο Εστιατοριο Κολιανδρος που ειναι διπλα στην διασημη Ρωμαϊκη Αρενα της πολης.

The young talented chef Jerome Laurent comes from 6 generations of professionals in the hospitality trades. In 2004, he has decided to open Cilantro in his home town of Arles.

Ο νεος και ταλαντουχος σεφ Ζερομ Λωραν προερχεται απο 6 γενιες επαγγελματιων σε ξενοδοχεια και εστιατορια. Το 2004 αποφασισε να ανοιξει στην γενεθλια πολη του Αρλ το εστιατοριο του.

This looks like a house entrance, and it is. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of Jerome’s family home.

Η εισοδος στο εστιατοριο, που στεγαζεται στο πατρικο σπιτι του σεφ.

The decor is minimal but quite pleasant, and the staff polite and effective.

Olive paste and chorizo to wet the appetite.

Παστα ελιας με σαλαμι πικαντικο

Caramelized scallops served in a foamy bath of aromatic stuff.

Χτενια καραμελωμενα σερβιρισμενα σε ενα αρωματικο αφρο απο βοτανα και μυρωδικα.

Artichoke cream with black truffle.

Κρεμα αγγιναρας με μαυρη τρουφα.

And now we come to the revelation of the meal, the absolute creation of Nature and the Chef: ” Veal Sweetbreads with artichokes, black truffles and mashed potatoes”.

Το απολυτο αριστουργημα της βραδιας, μοσχαρισια γλυκαδια με αγγιναρες, πουρε πατατας και μαυρη τρουφα!

In my humble experience this dish is a masterpiece and in its divine simplicity it offers you clarity of textures and tastes that is unique!

Θεϊκη απλοτητα, απολυτη ευκρινεια γευσεων και υφης, το τελειο πιατο, μοναδικη εμπειρια.

I would go back to Arles, only to taste again this dish!

Και μονο για να γευτω αυτο το πιατο, θα ξαναπαω στην Αρλ.

Thank you Jerome.

Ευχαριστω Ζερομ.

P.S. Date of visit: March 2009. At the time of the visit, the restaurant was recommended by the Michelin Red Guide as “one star”.

Neichel Restaurant Barcelona

The Neichel restaurant in Barcelona has a tough job to do. The owner chef Jean Louis Neichel comes form Strasbourg, in Alsace and has to compete with the accomplished chefs of the Catalan cuisine. But he is no stranger to this competition. For 8 years, until 1980 he was the chef of “El Bulli”, and since 1981 he has maintained a very high gastronomic level at the “Neichel” restaurant in Barcelona.  Located in a nice quite neighborhood of Barcelona, the discrete restaurant promises a lot. Lets see what it delivers.

"Sea and Mountain" salad

The menu calls this a “small” salad! It is quite obvious that the chef has a good sense of humour! Look at the layout of the dish! The chef is an amateur painter, and it shows! The tastes of pickled duck carpaccio, foie gras, spider crab and lobster were married discretely and with confidence. Chef Neichel is one of the first who dared to separate the ingredients in a way that each stood alone yet they all complimented the others.

Seafood glory

The name is mine, but I could not resist. Baby squid, scallop, fish of the day, ccockle, ratatouille and spinach rigatoni, all in a divine squid sauce full of flavours.

Veal Cheek

Braised veal cheek, shallot compot with cassis, truffled mashed potatoes, sweet potato chips and caramelized quince.

Deserts

The deserts were smooth and silky, but it was a shame to have to destroy the harmony of colours on the plate!

The dining room

The dining room is a very warm place, and the view of the garden a delight!

Eaux de vie

The glorious eaux de vie of Alsace could not be absent!

Display of chefs and cooks

After the meal I visited the kitchen where I saw this huge display full of chefs and cooks from all places on earth!

I really enjoyed the meal and the service and the ambience of Neichel, it is a restaurant where you can forget everything and really enjoy the food and the drinks, served by true professionals. And the value for money ratio is outstanding. I highly recommend it to all visitors of Barcelona.

