In December Adam and I joined Emma and Oskar in Milan for the weekend. Oskar had been working in a restaurant on the outskirts of Milan for the previous month and it was his last weekend Europe. One of the Chef's Oskar had worked for had booked us in to a cute little restaurant in the hip canal area of
Nagivali called
Al Pont de Ferr a reasonable way away from the city centre but ideal location for where we were staying in the
Lotto region. The website describes the restaurant as "The name comes from the old bridge next to it (Pont de Ferr translated is Iron bridge), and almost unnoticed by the people walking by. Rustic and old fashioned is what people feels when entering the "Osteria". The restaurant itself has been running for 110 years, however Al Pont de Ferr has been running for the past 25 years under the skilled hands of Maida Mercuri, a "well known sommelier and restaurant owner, who changed the destination of the place from bocconian tavern to modern tavern".
We entered the quirky traditional 'osteria', with brick covered walls and colourful paper place mats (that I had a fascination with) and were seated next to the opening to the kitchen. The chef came out and introduced himself and discussed the menu with us, you can choose a tasting menu with a range of options from 5 - 10, but there were also starter, main and dessert options. We decided on the tasting menu and the Chef proposed that we go slightly off the menu and he would choose some surprise additional dishes for us.
I had no idea what to expect with each dish, the menu had an interesting way of describing the dish as how it was supposed to look. For example the Rocky Octopus Potato came out as a mashed potato dumpling with 'tentacles' on top and dressed in a yellow chorizo dressing (image below). The fun in the menu is reflected with the pleasure the Chefs must have in creating each dish. I have to say, it was a real treat, each dish just as exciting as the next. We were extremely well looked after, but this wasn't just because we were getting special treatment. Whilst people must go for the food I have to say the staff really made our experience one of a kind. They were pleasantly relaxed whilst still offering premium service, the environment was not pretentious at all. These people clearly loved the food and had a fondness for the restaurant and its staff and visitors. Despite a slight language barrier we managed to have some very good and interesting conversations with them and they really made our evening (especially the gentleman with the most phenomenal bushy moe!)
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| Rocky, octopus and potato |
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| This is not a game : A kaleidoscope of childhood flavours (Dessert) |
From the range of dishes we devoured, there were ones in particular that stood out however it was very hard to pick a favourite, as each dish was so intricate and creative in its own right! From a sardine stuffed apple thing, to a chocolate cigar that came with a glass covered in cling wrap with a hole which excreted a puff of smoke when pushed down! So it was really down to personal choice... the
Raw amberjack’s mosaic, foie grass, pink grapefruit which consisted of mosaic cubes of pate, grapefruit, raw fish, and squid ink - not something I would usually put together myself but it was an interesting explosion of flavours and looked amazing served on the black slate. But I have to say my favourite was the
candied version of red onion from Tropea filled with fresh goat cheese. This was made to look like a red onion, it had a bright neon pink, candy toffee shell and was filled with a goats cheese kind of foam? and red onion relish, the excitement was cracking into the shell to expose the filling and tasting each mouthful all together - it was a mixture of softness from the goats cheese and then you got a explosion of the red onion and crunch of the toffee, it really was an exciting assault on the senses.
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| Raw amberjack’s mosaic, foie grass, pink grapefruit |
I have to say this food experience is the most creative and innovative foodie experience I have ever had. The imagination and effort into producing the 10 dishes we tried each with their own unique, flavour and presentation was clearly a master at work. The dishes were an art form. And a tasty one at that. This experience made me ponder about cooking and that it truly is the work of an artist. A culinary artist, taking inspiration from our senses, reactions and the environment. It was a truly special experience that I will not be forgetting for some time, and will definitely be keeping an eye on the website to see what amazing creations they come up with next.
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| Campari on the Rocks (Dessert) |
