It’s usually a good sign when I see chef picking through the arugula before a simple salad goes out. Better yet, when chef doesn’t like what he sees on the plate and then inspects what storage container the arugula originated from and throws everything into the trash. This could be a great night.
I asked to be seated at the pizza and cold prep counter with full view of the kitchen. It’s the best seat in the house frankly and each member of the kitchen staff is friendly, including chef. The kitchen is also orderly and clean.
I started with the house made salami cotto and finocchiona. The cotto had a bit of pistachio and a good hit of ground pepper. It was labeled ‘cotto’ but the flavor profile was that of a mortadella, only less finely ground. The finocchiona was equally as good, again well seasoned and the obvious fennel flavor. A great start.
After eating my salumi, watching what was coming out of the kitchen, and chef’s actions (like throwing out unsatisfactory arugula) and reactions to his staff, I decided on an arugula salad (at least I know chef has personally inspected the arugula). I know I’ve mentioned how salad can be an afterthought in many restaurants or at most an obligatory offering. But when the simple salad is given the same attention to detail that salumi, or pasta, or a perfectly grilled lamb chop are given, it makes salad a pleasure to eat. My arugula salad had depth, from the shaved fennel, the deveined citrus, or the whisper of grated grana; Chef thought about what he wanted. The salad was dressed lightly and worked through without beating up the arugula. But the perfect touch was the toasted and candied fennel seeds. Absolutely the best. The whole salad popped with flavor.
For my main course and at the suggestion of my server and the pizza sous chef was linguine frutti di mare. Again, the simplest dishes can be the most difficult. All of the seafood, mussles, clams, squid, and shrimp cooked exactly right. Nothing tough, nothing over cooked. The pasta, which I’m hypercritical of, was top-notch. Fresh and properly cooked Italian al dente. The broth which brought the whole dish together and once again showed that chef expects a specific outcome, elevates the dish from really good to great. The subtle layers of flavor included a bit of orange zest, fennel tops, saffron, and a splash of Sambuca. None of these aromatics overpowered the pasta or the fish, they simply accented. Nothing out of balance. I just sat there and smiled, I would eat this any day. And in true Italian style, no grated cheese was offered.
I finished with a trio of fruit based sorbetto, lemon, cherry, and grape. Lemon is and always will be my favorite, but the grape certainly gave it a run for the money. All of the sorbetto is house-made.
As it has been a year since my time cooking and traveling in Italy, this was a warm reminder of what a chef with appreciation for ingredients, subtlety, simplicity, and vision can create. I was as pleased as anyone could be with my entire meal at Cantinetta Piero and look forward to returning. Bravo Chef!
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