Ramon Freixa, Barcelona – Tradition, tradition, tradition!

This is a quick note on my visit to Ramon Freixa’s restaurant in Barcelona, El Raco d’en Freixa.

I wanted to taste the traditional Catalan cuisine, so I got the “Menu Tradicion” and hoped for the best. In what follows I will present the dishes, their photos and the impressions that have stayed with me after this visit.

Amuse bouche (literally)

It is absolutely wonderful to walk into a two-Michelin star restaurant (according to some Spanich critics Freixa should have three stars) and see normal people, enjoying themselves, having a wonderful time at very reasonable prices! But this is Barcelona, this is Cataluna! I would have expected nothing less!

Every little bite of the amuse bouche  was delicious, while the sweet potato chips were superb. The little drink is now erased from my memory.

Bread and butter

Bread and butter that by themselves can feed  you in the best way! The quality of the butter combined with the crispy delicious bread, put everything at risk, as the stomach can easily be filled.

Pan con tomate - Bread with tomato

The incredible Catalan delicacy that unites the rich and the poor: bread with tomato!

Llonganissa de Vic

Long, thin dry-cured Catalan sausage. Please note that this is the first dish of the menu!

Raviolis de patata

Potato Ravioli  stuffed with blood sausage  and white soft beans of the ganxet variety. Amazing combination of tastes, the soft succulent beans break into the intensity of the blood sausage while the crispy potato ravioli skin provides the variety in texture that entertains even the most demanding palate.

Fishermen's soup with garlic toast fingers

Fishermen’s soup, with hake and bacalao, served with delicious garlic toast fingers. It is a soft, smooth, low key dish, that prepares you for the upcoming storm of flavours.

Canelones

The caneloni that came next were made with three different roasted meats, and were divine! Full flavour, smooth texture, soft and juicy skin!

Bacalao +

This dish was the absolute masterpiece of the menu. A juicy and fleshy chunk of bacalo served with snails and pig’s trotters! Unbelievable subtlety and softness in a dish that combines the sea and the earth.

Fricando +

It if were not for the “bacalao con pies de cerdo y caracoles” (the previous dish) I would happily declare this beef stew as the champion! Wonderful flesh, superbly cooked slowly until it becomes soft and delicious, with the tasty mountain mushrooms “moixernons”. It was served with garlic cloves (like candy) and the green stuff that was absolutely amazing: bitter, crunchy, full of flavour!  This dish is like a volcano of flavours!

Thousand leaves pastry with double cream

I could easily eat ten of these, they were divine, light, puffy, while the smell of butter emerging from the leaves has not left me to date! At this stage the chef, Ramon Freixa started going around the tables. A low key polite man, made an excellent impression on me.

Coffee sweets

As expected, the restaurant offerred a superb “armonia de vinos” with the menu, so that the guest can enjoy a different wine with each dish, without having to order 5 bottles!  Just for the record, the price of this “degustacion” per person is lower than the price of an average bottle of wine! This is what I call civilization!

Andra Mari Restaurant, Galdakao, near Bilbao

I found Andra Mari in the Red Michelin Guide and gave it a try last year. I was positively impressed to the extent that I thought I just was lucky and everything turned out well during my visit. This year I visited Andra Mari again, wondering what the experience would be. I will try to describe it in this post.

The veranda

The weathwer was gorgeous and I had the pleasure of eating al fresco in the veranda. Galdakao is a small town 10 km southeast of Bilbao, and is very easy to reach.

The view from the veranda is peaceful, and the air aviation enthusiasts can see all the airplanes as they approach the Bilbao airport, without suffering any noise effects, as they are still at a high altitude (I would say over 500 meters).

The view south

I had the “Andra Mari” Menu, which is the showpiece of the chef’s artistry and skill.

The start was “foie gras terrine with Pedro Jimenez Jelly”.

Foie Gras Terrine

The second dish was “Sardine Fillets with roasted peppers and parmesan cheese”.

Sardine Fillets

An apotheosis of colours followed, with the title “Grilled Summer Vegetables”.

