After what seemed like an eternity of travel I finally sat down to dine at the San Maurizio, my hotel for the next week. The hotel, formerly a monastery, is a stately property situated in the countryside midway between Alba and Asti in the Piemonte region. It is a fine location from which to explore this wine rich area but for tonight I shall simply bask in the cuisine of Ristorante Guido.
After a refreshing shower I wandered down the three flights of stone steps to the ancient stone wine cellar that houses the Ristorante. The curved stone ceilings form a majestic framework for the very nicely appointed eatery. The head waiter quietly appeared at my table side. He inquired whether I would prefer Italian or English menu. I gambled on Italian and he smiled. Shortly after he moved away a quite beautiful young woman appeared with a glass of sparkling wine and a tray of fresh breads.
I sat for a bit, sipping the wine and observing my fellow diners. The most interesting was two elderly Italian couples directly across from my table. They were, as one might expect, animated in their discourse. However, from time to time, the conversation grew hushed as the two women would lean their heads together and the men would grow quiet. It was very interesting to watch.
My attention was soon drawn away from them as the sommelier brought the wine list. The list was comprised of four books, a small book for wines by the glass, two medium sized books with offerings from France and the other wine regions of Italy, and a 150 page book with the wine offerings from this region, the Piemonte. He sat the books on the table. I looked at the books. I looked up at him. He smiled, said something in Italian, turned and walked away. I quickly decided to only drink bottles of wine from this region, thus discarding three books, leaving me with but 150 pages to peruse.
After some time the waiter appeared, I selected my dinner and asked for the sommelier's assistance. We came up with a Borgogno 1997 Barolo Classico Riserva. The wine ended up being a nicely soft but firm wine with good fruit and smokey overtones. It was decanted table side as the serving of my meal began. First was a very delicate steak tartare in a very smooth olive oil accompanied by fresh tuna blended with al dente veggies. Both of these were nicely complimented by the sparkling wine, which I continued to drink while the Barolo opened up.
Second came a serving of eggplant soufflé over a tomato bisque. This combination was perfectly complimented by small slices of freshly baked onion bread. With this serving I began to drink the Barolo and they fit together very well.
Next came a house specialty, Agnolotti pasta, freshly made and very fine, stuffed with finely chopped fresh veggies strongly enhanced with a blend of wild rabbit, pork and veal. The serving came it two portions, one served in a richly delicious broth from the three meats and the other sans broth. I was instructed that this was to be eaten with the fingers and not a fork. My wine glass was filled and I was left to enjoy. My first selection was a piece with the broth. I placed it on my tongue, not chewing, allowing it to dissolve in my mouth. It was so good. My shoulders slumped and I sat back in my chair. As the piece was totally dissolved I raised my hand, grasped my wine glass and took a small sip. If there is a culinary heaven the person that fabricated this will certainly go there. For what seemed like an eternity I went through this process of allowing each piece to dissolve and following it with a bit of wine. I alternated the with-broth and without broth pieces. I enjoyed them equally and the wine was simply a perfect complement to each mouthwatering bite. I thought that I was spent and I was until the next course arrived.
Fourth was the risotto with porcini mushrooms. The broth was equally rich and the rice was perfectly done. The distinctive porcini taste was, again, excellent with the firm Barolo. The focaccia bread brought to recover every last bit of the broth was tender and warm. If it hadn't been for the Agnolotti this would've been the best portion of the meal.
Lastly came the main entree of wild goat served with caramelised fig and roasted mushrooms. The fig was a honey style fig and its soft, sweet taste was a perfect compliment to the strong goat meat. The mushrooms were firm and rich, allowing me to enjoy them without the addition of another texture. The goat meat was a bit sinuey, if that's a word, but moist and flavorful. The goat skin was crisp and very flavorful. A bit of skin with a bit of fig was a truly wonderful taste and texture sensation. A bit of firm mushroom with a bit of moist goat meat was an equally delicious gout.
Finally, my plate sufficiently empty, I sat back to relax after such a glorious repast. I hadn't wanted to consume a bottle of wine but it was so great with the food and I looked over to find the carafe nearly empty. The table was cleared and a tray of sweets was placed just off to the side of the table. I regarded the tray but could not bring myself to take one bite. I made a signal to the waiter, asking him to charge my room. He nodded and I was off to bed, very content with my premier meal for this Italian vacation. I wonder if I wobbled?
No comments:
Post a Comment