Pork belly cooked at low temperature, sweet and sour sauce, chilli pepper, potato and carrot terrine
Recently, I had the opportunity to dine at Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant’Agata Sui Due Golfi, an iconic restaurant and boutique hotel in the Campania region near Sorrento. In a recent post, I mentioned that the restaurant closed for a season after 50 years to undergo significant structural renovations in pursuit of their dream of sustainability and a healthier planet for future generations.
Since 2011, I have been a loyal patron of Don Alfonso 1890, except during the COVID pandemic and restructuring periods. Every time I sit at the table and peruse the menu, I still feel excited. I was eager to discover Chef Ernesto Iaccarino's creations for Spring 2024.
Apart from an a la carte menu, the restaurant offers three tasting menus: La Tradizione/Traditional, Vegetariano/Vegetarian, and La Degustazione, which I opted for – a comprehensive menu featuring revamped signature dishes and new additions.
I shared my interview with Chef Iaccarino discussing his menu on my social media platforms in video format. Feel free to check them out here-
Personally, I'm looking forward to the summer- when their farm at Punta Campanella brings forth seasonal veggies like zucchini, eggplant and their prized tomatoes.
It has become a tradition – one that began 6 years ago. A spring visit to the 2 starred Michelin
Restaurant, Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant’Agata Sui Due Golfi to get a taste of what
the new season has to offer. A look at what
Chef Ernesto Iaccarino has been working on over the last few months. First stop, the kitchen to say hello to the
chef, his brigade and have a quick chat.
A chat that included the journey at the table that Iaccarino had in mind
for me that afternoon.
Karen, do you like chicken?
Organic chicken? Do you think
that you can eat an entire roasted one?
I looked at Iaccarino, smiled, and thought –A chicken
challenge? Bring it on!
I
headed quickly to my table for my little private pollo picnic that included –
Sauces prepared with Senise peppers (hot and spicy included)
One of the best mashed potatoes I have ever tasted! Creamy smooth and seasoned with saffron.
A side salad featuring ingredients from the family farm in
Punta Campanella.
And of course, that crunchy chicken that I had seen earlier
in the kitchen. Iaccarino’s organic
chicken is served in two separate serving platters.
First up, the chicken breast accompanied by a vinegar
reduction sauce.
While I was picnicking
on this plate, the chicken thighs and legs were in the under the broiler for a
few minutes to complete their cooking time.
Then they also made their trip to my table.
After lunch, I spoke with the chef about my love affair with
chicken. Ever since I was a little girl
chicken has been one of my favorite foods.
I could eat it every day. Make
sure you buy organic, Karen. Iaccarino
advised me. It’s important.It may not
be easy, but ask your butcher. Or, maybe I could come back? I thought with a smile.
After eating numerous times at a restaurant, visiting the kitchen and watching closely as the chef and his brigade prepare top class dishes the next step is obvious. Sign up for a cooking class! That's just what I did recently, I signed up and attended a lezione di cucina at the the 2 star Michelin restaurantDon Alfonso 1890. Their Mediterranean cuisine classes are held 5 days a week -Wednesday through Sunday. Each day has a different theme focusing on topics such as vegetables, pasta, desserts, meats, and fish; which is what I chose.
I was filled with nervous excitement as I browsed through my cooking school packet which not only included the three recipes that we'd be preparing that day, but information on the Mediterranean diet and food hygiene.
The class was just the right size; two young American couples on vacation from the US, my 16 year old son, and I. Don Alfonso's Silvana Amato helped us with our aprons, poured us a glass of Greco di Tufo and then took her place alongside ChefNicola Pignatelli, the restaurants sous chef.
Chef Nicola Pignatelli
Silvana Amato and Pignatelli
Ciao, Karen! Oggi ti faccio lavorare! Today, I'll make you work! Pignatelli said with a smile. Great!
So over the next three hours or so, I along with my classmates worked alongside Pignatelli to prepare three fabulous fish dishes. Together we cleaned and filleted the fish, we sliced and diced the fresh vegetables and herbs that came straight from the restaurant's organic farm located 15 minutes away. Together we spent three hours of learning, laughing, and lovin' every minute of it!
Tasty morsels of ricotta cheese and nettles with a gurnard fish consomme'...
Dentex in bread crust and spring vegetables...
Reef fish 'acqua pazza' style...
Of course after all of our hard work, we sat down with a glass or two of wine and were able to enjoy our creations. Our 2 Michelin starred lunch prepared with Sous chef Nicola Pignatelli who patiently showed us tips and gave us valuable advice on how we could duplicate the dishes at home.
