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October 23, 2005
LA PERGOLA IN ROME
Last May I had a memorable meal in this celebrated two Michelin star restaurant at the end of my five day stay in this amazing city that I had not visited since my college years. Thanks to some good advice from my friend Francesco, we had some authentic meals in Roma, and I became quite partial for various preparations of offals which are an indissociable part of traditional cooking with roots in the so called cucina povera. I still lick my lips thinking of some of the best offal dishes I have had anywhere: a Rigatoni con la Pajate at PERILLI in Testaccio (bowels of the veal which have not been weaned), some mixed fritti of animelle (sweetbreads) and cervello (brain), as well top notch Trippa (tripes) a la Romana at the superb trattoria MATRICIANELLA, and also an equally successful Coratella of lamb (all offals) at the SORA LELLA which traces its origins to the Jewish-Roman tradition. All of the three restaurants were good, but if I choose one, I especially recommend Maticianella.
I also have fond memories of a very good seafood restaurant, LA ROSETTA near Pantheon, where we had a very fresh pezzogne, and I owe thanks to Marc Putterman for recommending it. We liked the subtle, flavorful fish very much, and later in summer, late June, we ordered many more in Capri. This is truly a world class Mediterranean fish available in early summer.
There was also room for Pizza, and we did well in listening to Francesco and heading for the suburbs where GATTO MANGIONA is located. The use superb dough which is neither quite Neapolitan nor Roman. The serve high quality ingredients and combinations that work. If you add to this the best Italian beer I have tried, a dark Zago, which is made in Piemonte and inspired by Belgian trappist beers, one can claim that a good pizza is a very nice—and equally rare—treat indeed.
The most expensive meal was reserved for the last night, and, to be honest, I had qualms about Italian cuisine prepared by an Austrian. I feared that we would end up eating good quality international cuisine in a great setting.
It turned out that I was dead wrong about my first assumption, and right about the setting. Indeed the room on the top floor of the Cavalieri Hilton is very elegant, and the view of Roma at night (the restaurant is only open for dinner Tuesdays to Saturdays) is stunning. We first sat in the lounge, sipping champagne and admiring the quality of the carpaccio of raw lamb with reggiano and the green asparagus tempura that they brought to accompany the house champagne. which turned out to be a floral and delicate Veuve Cliquot Cuvee St. Petersburg. The view from the balcony in front of the lounge was magnificent.
The capacity of the dining room is rather limited given well spaced tables which are dotted with remarkably elegant flowers and candle arrangements. It also turned out that the service, led by the dining room manager, Umberto Giraudo, who came from Alain Ducasse in Paris, was outstanding. We found that excellence in service and hospitality are a distinguishing mark of La Pergola, and indeed the four leading members of the team, chef Heinz Beck, manager Umberto Giraudo, maitre d’ Simone Pinoli, and the head sommelier Marco Reitano (who had broken his leg and was absent during our visit) had written a book about service: L’Arte del Servizio.
All of this would not have meant much for me had the cooking not been on par. Fortunately it was. Chef Beck’s cooking shows tremendous respect for raw materials, and his dishes are as elegant and gracious as the ballet that takes place in the dining room under the watchful eyes of Umberto. I know the term “gracious” is unusual to describe a cooking style, but this is the adjective that comes to mind when thinking of the array of dishes which proved that the chef has a delicate touch and prioritizes elegance and intelligent restraint over other qualities. To me, this type of well studied control and respect for seasonal ingredients and the ability to create dishes which seem simple but taste divine are the hallmarks of Italian cuisine at its best. The simplicity here is misleading as, although most of these dishes are composed of three to four ingredients, the conception of these dishes is anything but simple. On the contrary, the conception and flow of the meal has revealed that Beck is a sensitive and intelligent person, while also being quite meticulous and precise (his Germanic roots I guess). At any rate, I always think that this type of refined, subtle cooking always flirts with disaster. That is, sometimes refinement comes at the expense of flavor, and the balance comes at the expense of intensity and depth. This has been my impression in some highly touted starred restaurants in Italy (three star Dal Pescatore, two star Da Caino and Gambero Rosso and Dan Alfonso). At such places, one comes to the conclusion that it would have been better to dine in a fine trattoria for a fraction of the cost. Conversely, when everything comes together, the refinement and subtlety of the best Italian cooking can be such that it is not superior or inferior to the best French or Spanish cooking; it is simply distinct.
