CHIAVARI, Italy - Lake Como
is not the place people usually travel to for the food.
Villa Balbianello, Lake Como |
The morning I went to Como
to interview Chef Visini the sun was so bright sparks of light were jumping off
the surface of the water. And as large white ferryboats transported locals and
tourists up and down the Y shaped lake, Visini and his staff were busy in the
restaurant’s tower kitchen prepping food for the mid-day crowd. The Chef was
preparing swordfish, sturgeon and salmon that would appear on the lunch menu as
a trio of smoked fish with a sauce of raspberry purée and fresh ginger. His
assistant was busy shelling fresh fava beans and toasting pancetta that
would be used later, along with pecorino cheese di fossa, in a fresh
pasta dish.
Chef Visini |
It was at a private
celebration at the legendary Villa Balbianello that Chef Visini had the
opportunity to flex his creative culinary muscles. Often cited as the most
magical residence in all of Italy, the villa was featured in the classic film
‘A Month by the Lake’ starring Uma Thurman and Vanessa Redgrave. Built at the
end of the 16th century by an important Renaissance Cardinal, the loggias,
terraces and buildings that cascade down the slopes of a lush, dark green
promontory to the lake provided the perfect setting for the Chef to create his
culinary magic.
Guests and food arrived by boat |
The guests were ferried from
Como on a private yacht, and as they climbed the torch lit stone stairway to
the villa’s terrace, which is slightly larger than a tennis court, they were
handed flutes of ice cold champagne ‘Pol Roger Brut Reserve. Waiters dressed as
sea captains then offered a selection of appetizers. Marinated salmon with
spicy caramelized pineapple; a salad of shrimp, asparagus and tiny new fava
beans; and a tomato gelee’ with mussels and spring onion are only three of the
eight appetizers that were served, each on their own individual sterling silver
spoon.
When the guests were called
to table, the multi-course menu started with an antipasto of sea bass filets
flavored with Martini Dry, served on a bed of braised red onions and
accompanied by river shrimp and a sauce of raspberries and fresh ginger. The
two primi piatti were shrimp and lobster ravioli in a lobster sauce,
followed by a creamy fish risotto served with tiny candied tomatoes and a puree
of fresh peas. The secondo, or main course, was a rosette of veal
wrapped in paper-thin slices of lardo di Colonnata, served with
Chanterelle mushrooms, and fresh asparagus spears drizzled with a delicate
Madeira sauce.
The snazzy waiters |
"I used several classic
Italian recipes in the Villa Balbianello menu,” says Visini, “for example,
strawberries marinated in aged balsamic vinegar have been part of our cuisine
since the dish was first served to Italian princes during the Renaissance. I
added the bourbon, vanilla sauce and honey aspic just to give the dish an extra
kick. And the candied cherry tomatoes are my version of a centuries old
Sicilian tradition of serving tiny tomatoes with honey.”
As impressive as the menu
was, I was even more impressed that all the food for the party was prepared in
the restaurant’s tiny kitchen and transported to the villa by boat. But Visini
assures me that it is normal operating procedure, and that he is used to
working in tight spaces. “However, it can get a little tricky sometimes,” he
admitted as he looked around his shiny second floor workspace.
An amazing amount of food is
produced in that small kitchen. Not only does it serve as the main kitchen for
Ristorante Visini, but it is also the headquarters of Visini's catering
operation and the heart of the rosticceria, which sells food to take out, plus
the pasticceria or pastryshop. Corrado Visini, the chef's brother, is the wine
steward and keeps the operation stocked with a large assortment of really good
wine.
Ristorante Visini, Como, Italy |
Ristorante Visini
Antica Torre dei Mercanti
Via Ballerini 9 (Around the corner from Coin dept. store)
22110 Como
Tel. +39 031 242 760+39 031 242 760
Email: info@visini.it http://www.visini.it/
Antica Torre dei Mercanti
Via Ballerini 9 (Around the corner from Coin dept. store)
22110 Como
Tel. +39 031 242 760+39 031 242 760
Email: info@visini.it http://www.visini.it/
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