Grilled Summer Vegetables

The grilled lobster that followed was served with “Amaranto” risotto, which is in fact a cereal popular in South America.

Grilled Lobster

What followed was my favourite dish a year ago. A cottage egg served with octopus. The richness of the egg combined with the octopus flavours will remain unforgettable.

Egg with grilled octopus

The tuna loin that came next was a step down from the platform of excitement that the lobster and the octopus had built. I would nopt mind if it weren’t there at all.

Red Tuna Loin with Mango and Apple

To conclude they served a dish with Iberian pork cuts. The taste of the meat was superb, but the dish lacked the finesse and creative intensity of the previous dishes (excluding the tuna). I could live without it and have more lobster with the South American Cereal.

Iberian Pork

Deserts came next, starting with a junket with cherries.

Junket with Cherries

To wrap things up they served a sponge cake with pears.

Sponge Cake with Peaches

Overall, the experience was of the highest level, and in terms of value for money it tops the Basque Charts.

Andra MAri is now formly on my standard Basque Itinerary and for a very good reason. It serves excellent food at a very reasonable price!

Zuberoa Restaurant, Oiarzun, near San Sebastian, Donostia

My first visit to Zuberoa was on a Monday this summer. The drive from San Sebastian to the village is nice, and you can explore the countryside before going to he restaurant. The fresh clean air can do wonders for your appetite (if you need such a build up).

The facade of Zuberoa

The Amuse bouche sequence started with “Creme de foie, and truffle, in a Pedro Jimenez sauce”. Light and tasty.

It continued with “Spider Crab, Bakalao and Potato Chips”. The intensity of the taste in the creamy substance was impressive!

Creme de foie, truffle, Pedro Jimenez

Spider Crab, Bakalao, and Potato Chips

The Gastronomic Menu started with “Lobster carpaccio with ginger flavour, grapefruit and soya”. Of all the dishes I tasted, this was the only one that I would consider in a state of development, or exploration. The balance of the taste was on the sweet side, and this presented a problem for me. I would have preferred it to be more subtle, with nuances of the sweet and bitter coming out of the background here and then, letting the almost liquid lobster to play the first role.

Lobster carpaccio

Red Shrimp from Palombs, its coral oil and salad. When I saw it for the first time, it reminded me of Gauguin! The taste was equally pleasing, the shrimp resting on ultra tender chunks of pork fat. The dish was so delicious that I had the urge to scoop up the sauce with a bit of bread. I raised my head and looked around. Almost everyone in the nearby tables was doing the same.

Red Shrimp from Palombs

Curry flavoured sea fruits in their own juice. Another explosion of taste awaited me in this dish. The ingredients were ultra fresh, almost raw, the aroma of the sea coming through every bite.

Sea fruits

Poached egg, poultry cream, truffle, celery and potato chips. I am a seafood lover, and I must confess that after the sea fruits, the egg had no chance to impress me. It tasted good, but could not provide the complex harmonies of the sea fruits.

Poached egg

White fresh beans with Jabugo ham aroma and sauteed squid. A divine combination, the squid providing the intese flavours, and the beans presenting the smoother side of life.

Beans and squid

Red tuna fillet, basil flavoured tomato with pistachio oil and balsamico of Modena. The exquisite quality of the tuna demands a dash of cooking over fire. Excellent!

Red Tuna

Roasted Lamb. I had the menu choice of a roast pigeon or suckling pig, but the Maitr D recommended the roasted lamb. I thank him for that, as it was divine. I must say that a classy lady in the nearby table used her hands to enjoy this dish. Who could blame her?

Roasted Lamb

Plateau du fromage. Unfortunately I have not written them down, theyt are all local, brom The Basque Country and delicious.

Selection of local Cheese

Following my request, the kind waitress served at the end a spanish digestive, called “Abadia di Cova, Licor de Hierbas”.

Licor de Hierbas

All in all, I am quite impressed by “Zuberoa”. The food is excellent, the service formal but also human, the price is very reasonable, the overall value for money is top.