Ben of Focus Snap Eat was invited for cocktails and small bites at Lungomare and he wanted to bring a “foodie who could hold her liquor.” He said I immediately came to mind and that made me really proud. Is that weird?
Anyway, the cocktail program was pretty impressive. They made almost everything except the spirits in-house and combined ingredients in a playful and creative way. It was awesome because Chris Pastena, who owns the restaurant, walked us through the menu and made suggestions along the way.
photo: Christina Mitchell
We started with The Conclusion (Ford’s Gin, Housemade Meyer Lemon Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur, Lemon Juice, $11), which was light and refreshing – basically Spring in a glass.
photo: Christina Mitchell
It didn’t catch my eye, so I’m glad Chris suggested that we try the Tuscan Sun (Osocalis Brandy, Carpano Antica, Housemade Pineapple Gum, Orange Granita, $11). This one was more intense, with some orange granita on top. As the granita melted, the flavor changed with the orange moving from the background to front and center. It was like drinking a sunset.
photo: Christina Mitchell
The Italian Job (George Dickle Rye, Nocino Della Christina, Housemade Falernum, Mole Bitters, $11) sounded like my kind of cocktail and I actually think I tasted it last summer. From what I can remember, it was bold and boozy and this one was too, but the cinnamon was more pronounced. That makes sense because the falernum and bitters were made in house so the end result is probably slightly different every time.
At this point, we started eating to soak up some of that booze. Chris suggested some dishes from Executive Chef Craig DiFonzo’s menu.
photo: Christina Mitchell
The Grilled Octopus & Ox Tongue (Italian butter beans, pancetta, Calabrian chili, garlic, oven dried tomatoes, $14) was surprisingly light, with a complex sauce.
photo: Christina Mitchell
While the Smoked Berkshire Pork Belly (parsnip puree, black trumpet mushrooms, quail egg, $13) was a beautiful dish, the meat was kind of tough.
photo: Christina Mitchell
Now, these Nduja Stuffed Medjool Dates (La Quercia prosciutto, tomatoes, Calabrian chili, white wine, parsley, $10), on the other hand, were incredible. Salty, sweet, meaty and full of umami. Yum!
photo: Christina Mitchell
The flavors and textures in the Ravioli (butternut squash, ricotta, amaretto cookie, brown butter, sage, walnuts, Brussels sprouts, $16) were balanced, making this a well-executed version of the classic.
We started talking about cocktails again, so the bartender made us a couple more.
photo: Christina Mitchell
The Rye Cider (Housemade Apple Syrup, Spiced Bitters, Sazerac 6 Year Old Rye, $10) was like a boozy apple pie in liquid form. After the apples were juiced, the leftover pulp wasn’t thrown away. Instead, it was dehydrated and mixed with cinnamon and sugar to create an “apple dust,” which was sprinkled on top to add a punch of spiced sweetness. If the drink was a sentence, the dust would have to be an exclamation point(!).
photo: Christina Mitchell
The Nero (Black Bottle Scotch, Basil-Grapefruit Shrub, Lemon Juice, House Made Ginger Bitters, $9) was a lot more subtle with sweet and tart flavors mingling and dancing on the palate.
photo: Christina Mitchell
This was the aftermath. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!
photo: Christina Mitchell
But we weren’t finished! Chris poured a Fig and Nocino (walnut) Liqueur, which were both made in-house, and then he suggested a dessert.
photo: Christina Mitchell
The Chocolate Budino (with caramel and sea salt, $8) was like a silky-smooth bittersweet pudding. It was creamy and light, but also pretty substantial. Both liqueurs were silky and complex on their own and when paired with the budino, the fig complimented while the nocino contrasted.
It was obvious that all of the recipes were thought out and carefully crafted so it was hard for me to choose a favorite cocktail. I would just suggest ordering based on your mood – light and refreshing or bold and boozy – for example. And definitely order some bites, while you’re at it!
Christina Mitchell
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Haha, I like your description of the Rye Cider, the apple dust should be an exclamation point! Thanks for drinking with me, it was a lot of fun!