We have concocted our own menu degustation from a la carte dishes, to which, Umberto generously added an intelligent touch: i.e. the most memorable intermezzo I recall in recent history. Following a selection of amuses from the chef that were centered on variations on tomato and were appropriately appetizing (the puree with reggiano ice cream was especially noteworthy), we had the following courses:
Tartare di scampi su brunoise di cetriolo e papaya
Tortellini di piselli e calamari con salsa al nero di sepia
Fagotelli “La Pergola”
Intermezzo di asparagi bianchi
Filetto di spigola in pasta di sale
Guanciale di manzo brasato
Gran dessert.
I asked Umberto whether the scampi was as good as Ducasse’s version with caviar. He said it was different and not as rich. It may not have been as rich, but it was brilliant, and the ménage a 3, between ultra fresh juicy and raw carpaccio of scampi, which had not yet developed an iodine flavor, and the diced crunchy/sweet papayas and refreshing baby cucumbers, was divine.
The pasta dishes which followed did not disappoint either. The first pasta was and ethereally light tortellini which made best use of the seasonal baby peas and contrasted the peas in taste and in color with the smallest imaginable baby calamari or squid. The deep frying of squid exhibited remarkable mastery as they had remained juicy and greaseless.
But the second pasta dish was even more memorable. This one, the fagotelli (a version of ravioli), was essentially a take on the traditional carbonara which is a Roman specialty. Each bite was sensational as intense flavors of eggs, pancetta and cream revealed themselves in liquid form and, with each bite, the dish became more satisfactory as it revealed the hidden taste of Sarawak pepper and subtle spicing which did not mask the essential and complementary flavors.
The so called intermezzo of white asparagus was spectacular. I had never tasted white asparagus that good, .i.e. that tender and flavorful with the optimum earthy/bitter aftertaste. They come from Bassano (del Grappa) near Venezia, and the chef prepared them in three ways: wrapped in lardo and gratined, with large prawns (mezzancole) and wild mushrooms (mousserons) in a wild mushroom reduction, and with squab in a sweet (port) and sour (grape must) reduction. The overall crescendo effect which was an overriding theme of the meal also pertained to this course as we progressed along the three dimensions of the dish showing how versatile white asparagus is in terms of its pairing with different flavors.
Normally the main courses are not the strongest part of the meal in Italian restaurants, but not here. Umberto talked us into ordering the wild seabass in salt crust and beef cheeks, and we listened to his advice. It is getting harder and harder to eat good seabass (loup de mer, bar, spigola, and branzino) due to extensive farming, and farmed seabass is usually quite insipid compared to the wild version (although there are better fish farms especially in the Riviera). The problem is that farming also affects the “wild” fish, as the lazy creatures prefer to come close to the farms and consume the leftover food from the fish in the farm. As a consequence, the taste of farmed and non-farmed sea bass is becoming alike, as bad money drives out good money. The true taste of rock sea bass is hard to experience. And when one tastes very fresh rock sea bass, as I did at La Pergola, it is hard not to revel in how flavorful and subtle the flesh is. Chef Beck also brought out the best in it by his precise salt crust cooking and by carefully pairing the spigola with different embodiments of seasonal zucchini flower (pureed, grilled, sautéed and deep fried) and a light red pepper mousse. These simple adornments did not detract from the fish but highlighted its freshness and added an extra dimension. Overall, the dish was fantastic.
Beef cheeks were nearly as good, as the cubed cut was from the best part of the cheek and the flavor was more refined than one typically associates with this rustic dish. The rest of the cheek was ground and served deep fried, wrapped in the crunchy skin. The soft polenta and the carrot puree were faultless.
We did not ask for a cheese course, but Umberto kindly brought us some aged reggiano to show off the quality of the balsamic vinegars that they carry in the restaurant. We tasted from several different bottles ranging from 25 to 100 years old and truly felt in heaven.
Desserts are also very successful. They are well thought out, ranging from refreshing berry granitas to feather light Napolitan cream (Pastiera Napoletana) and to coffee, chocolate, and caramel flavors in various shapes, all invariably non-filling and excellent.
I should also mention that attention to detail and aesthetics is a hallmark of La Pergola. The table arrangements reflect the crescendo and then the winding down of the meal, as they change the table arrangements and they use smaller candles and flowers with dessert and coffee. In the beginning of the meal they offer a mineral water list from all Italy, and they are willing to provide you with details if you feel skeptical. Towards the end and before the dessert, they bring an elegant silver box containing many closed drawers, and as you open the drawers, they reveal beautiful and delicate pastries.
