MariscCo

   

With so many restaurants in the city of Barcelona, it is truly difficult to make a selection. Certainly you can check out review sites or some suggestions from bloggers who live there, but the most reliable indicator of a good restaurant, for me is to take a look at what's on the tables and if it's at all possible, try to inhale the aromas.  Smell is such a strong component of taste, I find myself relying on it more and more. This, however, is not what drew me to MariscCo in the Placa Real, just off La Rambla. It was a starter that caught my eye, a Zucchini Mille Feuille with Hummus.

 

The eye appeal alone caused one woman to stop at our table and ask what it was that I had ordered. It did not take long to refocus my attention and take the first bite. It was surprising. The thinly cut zucchini strips wrapped the hummus into two basket weave bundles on the plate, with diced, marinated tomatoes added for color as well as flavor. The olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and dried oregano marinade had been evident upon visual inspection, but the cumin, added with a light touch, was the punctuation needed to make sense of the chef's intention in this Middle Eastern, Mediterranean fusion salad. 

  

MariscCo's gazpacho was as good as any other we have tried this week, accompanied by the traditional condiments of croutons, onions, and bell peppers. It was their Patatas Bravas that stood out from the others we had ordered; finally there was enough heat in the sauce which was a combination of a pepper sauce and mayonnaise drizzled on separately. The potatoes were especially tasty because of the oil that had been used in their frying process.

 

Their Ensalada Altun was traditional rather than inspired and could have been better with something other than balsamic vinegar. We have yet to see a wine or sherry vinegar in Barcelona, and considering the proximity to Banyuls, just over the border in France, we haven't seen Banyuls vinegar either. The balsamic adds a sweetness that doesn't work especially well with the tuna.

 

Because it was hot and humid, I opted for a tuna carpaccio with avocado. Served with micro greens, black sesame seeds and honey, this didn't quite work either. What is the attraction of pairing tuna with something sweet? Giving it a chance, my position was only strengthened. Once I eliminated the honey which was mercifully drizzled on the other side of the plate, the dish was much better. The carpaccio was actually a tartare with inclusions of green olive and carrot, neither of which made any perceptible difference in taste, though they did improve the texture. Served with baguette toast, it was refreshing and perfectly suited for warm weather.

 

Dessert was a simple and small Creme Catalan; I've never seen a smaller baking dish. It amounted to an under cooked Creme Brûlée, less rich with a texture more like pudding than custard, so the size turned out to be advantageous.

 

On another afternoon we returned with family members to try the Lobster Paella, which we had seen being served on our first visit. The paella tasted as memorable as it had smelled, and we were happy to have been lured back to MariscCo by this traditional Catalan paella. The waiter even seemed proud to be serving this signature dish of the restaurant.

The Galician Octopus, dressed in olive oil and paprika, with a sprinkling of course sea salt, seemed slightly undercooked, though flavorful. The skin was gelatinous and a bit off putting in texture, so the less adventurous of us at the table ceased trying it after one nibble. As a classic Spanish tapa, it would be well worth a try. Others we tried during the trip were cooked longer than this example and were delicious.

Although the steak was cooked to order and medium rare as requested, it was cut about half as thin as we had expected. It was a decent enough value, but I was reminded that I've seldom been pleased with steaks in Europe with the exception of Chianina beef in Florence.

Although dining al fresco along the porticos Placa Real was our preference, I took a walk inside the large dining room and discovered an “art piece” of Salvador Dali riding a baby rhino. It was as surreal as anything he had created especially in situ. A mention was made of it in the menu and it seems he once butchered a tiger here when the building space was a taxidermy shop, then commissioned the dissection of a baby rhino. Knowledge of this may have hindered the enjoyment of our meals had we been sitting in the dining room.

MarisCo Menu

Placa Real 8
Barcelona, Spain 08002
+93 412 4536

Pierluigi

 

Following in the footsteps of my friend Carol, I rented the same apartment she had discovered several months earlier, just off the Campo Dei Fiore in Rome. As I worked my way around the area and found many restaurants, workshops and stores, Carol and  I kept up an email conversation about our various impressions of the neighborhood and all it had to offer. While strolling down Via di Monserrato, I walked past Ristorante Pierluigi several times, but it was closed. When I finally managed a lunch there, I emailed Carol and asked if she had tried it. She had and on that day saw Secretary of State, John Kerry dining there. That should tell you something about this restaurant; reputable, impeccable, and expensive. Had I known, I may have stopped in without an armful of groceries.

