Gastroville

Overall, it is clear that dishes are very well thought out and ingredients carefully selected at La Pergola. The service, under the direction of Umberto Giraudo, formerly from Louis XV, is the best I have seen in Italy and one of the best anywhere. In Vissani, on the other hand, one feels that there is a great master who conceived “interesting” combinations in a split second when he was in the middle of doing other things and then scribbled his ideas on the paper and left the execution to others. It is unclear whether the grand master has ever tried these dishes. (My friend, Francesco, who has reviewed Vissani favorably actually does not think that Gianfranco Vissani tries all his new dish ideas before they are put on the menu.) One can surmise that Vissani trusts his intuition as much as Berlusconi has trusted his political acumen, and it is his relatives (son and sister), and the head cook, Signor Mori Schwichi, who are in charge of the kitchen. This contrasts with the painstaking perfectionism of the German Heinz Beck of La Pergola who gives the impression that he considers himself not a magician or “artist” but a skilled artisan who will not include a dish on the menu unless he is 100% sure that it works.

And his combinations do work. Take the appetizers: “Scampi carpaccio on lime gelee with papaya, caviar and Tequila ice crush” and “Fritto of zucchini flower with shellfish consommé and caviar”. The former is as good as the similar dish I had tried last time, but the addition of Tequila granite with a dash of salt and bitter citrus notes elevates the squeaky fresh scampi (langoustine) to a higher plane. The fatty richness provided with good non-pasteurized Iranian Oscietra complements the symphony of flavors. Similarly, a good dollop of the same caviar works harmoniously with the shellfish consommé (which is intense but not over reduced), and the soft boiled egg the delicate zucchini flower are coated with the lightest imaginable coating that makes me wonder how many hours Beck must have spent to reach this level of perfection. Timing and temperature of the deep frying is also perfect in the sense that the ingredients are very crisp outside and juicy inside. Mikael Johnson, who has mastered this technique, would have approved of this dish!

Compared to these entrees, the recommended “zolfini bean soup with wild pig (cinghiale), leek tart, and sliced asparagus and beet” at VISSANI was simply an amalgam of ingredients which were neither in juxtaposition, nor in accord with each other. The dish was not bad, but it was “awkward” and a questionable suggestion to commence a meal. It was simply quite heavy and robust, although the quality of pureed zolfini beans was memorable.

We have continued our meal with two pasta dishes in both restaurants. At Pergola, one pasta was new (“artichoke and mint ravioli with mezzancole and bottarga”) and one was a repeat of an old favorite (“fagottelli”). I have reviewed fagottelli before, which is a reconstitution of the classic carbonara. All I can say is that no matter how many times I dine at La Pergola in the future, I intend to always order this dish. The ravioli, on the other hand, is also special. Clarity is always a focus in Beck’s cuisine, and there is no question about the integrity of artichoke, which, even in its disguised puree form, reveals its Roman origins (what French call “artichaut epineux,” the narrow and small artichoke which is now in season). Grey mullet roe and fresh Sardinian prawns, which had not developed the iodized taste, were in perfect harmony with the artichoke flavor. One can not easily improve the harmony of flavors in this dish, although it is possible to make this even more stunning by substituting the incomparably sweet San Remo gamberi for the mezzancole.

The two pasta dishes were much more complicated at Vissani, but only one of the two was successful. That is, “the ravioli made from farro and stuffed with foie gras and sweet onion and topped with sea urchin ice cream in a sea urchin sauce flavored with marjoram” sounded like a curious proposition, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable pasta dishes of our latest Italy trip. This dish, which reminded me of the best dish I had at El Bulli last year (“brain and sea urchin”) was rich, unctuous, yet light on its feet at the same time. It was neither salty nor fatty, as one would have expected. Actually it was the only instance in the meal when I could understand why Vissani is considered a culinary tour de force.

Unfortunately the other pasta was the worst course of the meal at Vissani. A lasagna was served with “gamberi rossi”, veal jus, truffle infusion, crunchy rape on top, and blueberry jus, served alongside the dish in a bowl. Had I ordered that dish because I was craving for “gamberi rossi”? Probably. If so, over cooked ravioli, finely shredded gamberi from which all taste seemed to have evaporated, and an overpowering veal stock which reminded me supermarket quality canned stocks, ended up masking the remaining flavors of shellfish. While I was having this dish, signor Luca Vissani (the son) was telling me that he found the use of black truffles too excessive and the flavors too strong at L’Ambroisie. I can see that we have different tastes. Personally I did not detect any hint of truffle on this dish, and my final recollection was that of muddled and confused flavors, haphazardly put together.

For the fish course, we had filet of sea bass (spigola) in a shellfish-saffron consommé with asparagus at La Pergola. It was topped by a “tea” sorbet sitting on a crispy wafer made of lemon and served with the fried head of shrimp, cubed lemon jelly and asparagus on a skewer. In Vissani, on the other hand, we had langouste (aragosta) served with a puree of fava beans, turnips, prunes, lobster, and Norcia black truffle sauce and zucchini.