There are also separate tea and coffee menus, and especially the former is incomparably rich, perhaps the best I have seen anywhere. If you order tea or coffee, they serve delicious chocolate truffles, in addition to the jewels gradually disappearing in the silver box.
The wine list is also remarkable and not excessively priced. Following the champagne, we had a bottle of one of my favorite Piemontese whites: Gavi Etichetta Nera 2003—La Scolca. There is good backbone and mineral in this wine, and it is not overly fruity, so it goes well with the delicate seafood dishes. But I was especially impressed by the 1999 Vigna del Nocio from Boscarelli. This is my favorite Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the ‘99 is almost as good as ‘97. The wine was very elegant and complex, and it revealed griotte, leather and coffee aromas which persisted on the palate. Harmonious and silky with soft tannis, a long finish and good structure, I rated the wine quite high and found it compatible with the cooking style.
It is not an easy task to rate a chef after one meal only. Previously I had called Le Calandre and Da Vittorio the two best in Italy that I had tried and had given the score of 18/20. Heinz Beck’s cooking is less avant garde then the former, and it is certainly less traditional than the latter. But it is as good, and I am already craving for a return visit.
Grade: 18/20 VM
Posted at 10:38 PM | Comments (6)October 21, 2005
Troisgros - One of the temples of haute cuisine
Troisgros is one of my favourite restaurants. There is little not to like with the fantastic often simple yet at the same time sophisticated cuisine prepared with top class ingredients, the elegant cool and cosy interior and the practically faultless service provided by some of the most experienced, friendly and casual waiters on the French haute cuisine circuit. I almost
forgot something important, actually for many it is one of the top motivating factors for travelling to Troisgros. Troisgros also possesses one of the best wine lists in the world. It is among the best from almost every aspect. There are few wine lists as deep as that of Troisgros and as packed with mature wines from great producers. Even more important, many wines are offered at bargain prices, in some cases at a fraction of the current market prices. What do you say about 120 euros for 1993 Clos de la Roche Vielles Vignes from Ponsot? It was one of the wines we had at Troisgros at the most recent dinner and one of the bottles we had was as good as any red Burgundy I have ever had. Yes, on par with the 1990 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée Cros Parentoux.
The meal started with a few amuses and 1992 les Clos from Raveneau, which had started to show the waxy character that many adore in Raveneau's wines. The amuses were perhaps not particularly interesting and slightly overly marked by Michel Troisgros’s passion for acidity elements in food or as he calls it, cuisine acidulé.
The acidity theme also started the meal with the Acidulé de tomate and it was an ingenious dish showcasing that perfect touch that Michel Troisgros often has in his preparation when he manages to marry acidity and a slight sweetness with spices to achieve a sublime and complex result that still show the purity and clarity of the main ingredient, in this case the tomatoes.
The preparation consisted of several elements of tomatoes such as small confit tomatoes, some diced tomatoes and a divine jelly of tomato water lightly infused with mint leaves and coriander seeds. The light infusion with some added sugar and Xeres vinegar resulted in a dazzling preparation. Many at the table sensed a hint of a taste they somehow recognised in the perfect jelly that melted almost instantly on the tongue and the taste elevated the tomatoes in the preparation to a new level. - Maybe it is tea, someone said. It was a great dish. Simple, yet sophisticated and it perfectly showed the superb tomatoes and even enhancing them by giving them a new taste angle or a new dimension that complemented the true taste of tomatoes.
The next dish, Huitres creuses en gelée de bettrave fumée was as good even if the taste combination as such was not particularly new to me.
Three poached then cooled Gillardeau oyster, which I initially thought were #3's, but I was later corrected by Michel that they were #2's, sat in another perfect jelly this time made with smoked beet roots that melted on the tongue. The smokiness was just barely traceable. As with most Troisgros dishes today, the beet jelly had a light tanginess to it from some added acidity, that in this dish was perhaps ever so slightly too pronounced for my taste buds, but it was still another great dish. Beets and oysters is a very interesting combination when well executed, especially with the Gillardeau oysters with their long and exceptional taste. The perfect element to enhance this combination even further is truffles. Yes, both white Alba truffles and black melanosporums. For the adventurous, a hint of nutmeg with the oysters, beets and the white truffles can to some be breath taking when rightly calibrated.
A few of the diners got frog’s legs instead of the oysters and while the spicing went well with the cauliflower, the somewhat overcooked frog’s legs were slightly lost in the preparation.