When I looked at the menu, the prices seemed higher than those of other restaurants in the area. Two options came to mind; walk away or stay and see how good the food was. It very likely could be that the restaurant would not have stayed in business, if the food did not warrant the prices. My experiment in probability was a success. Pierluigi serves food that is worth the prices it charges.

I've eaten more than my share of fried zucchini flowers in Italy, but most of them were from Tuscany or Emilia Romagna and were not filled, unlike the version from Lazio. Since they were being sold by the piece I decided one wouldn't spoil my appetite. Because it was stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy, it was not as light as others, but it did pack in quite a bit of flavor for such a small antipasto.

The menu included quite a few selections of fish carpaccio, something I've come to enjoy while traveling in Italy. While swordfish is a favorite, this time my selection was of a fish I had not seen prepared like this before, yellow fin tuna. Delicious, its only flaw was that the serving seemed much too large for one person. The combination of the very fresh fish and the grassy house olive oil was outstanding.

The pasta course was a tonnarelli with a saffron cream sauce laced with squash flowers. Having forgotten about the saffron, the unusual taste was difficult to identify. It was very nice, but I couldn't put my finger on it. After talking with waiter, it occurred to me that I have been overusing saffron in my own cooking and have not experienced how lovely its flavor could taste. I'll be using it with a lighter hand from now on.

Salumeria con Cucina Roscioli

Roscioli is a big name on the food scene in Rome. Members of the family own this restaurant as well as a bakery a block or so away on Via Dei Chiavi . Cousins own several other food venues in the city, but this post is exclusively about their enoteca restaurant, which is too simple a description for this food and wine emporium restaurant. Having read about it, Roscioli was number one on my list of new places to try on this trip. Since their pasta à la carbonara was described as being an excellent
version, I needed to see what all the fuss was about.

        

As I understand it, Roscioli started out as a salumeria and expanded itself by adding deli items such as cheeses, prepared foods, and antipasti items. The big boy in the above photo is proof of that. Italian restaurateurs lovingly show off their equipment and this slicer can probably go through a salami in seconds. Soon it expanded further to became an enoteca adding a very large selection of wines from all over Italy. Now you could probably call it a gourmet store, they call it a kitchen, but I call it a fine restaurant. The menu proves that by identifying quality products that go into each selection on their menu.  

The book that I was reading suggested that a reservation was necessary. We decided to stop by in the middle of the afternoon when we happened to be walking down Via Giubbinori where Roscioli is located. Since half the room is taken up by the deli counter and all the walls are lined with shelves filled with wine, tables were minimal. Even though it looked completely full, I asked the waiter if there was any chance that we could get a table. I told him we did not have a reservation, which did not faze him. He took a look at the back portion of the building where more tables were, and told us the best he could do was to put us downstairs. So down we went, down several flights of stairs into the basement. It was lovely. It turned out that the basement is a wine cellar that requires reservations made weeks in advance and is highly sought after by locals. After seating us, we were presented with a menu and excellent whole grain breads along with pizza bianca. I suspect it came from the family bakery.

After looking through the menu, giggling at the English translations (they call Roman pecorino cheese Romanian cheese) it was clear that we could not have a simple pasta lunch. It needed to be a culinary event, so we selected the Pecorino Ricotta and the Caprese Salad as our first courses. This was my first time tasting sheep's milk ricotta and it was even richer than cow's milk ricotta. I regret I cannot find this in the States. The basil flavored olive oil and pepper were just enough to turn it into a first course instead of an ingredient. The Caprese with the oregano emulsion (pesto) and basil flavored oil came with a cracker-like flat bread and an assortment of cured olives. We had to share, and then linger over this assemblage of flavors, textures and color.