I was disappointed with the quality of aragosta and the preparation at Vissani. I don’t always understand why langouste (aragosta) is twice as expensive as lobster (astice), but I am always excited with aragosta. The one at Vissani did not taste as sweet as the ones I am accustomed to having in Corsica/ Sardegna, Iles des Porquerolles, or Brittany. The sauce was also unsatisfactory. I could again not detect the taste of Norcia black truffles as the crumbles tasted like nothing. (Signor Vissani would say that the taste is very “subtle.”) The puree was made of dried rather than fresh fava (broad) beans. It lacked the clarity of the fava taste (and the first fava beans had hit the markets!), and the prune imparted a not so subtle note. Again flavors were muddled, but the aragosta itself was still preferable to the quasi-farmed small Maine lobsters served in many multi-starred restaurants worldwide.

The bass was top quality at La Pergola, as memorable as the salt crusted “spigola” we had had 10 months earlier. This time Beck presented the bass in a more complex format containing sweet-grassy-salty-citrus flavors. I admire the chef’s boldness in combining these flavors. Serving the salty/crunchy/warm deep fried head and the shell intact was also an interesting juxtaposition to the soft/cold sorbet. But somehow I found this dish to be quite challenging to fully enjoy. That is, by the time one can understand its logic and discovers the true sequence of the bites, it may have been too late to derive maximum satisfaction from this dish. One has to take very small bites from the shell, as it tastes very aggressive. Any big bite (as I have done and averted my partner not to do) imparts a bitter and lingering flavor on your palate which then cannot fully assess the outstanding quality of the spigola. After the dinner I tried to explain this concern to Mr. Beck. Would it be possible to sharpen the focus of the dish and minimize the risk without losing its complexity and marriage of flavors? It was very heartening to see how carefully Beck listens to and appreciates constructive criticism. Clearly he does not intend to rest on his laurels.

We finished with a meat course in both places. Two of the most interesting courses in Vissani (pig and duck) were only available for parties of four. So we have opted for lamb shoulder long cooked in heavy pot with various vegetables and its own jus. I gathered that the lamb was raised locally, and it was about 15 kg,. so it must have been about six months old. I don’t think they slaughter young lamb in Umbria. It was not very special lamb, but quite good. The preparation was simple but satisfactory, a good, rustic dish.

The venison with a hazelnut crust served with root vegetables and a chestnut consommé at La Pergola was extremely good, one of the very best main courses I had in this trip. The venison was tender and flavorful, certainly not oxidized from over ageing, and had good punch to it so that one becomes aware that one is eating game.

We had a very good cheese course at La Pergola, but could not trust the turnover at Vissani to order one. (There was only one other table occupied, and apparently they were food journalists.) The reggiano at La Pergola is very special, and they serve it with a good selection of vinegars from Modena and also from Reggia Emilia. The gold labeled RE bottle (which guarantees that it is 25 years old) was even more interesting than the 80 years old balsamico from Modena. I was also impressed by two other cheeses: Ragusano from Sicilia and Bitto (Valtellinano Anni) from Northern Italy.

The desserts are on par and very good in both restaurants. The seven deadly sins at La Pergola should satisfy both the fruit and coffee-chocolate lovers. There seems to be a reliance on seasonal fruits in varying textures and intelligently spiced. To my surprise the desserts prepared by Paola Vissani are also very very good at Vissani. I especially found the orange flavored sabayon (“zabaione”) tartlet with hazelnut coulis and a cornet filled with orange cream to be at the level of three star desserts in France. The fresh strawberry crepe (“crespelle”) served with cinnamon flavored ricotta gelato (wonderful) and apple coulis was also on par.

It is also worth noting the quality of the bread courses in Vissani.

I found the sommelier to be very attentive to my desires at La Pergola. He remained within the financial parameters at which I hinted, but recommended wines I had not known before. The Furore Fiorduva 2003-Cuomo is very interesting in that it first reminds one of a good Fiano di Avellino, but the finish is more minerally and with a dash of iodine. This wine goes well with Beck’s food. The Sicilian Passopisciano 2002-Franchetti (Nerello Mascalese grapes) was also intriguing. When I swirled and smelled the wine I was afraid that it may have been in the international style but it was not. That is, the bold and voluptuous flavors seemed honest and not overextracted. Certainly the overall acid-tannin structure was balanced, and throughout the meal the wine did not lose its early appeal. It was a good match with game too.

A cornucopia of dessert wines was consumed with the seven deadly sins at La Pergola.

I have a couple of final remarks. I never noticed the servers at La Pergola. My glass never stayed empty, but was not filled excessively either. The performance there is a great ballet starting with the offer of Champagne (not Prosecco) and ending with the offer of infusions prepared with gorgeous sterling silver antique samovars. The friendliness and the good will also comes across as genuine and natural, never forced or cloying.

The staff at Vissani, on the other hand, also displayed the great hospitality often observed in Italy. It must have been awkward for them to serve only two tables. When they offered us to take our coffee and desserts in a separate room, we felt like guests in a friend’s house. They also bestowed us with so many presents (jams, pasta, cigars, beans) that we had to purchase an additional suitcase to bring them back. Their warmth and generosity gave us a clue about the ratings they get from the Italian press. I am sure the moment Gianfranco Vissani decides to take his own creations seriously, his namesake restaurant will live up to its reputation, and Umbrians may then begin patronizing the restaurant.

Vissani: 14.5/20 (VM)
La Pergola: 18/20 (VM)