The 1986 Batard Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive served with these dishes brought back great memories from the 1986 vintage and also showed that well stored bottles of great white Burgundy can age for a very long time. The wine was really singing and did not show any sign of age.
Next up on the menu was a pan-fried foie gras and while there was little to say about the cooking of the foie gras, the foie gras was not of the best quality. Maybe it was just an atypical liver but it reminded more both in texture and flavour of cheap supermarket foie gras, which I am sure Michel Troisgros does not serve, so it must have been an odd liver. The acidity element provided by the rhubarb and ginger was quite nice however.
Since the French scallops season has just started, it was of course unthinkable to eat at Troisgros without sampling one dish featuring this fantastic and noble ingredient that still remains relatively modestly priced. The Noix de Saint Jacques poelees & condiment safrane was good but not on par with other scallops preparations of Troisgros. There were some pine nuts in the vinaigrette-like sauce and that complemented nicely the somewhat nutty taste of pan-fried scallops that is to die for. Much better are Troisgros hazelnut and rosemary fried scallops. The scallops were of very good quality even if I tend to think they get a little better later in the season and they and the dish were without a doubt much better than the quite average, or even mediocre dish with scallops served at Regis Marcon a few days earlier.
Michel Troisgros is known for his love of Asian spicing and often find inspiration from Asian cooking and this was displayed in the next dish, Fricassé d'ecrevisses, navet fin, sucs de caisson corsés. When these Asian inspired dishes work, they can be fantastic, but when they do not, the result can be quite average. Even if the crayfish were of exceptional quality, their qualities were completely masked by the spicing. Unfortunately this crayfish dish gave about as much inspiration as food from almost any simple Asian takeaway.
Troisgros is certainly a great place for meat and with the game season just started, Michel Troisgros have lots of produce available that are naturally suited for combinations marked by sweetness and acidity.
The venison was of very good quality and at an aging point that I like. The taste was a nicely developed but balanced taste of game but not too strong or oxidised and not marked by the taste of oxidised meat, like game meat that has been poorly stored or aged for too long, that often is the case. The garnish featuring mirabelles and hazelnuts was virtually perfect. The only objection I would have against the dish would be the slight undercooking of the venison.
The cheese table at Troisgros is superb and offers a great selection surpassed by few. Troisgros uses two local affineurs, most importantly Hervé Mons who certainly ranks among one of the top affineurs in France for certain chesses most notably in my opinion his Camenbert which at a peak affinage can resemble the smell of a great example of an Alba truffle. But as with most affineurs, Hervé Mons has his weak spots, most notably the vieux comté that is not even a pale shadow of the comté of Bernard Antony. The cheese board at Troisgros can offer up to 20 different cheeses all in perfect or close to perfect condition. Having cheese at Troigros is a pure joy and only rivalled by few restaurants.
I think that Troisgros can excel in their desserts. The marriage of lightness, richness, sweetness and often acidity can provide divine results. This time that was not really the case. The first of the two desserts was Louise-bonne à la "Belle Hélène" and it was quite bland. The pear was somewhat diluted in taste and the bitter almond enhanced sauce effectively killed the dish. The Flan au caramel, sablé à la mangue that followed was clearly better but still not really more than an assemblage of some fruits and diary products. It is hard to single out any restaurant that is a match to the almost always near perfect or perfect desserts at Le Louis XV that have perhaps forever spoilt my taste buds.
Another great wine that was tasted during the meal apart from the ones mentioned above was 1993 Chambertin from Rousseau. While no match for the Ponsot, still a great Burgundy that started to show signs of maturity.
Troisgros is a highly recommended restaurant where one can eat absolutely sublime meals at the very top. This meal was very good but due to a bit too many mistakes, it was well below what they are capable of delivering. But it dis show the great flow of a meal at Troisgros and the deep and vast repertoire of Michel Troisgros. Perhaps Michel Troisgros is moving more and more in the direction of the cuisine acidulé and using too much spicing in his dishes with the result that some ingredients are lost. I hope that is not the case. When the acidity element is not in balance, the preparation can easily be anything but joyful to eat in contrast to when it is balanced and the acidity manages to provide a new dimension to a preparation. Since the difference in calibration between the two results is hair thin, it is perhaps too demanding to expect perfection all the time from such a risk-taking chef as Michel Troisgros.
It will be interesting to see what Vedat thinks about the current form of Troisgros as he is having dinner there today.
Gastroville Rating of this meal: 17,5/20
/MJ
