March 2002

The restaurant Don Alfonso 1890.  One the best restaurants in Italy, although, just this year, demoted from three to two Michelin stars.  The reasons why are never published (unless a restaurant has been removed from the guide due to some disgrace) so we were anxious to see if we could tell why.

Because it takes forever to drive anywhere in this area, we booked in for the night.   The small apartment was good but lacking in some of the niceties that we would expect from three stars (I know the stars are for food, but I will explain later).   The bath robes were stiff and lacking belts.  All the floors were cold tiles, but no towelling slippers were provided.  There were no tissues or face-cloths.
I would have expected some champagne or spumante in the fridge, but there was none.   The bedside table lights did not work.
Still, it was a nice two rooms and they don't pretend to be the Ritz; we had been expecting the Don to put a horse's head in the bed.

The place was full of very pleasant staff, but lack of organisation meant our welcome was a bit slipshod.  This was their first night of the year, so that should improve.   They just need to station someone near the entrance.

The garden was lovely.  You can just see my little car.   

The chef is Alfonso Iaccarino.

So on to the meal itself.

We stood around for a minute, before we were spotted and shown to a seat.  Neither of us liked the spumante we were given, it was thin and had a strange resinous taste.   The panini of ricotta cheese and basil were wonderfully light and tasty.

Once at our table, we were given a small portion of cauliflower and tuna egg purée with dried orange zest and a spiral cracker.  There was a small bowl of an orangey vinaigrette to go with it.  A selection of excellent flavoured breads was served, including slices of coarse artisan bread that I am always delighted to see.

The maitre d'hôtel took our order for the Menu Degustazione.  He was effusive, laughing and larger than life; he did you good just to watch him.
The magnificent sommelier took great delight in his subject - and even greater delight in his tailored bolero jacket and tight leather apron.
He chose some excellent local wines for us.

First course was a salad of baby octopus, flavoured with mint and surrounded by a purée of chick-peas, with small pieces of beetroot; a work of pure brilliance.  The chef visited our table at this point and I was able to tell him so.  He was keen to know if we liked our room, but I was keener to congratulate him on his food.

Next came a carpaccio of duck breast with star anise and Madagascar pepper.   There was a fritter of apple, apple purée and a wafer of dried apple.   Lightly, but colourfully, accompanied by a red wine sauce, a pesto, a balsamic and fresh coriander.

Now the star of the show.  A soup of pumpkin, perfumed with sage and garnished with a pistachio cream.  In the middle were a couple of tiny ravioli of sea snails.   Pumpkin soup has been very fashionable lately and this was the best we have had.   A vibrant orange colour and a complex taste.  The chef and his wife run an organic farm, and a dedication to the best natural ingredients, intuitively presented, was showing.

The pasta course was orchiette, vongole (baby clams) and broccoli, with an anchovy jus and tiny tomatoes "dried in the August sun". This was topped with a light scattering of bread crumbs.

The fish course was perfectly cooked sea bream with a bayleaf.  Some white clams and little fried potato gnocchi.  A few cloves of baked garlic, chicory and a purée of fava beans.  I wonder if whole or bashed soft fava beans would have brought this dish even closer to perfection.

In many great restaurants we have been to the meat course of the gourmet menu has failed to live up to what has come before it.  Here the idea was very good, pork served in three ways - rib meat with tomato sauce, slices with a sweet glaze and slices with a piquant balsamic.  The flaw was a technical mistake with the sprouting broccoli; it was far too salty.  I have recently been discussing the use of heavily salted water and the problem with broccoli and cauliflower.  Here, I imagine a sous chef had made that mistake.
However, the pork, with a little of the broccoli, was very enjoyable indeed.

Now a great idea that we have only previously had in Spain, because very few French chefs dare try it!  The sacred anarchy of the cheeseboard is flung aside and the chef maintains control.  A plate with small bites of five different cheeses and selected accompaniments, slices of pear, citrus honey, nuts and a fruit chutney.  We were told to eat from left to right.  Excellent.

The pre-dessert was a mint sorbet, firm enough to be served in two small cubes, with a dice of banana.  It was like spear-mint toothpaste, quite unreal; we could have eaten it forever.

The dessert was a Daliesque work of art.  A tuille cup and many tuille spoons arranged around a plate, dusted with cocoa.  The 'cup' contained an intense coffee mousse and a coffee sponge.  I feel that such richness should have been in a smaller portion and there was too much tuille.  Perhaps it could have been lightened with some orange or, better yet, been one of two smaller desserts.  Many restaurants are serving a series of five, seven or even ten desserts.

The mignardises and chocolates were lovely, but we were too full to do them justice.

This was three star cooking of the highest order.  The Don was not setting new trends, but was showing great respect for his ingredients.  The combinations were masterly, the lightness of touch was breathtaking.  So why only two stars?  I will now speculate.

The top restaurants are pushing the standards ever higher when it comes to the whole dining experience.  Through a massive investment in tableware and ambience they are creating another world.  Here there was not that investment.  The surroundings were looking old, the tableware was faded and they were running out of plates on other tables.  The next table got their cheese course on a square plate, instead of rectangular, and the left-to-right idea was defeated.
We drank our wines from rolled-edge glasses!  With the emphasis that Michelin places on wine, this alone could be a star thrown away.
The whole experience will influence the Michelin rating, including the overnight accommodation.  Two stars are a very high accolade and three permit no slackness, whatsoever.

The waiter service was friendly, but, we thought, too fast a pace.

A very nice breakfast, served in our room, and off we went rejoicing.  We had experienced a truly great chef, in fine form.  I urge you all to do the same.