For authenticity, an Italian restaurant can't go wrong with an Italian chef and development by Italian partners, but this is not the case for Poggio, one of Northern California's best Italian restaurants. With a love for Italian cuisine and culture, managing partner Larry Mindel, no stranger to fine Italian restaurants in California, and Peter McNee, the executive chef who forages in Italy for his own white truffles, Poggio has managed to surpass many fine Italian restaurants with better credentials and bloodlines. Their passion for the food shows in just about every dish they present for our dining pleasure. Peter has even brought over an authentic meat cart from Italy for serving Bollito Misto, the Piemonte boiled meat dinner, consisting of 7 kinds of meat and sausage, vegetables and condiments.
One notable dinner at Poggio was on a very cold evening and we were delighted to discover that although they did not serve hot buttered rum, they did serve hot brandy with a twist of lemon. Perfetto. The bread basket is always full of the freshest, house made rolls and it has been our experience that it always has a rosemary roll and a sesame roll. They are generous with the refills too.
For starters we selected lamb meatballs and a crab topped sformato di parmigiano. The meatballs were served in a spicy tomato sauce, covered with thin layers of ricotta salata and served with bruschetta. The meatballs were wood fired, which would make them "great balls from fire" in my opinion. Perfectly cooked and tender, they soaked up the tomato sauce and were enhanced by the salty ricotta. This starter was very filling and satisfying.
The sformata, a souffle of sorts, was rich with the taste of parmigiano, but delicate and light in texture. The crab was dressed like a salad which made the combined dish refreshing. I recall lingering over this appetizer, only taking small bites so it would last longer. That doesn't happen often, so it is a testament to the exceptional taste of this particular menu item.
On another occasion we decided on lighter starters. The salad of arugula, strawberries and goat cheese tasted better than it looked. I thought it would have looked mmore appealing with red onions, but the intrusion of purple would have destroyed the composition that must have been put together in honor of the Italian flag, in all its red, white and green glory. The bruschetta being offered on this particular afternoon happened to be made with our favorite Italian sausage, Nduja, a Calabrese, very spicy, spreadable sausage. For all I know it's raw too, but we love it, so order it we did.
Agnolotti is by any other name a ravioli, but in Tuscany they are now and will always be called agnolotti. These delicate little pillows of pasta covered a veal filling and were smothered in a veal and mushroom sauce. Delectable is the word that comes to mind to describe them. Perfectly al dente, they just begged to be chewed slowly and savored and it was my privilege to oblige.
Porchetta, the slow roasted Tuscan pork dish was well worth making a special trip to Poggio. While porchetta appears on the menu occasionally, it isn't offered for more than a few days and always in Winter. Very slow roasting is responsible for the success of this menu item. Herb laden, this pork roast is delicious and very tender, accompanied by slow simmered fagioli.
The pasta in the photo above was outstanding, but I have yet to try an unsuccessful pasta offering from Poggio. All hand made, the tubular pasta, just soaked up the rabbit ragu like a sponge, but there was still sauce on the plate, so they must have been cooked together before plating. Mushrooms punctuated the sauce with their earthy taste and completed the subtle flavor profile. Pasta this good didn't need cheese.
I am usually so satisfied with my meals at Poggio that I don't order dessert, but when I heard that they were serving rosemary gelato, I opted to try it. Very sweet, but with an obvious, yet delicate rosemary taste, it came as an unexpected pleasurable end to a meal of very high standards. Poggio is a small treasure and we hope to support it for many years to come.
| 777 Bridgeway Sausalito CA (415) 332-7771 |
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