It's been nearly a month and a half since I sat down in that bright sunny dining room in Sant'Agata Sui Due Golfi. Don Alfonso 1890, 2 Michelin stars, owned and operated by one of Campania's most respected families, the Iaccarinos.
Over a month has passed but the exciting dishes that I had the chance to experience are still fresh in my mind. Like this new creation for 2016 - Guinea fowl with pistachio stuffing.
Before the dish arrived to my table, I strolled into the kitchen to say hello to Chef Iaccarino and his brigade....
The dish arrived to my table and it was nearly impossible to ignore the colors...the energy...the vibrancy on the plate. I took a closer look before my first bite.
A long look at this guinea fowl gently stuffed with pistachios.
On a bed of velvety potatoes and saffron....crunchy fennel seeds.
A bell pepper sauce - one spicy, one sweet.
Sure, it's been a month or so. But I haven't forgotten. I mean, would you?
Not this one, or any of the dishes I've tried, no...experienced together with the Iaccarino family at Don Alfonso 1890.
The phrase "Chef, fai tu" is one that has become common for me when I go out. Chef, fai tu - loosely translated as Chef, you decide, guarantees me, the diner, to a meal full of twists, turns, and surprises...
Like this new first course that Chef Ernesto Iaccarino shared with me one Saturday stellato at Don Alfonso 1890.
Rice with scampi and caviar. The real surprise was the fresh macedonia salad underneath. I was told to grab all the elements with my spoon to get the full impact.
And when this dish was placed in front of me- this dish of spring veggies , it was hard not to get a little excited. Excited? Me? About vegetables? Sure, why not?
Location: Don Alfonso 1890, the 2 Star Michelin hotel tucked away in the sleepy town of Sant'Agata Sui Due Golfi - twenty minutes or so from Sorrento.
My server began to describe the plate and instantly my mind flashed memories of the several opportunities that I have shared with the Iaccarino family over the years.
This amazing appetizer, first introduced last spring, is chocked full of colors, flavors and vegetable goodness from the family farm located in Punta Campanella.
Carrots, broccoli, artichokes, fennel, cauliflower-all cooked slowly at a low temperature. Beets presented as a gelatin - which served as the base of the dish- and also a crunchy croccante chip.
Let's not forget the marinated onions! Oh...and last but not least-horseradish ice cream.
A visit to Don Alfonso 1890 towards the end of the season has become a new tradition that I have come to look forward to in the short period that I have known the Iaccarino family. A study of the elaborate menu is an opportunity take a look back/try again/revisit dishes you know, ones you'd like to try again from the current season or maybe a favorite from seasons past. But last Saturday, my eyes caught a menu item that I was unfamiliar with.
One listed as a Ricetta Classica - one that has been on the menu for ages due to its popularity for being fantastically tasty. Calamaretti, gamberetti, ed ortaggi in leggera frittura con maionese di barbabietole or slightly fried baby squid, shrimp, and vegetables with beet mayonnaise. That I had to try! So when it was just about time for this dish to arrive, I peeked through the side window of the restaurant's kitchen It was there that I saw Chef Ernesto Iaccarino carefully choosing one by one which fried goodies were deemed worthy to be put on the plate and eventually leave the world famous 2 star Michelin restaurant kitchen.
Seeing that he was satisfied, I made my way back to my table to wait.
Right away I was given a large platter of squid, shrimp and vegetables fried tempura style. Light and crispy with just the right light touch of seasoning. On the side, a small dish of purplish pink beet mayonnaise. One that I could not resist dipping one or two fried zucchini and onion rings in.
Over and over again.
Fierce
Fabulous Frittura...
It was early that Saturday afternoon. A half an hour or so before lunch time, and I was enjoying the silence in the garden which separated the back entrance to the kitchen andDon Alfonso 1890's Scuola di Cucina. The colorful pillows on the bamboo couch were the perfect benvenuto after a relaxing drive to the small town of Sant'Agata Sui Due Golfi located about 20 minutes from the busy tourist haven of Sorrento. After a glass of acqua gassata freddabut not too much - after a welcome back/good to see you/how have you been conversationwith Maitre de Maison Mario Iaccarino, a chat with his mother la Signora Livia Iaccarino, Chef Ernesto Iaccarino came over to greet me. It was my first visit of the season, my fifth season on the comfy couch and we had some catching up to do.
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.
Casually followed by the first of two benvenutos. The first - an artichoke heart topped with a creamy pea sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Next up - a baby squid stuffed with provolone del monaco cheese with a consomme' of spring vegetables from the family's farm in nearby Punta Campanella.
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 PaoloCiaramitaro 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 withbraised 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 strawberrymacaroon. 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.
