Don Alfonso 1890 - Spring in Sant'Agata Sui Due Golfi (Na)
The calendar read early May, but the temperature that afternoon felt more like early summer . Greatly appreciated for the restaurant which was already enjoying a boom in business after opening for the 2015 season just a few weeks earlier. They were packed the previous evening - Iaccarino shared. And tonight? I wondered. Saturday night was booked as well. I was told. But lunchtime... Molto piu tranquillo - much more relaxing. Just a few guests. continued Iaccarino. And speaking of lunchtime, it was time to get started. That is when the chef asked me a question. Where did I want to sit?
My favorite spot next to the window? The table where I was first introduced to the cucina by Iaccarino 4 seasons earlier? The table with a perfect view of the garden and kitchen?
hmmmm, maybe...
Or how about in the kitchen...at the chef's table. A spot right next to the pass where you can see all the action? I did enjoy myself there on a previous visit.
maybe...
Or how about?....I thought to myself, while Iaccarino left me for a moment. How about here?- the small dining room off the dining room. Where the sun shone brightly through the windows that took up nearly 3/4 of the wall space. A dining room bathed in luce, where the bright colors, the pinks, the greens, the white white whites invited me to have a seat here...an angle of Don Alfonso that I was unfamiliar with. An angle nestled away in the corner, serving as my little private dining room for the day. Sure, I'd be alone...but what better way to concentrate on every little detail that makes Don Alfonso one of the most famous restaurants in the world.
I was handed the menu. I had been looking it over menu for quite sometime when Mario Iaccarino came over. He had surely seen my difficulty in deciding what to choose - should I go with the classics? - stick with familiar favorites? - try something new?
Decidiamo insieme? he asked smiling.
Please, I answered. So over the next several minutes Mario and I went through the menu, course by course. He shared with me details such as what was in the dish, where the products were from, how they were prepared, what flavors would stand out, would they be strong, delicate...
In the end we decided.Grazie for that personal touch. That attention to detail.
I decided to take a look around...explore with different eyes. I noticed everything. The freshly cut flowers - that where bright and vibrant in color, but light in aroma. To complement, not overpower. The theme continued in the fish bowl, where I introduced myself to another single diner...a small blue fish enjoying his spot in the sunlight among the colorful flowers that decorated his fishbowl.
Attention to detail.
When I returned to my table, I discovered a glass of Ca del Bosco and a vase of chips. Two chips to be exact. One made with tumeric, the other with black squid ink.
A consomme' that was poured in front of me at my table by a knowledgeable server who as he poured the delicate liquid, explained the dish with the same delicatezza
Attention to detail.
Earlier, with Mario I had chosen a couple of appetizers...something old/something new. We began with something new. An appetizer light and easy - one that once again highlighted the freshness of the the season with the exceptional quality of the products cultivated on the family's farm. Fennel, zucchini, beets, onions, artichokes to name a few...paired with an eye-popping horseradish ice cream.
Attention to detail.
Something old -ish. A dish that was introduced back in 2011. A favorite - lobster 'zeppole' appetizer with sweet and sour and citrus sauces for dipping/devouring. And I did. Noticing the details...like the crispy coating, the crispy curly vegetables, the sweet/sour sauce paired with the citrus to give just the right contrast.
Attention to detail.
Back to something new-well- a second look at another favorite. Duck breast with cinnamon and borage, apple compote and balsamic vinegar. How could one not notice the artwork that the kitchen staff placed on the plate. The white dish was a canvas for what seemed almost astronomical designs made with the various reductions. I noticed.
Attention to detail.
The dishes continued. Each with that famous Don Alfonso touch, that Don Alfonso attention to detail.
New for 2015 - Don Alfonso 1890''s carnaroli rice with notes of citrus fruits from the garden with sea urchin emulsion and scampi. when maitre Paolo Ciaramitaro brought me this dish, it came with strict instructions from the chef. I was not to mix the rice around with the sauce and shrimp. Instead, take a little bite of each at a time. The white dish once again was a canvas- beet and squid ink. A sprinkling of orange powder.
It was hard to stay away from the bread basket. A bounty that had been sitting on the table for quite some time. At one point Signora Livia came over to see how I was doing and pointed out that one piece of bread in particular - one small loaf - was special. I had already noticed. A loaf of bread made with durum wheat perfect to pair with the family's olive oil.
Two more first course assaggi found their way to my table. The gnocco acqua e farina which I wrote about here....
The second was a pleasant surprise - one that I discovered when I walked into the kitchen. My eyes followed sous chef Nicola Pignatelli from a distance as he prepared this dish of cappelli pasta filled with braised chicken, onion gravy, parmigiano cheese, and black truffles.
I decided to visit the kitchen again, snoop around to see what Chef Iaccarino and his brigade was up to. Perfect timing. They were preparing my secondo piatto. Snapper. Coriandolo, he said. Coriander. It gives an amazing aroma and more importantly, flavor to the dish, he shared.And o prove that point, I was offered a small sprig of this plant to taste and enjoy the aromas as well.
A secondo that cooks 7 minutes in a glass jar. The flavors and aromas that came out of this jar of 'dentice cotto non cotto', well, you have no idea! Snapper, coriander, lemon, mandarin.
Attention to detail.
Mario Iaccarino and I had decided earlier to end my Spring 2015 gastronomical journey here. Well, almost...
Dessert was next...
beginning with a fresh pre-dessert to clean the palate. A lemon sorbet (with lemons from guess where) strawberries and verbena.
Attention to detail.
The small pastry tray arrived, and just as I was about to take a closer look, a mint syrup was poured over a tray of dry ice creating an incredible minty aromatic cloud. On the tray - a mini Sicilian cannoli, a morbidezza with yogurt and banana on crunchy almonds, chocolate and turmeric , strawberry, and a strawberry macaroon. A walnut semifreddo.
Attention to detail.
Last but not least, a dish close to my heart. One that arrived a few minutes after pastry chef Tommaso Foglia called out to me from the kitchen window while I was walking along the garden stretching my legs.
Dessert's ready! he said.
I hope it's chocolate, I said smiling.
A smile was his answer.
And there, in my private dining room...my little corner, I was presented with a geometricla chocolate extravaganza. Chocolate mousse in the shape of a pyramid, a chocolate triangle, a cube of chocolate with an arugula garden. A chocolate souffle in a shortcrust pastry.
Lunch over. And my afternoon ended almost as it began. In the garden. On that comfy couch. With Chef Iaccarino. Catching up.
Attention to detail.
Don Alfonso Spring 2015
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