   

As much as I wanted to select another pasta, because they were all so enticing, I dared not miss the Carbonara. Even though my stalwart dining companion would let me taste his order, I knew one bite would not be enough, so we both ordered it. Good call. Eggs check, guanciale (cured hog jowl) check, pecorino cheese (Romanian or otherwise) check, black pepper, check. Every ingredient was in perfect balance and it was truly one of the best tasting pastas we have eaten. For me, Hosteria Romana is still the favorite, but Roscioli is possibly a tie. Another plate of their Carbonara will have to determine that.

Although the dessert was listed as a Cassata, it was partially deconstructed and modernized. It was still composed of a sponge cake, ricotta, and candied fruit, but the pistachio marzipan was replaced with pistachio gelato. Not a bad idea, and not a bad cassata, very good in fact.
 

Even  though we had ordered a dessert,  our waiter appeared with a small gift from the restaurant, two biscotti and a dark, rich , melted chocolate in which to dip them. This is a restaurant we will be going back to on every revisit of Rome. We're already planning another for next year and Roscoli has played a small part in that decision. After reading the menu on their linked website, it  is evident that their menu is seasonal, another plus for this exceptional restaurant.

WEBSITE
Via dei Giubbonari, 21
Rome, Italy 00186
Tel: +39 06 6875287
Fax: +39 06 6865621
info@salumeriaroscioli.com

Ristorante Giglio D’Oro

  

If you find yourself in Italy, consider going on a daytrip to Orvieto in Umbria. It can easily be done through Florence or Rome by train. Once there take the funiculare across the street from the train station, hop the shuttle bus to the duomo, take a few photos of its mosaic facade, and head across the piazza to Ristorante Giglio D'Oro, roughly translated to fleur de lys of gold, before all their tables are taken. To our delight, this was an outstanding choice. With a taverna, trattoria, and tavola caldo as the meager alternative choices on the piazza, we decided to go with the only ristorante in sight. The menu was filled with items we had not seen in Rome. That wasn't such a surprise since we were in Umbria and no longer in Lazio. Umbrian food is heavy on meat, so one can expect to find wild boar, rabbit, pork and lamb as well as beef.

   

Among the antipasti was as sformatino. I have tried this in enough Italian restaurants to know that I don't need to ponder, I now automatically order it. Without resorting to an Italian dictionary, it can be characterized as a vegetable and cheese infused flan. I've tried it made with onion, pumpkin purée, porcini mushroom and now eggplant. Giglio D'Oro's version was covered with a black truffle sauce and it was plated with a sweet, concentrated, red pepper sauce. It was as good in taste as it was attractive in composition. I could have stopped after this one dish and been perfectly satisfied, but I'm pleased that I didn't.

  

A liver pate is hard to resist for my dining companion and me, but in Italy they are generally made with chicken liver and very little butter or cream. Close, but no cigar.

We both ordered the pappardelle in a lamb sauce. Usually, for the sake of this blog, I prefer not to duplicate orders, but to sample a greater diversity of food. I was convinced that this was going to be an exceptional combination and I wanted more than a fork full.  It was so good, I found myself taking smaller and smaller bites, so I could prolong the taste.

 

Because we were in Orvieto, we had to drink the local wine with this meal. Orvieto is famous for its white wine and although I strongly prefer red, the white was well worth a try with its fruit forward, crisp flavor. The red was also a decent wine that went very well with this meal.

  

Too full for a meat course, we decided to stay a bit longer for coffee and dessert. Not having seen Zabaione on an American menu in years, it was a shoe in. Drizzled with caramel and garnished with a biscotti, it appeared to be a thin puddle in the middle of the plate. In reality, it was served in a wide rimmed soup bowl and it was more substantial in viscosity.

  

Remember this word: zucotto. A more luscious ricotta based dessert has not been invented. Littered with chocolate shavings and candied orange peel, this concoction would have been very good just as a cannolo filling, however, the pastry chef had loftier plans. It was molded and set upon a thick layer of a pistachio sauce that had been decorated with a caramelized sugar syrup. Another daytrip to Orvieto is on the horizon.

Website is under construction, so here is the restaurant’s Facebook page if you want to see more photos of the food Il Giglio d'Oro

Piazza del Duomo 8
Orvieto TR, Italy 05018
+39 0763 341903