Someone once told me that sitting at a counter overlooking a restaurant kitchen was an enviable position. I'd have to disagree after sitting in one such position at Trattoria Corso. It was there that I witnessed one of the line cooks wiping down dishes with a dirty towel, time and time again. I told management about it and I'm certain it hasn't happened since, but I may check that by sitting there again. Yes, I would go back to Trattoria Corso, even though there was another mishap that same evening, because the food is excellent.
The second mishap was being served a house made burrata that was decidedly over the hill in terms of its age. Burrata is a cheese that has a very short shelf life due to its very nature. A true burrata is made from water buffalo milk, but I don't expect to find that being made here. It is a mozzarella type cheese that is made by creating a pocket in the cheese ball and filling it with smaller pieces of the cheese and fresh cream, then tying it off and preserving it in water like fresh mozzarella is preserved. In Italy it is wrapped in leek leaves, in the US it is made with cow's milk and is stored in a plastic container. It is quite a production and a wonderful experience to cut into the cheese and see the cream oozing out. It is indescribable and really needs to be tried. When the cheese is more than a few days old the interior cheese pieces start to coagulate into the cream and the texture, though still soft, changes completely and solidifies. The burrata served at Trattoria Corso was already solidified and was developing a sour taste. However, the idea of combining it with cooked peaches, mint, and hazelnuts was a great call, so I have to give them points for being inventive. Still...no cigar. Okay, now that I've come out and said that, it's smooth sailing from this point forward.
My dinner companion decided not to order an entree, but went with the charcuterie plate and a basket of bread. Good call because the house made and cured meats were wonderful, starting with the coppa to the far right of this photo and ending with the lardo in the center. The Calabrese salami with the red chili pepper was especially tasty. But if you give me lardo, it has to be on toasted bread, so it will melt.
Ask me and I'll tell you that I hate tripe, but I ordered it at Corso. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and as they started needing help I was happy to do grocery shopping for them. Occasionally I was asked to pick up tripe. My grandmother taught me to look for the whitest piece possible and it had to have a very small honeycomb texture. She would be pleased when I found exactly what she had requested. I knew she was a wonderful cook, but still, I couldn't bring myself to try her "trippa". After trying Corso's I regret that this was my first taste of this popular offal. The tomato sauce was rich, the beans, although too big for cannellini as stated on the menu, were fork tender and so was the tripe. Adding mint was a great touch as were the toasted bread crumbs. I thought I'd be tasting it but never expected to eat the entire bowl, a generous serving. Yes, I'd definitely go back to Trattoria Corso.
| 1788 Shattuck Ave Berkeley CA 94709 (510) 704-8004 5pm - 9pm Sunday 5pm - 9:30pm Monday - Thursday 5pm - 10pm Friday - Saturday |
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