Le Calandre

Massimiliano Alajmo has radically changed over the past few years. A great part of his work has been consecrated and is still proposed on his menu, like the cuttlefish cappuccino with its ink, which offers deep Italian flavours made up with exquisite harmony and admirable technique. Like the insolent saffron and liquorice risotto, which transforms daring into art, absolute contrasts into utter balance. Like the Piedmont meat batutta with green pepper; the best “tartare” ever made that gives you the extra charm of eating with your fingers. Like the crunchy and tender suckling pig with black truffle, noblesse oblige. Like the pigeon emphasized with a pâté made of its offal, that reminds game and that is a real hit whatever the preparation, roasted with pink monkfish, or sweet-and-sour with radish and belly pork... The chef’s complements, always intelligent, reflect his privileged mind.
Massimiliano is reinventing the Italian gastronomy. From traditional recipes, using typical ingredients and readapting techniques, he embodies refined, light, complex, chromatic and redesigned traditional flavours, making a genuine haute cuisine characterized by an unshakable historical memory. This constant philosophy is applied like an immutable dogma, as testify the tomato sauces, the ricotta cheese, the raw meats and the typical pastas. A good example of this spirit is the immaculate cod served with a translucent tomato juice, tomato brunoise, segments and pieces of different varieties of tomatoes, bread and… basil, of course! Is it possible to be more faithful to a specific identity? Take the red mullet with prawns, for example, served with scallop mayonnaise, black olives, blood orange sorbet and exotic magical touches of saffron, curry and turmeric. It goes without saying that there are always many hints aimed at creating strong convergent contrasts, like the risotto with Parmesan cheese, pineapple and juniper –almost nothing–, that has the same mental structure as the above mentioned rice, but with different main ingredients. Another reason for visiting the place is found in the sardines and anchovies coated with breadcrumbs and laid on a smashed potatoes purée with vinegar and lovage sauce; a divine human creation. Or in the wrapping of fresh red beans with belly pork, salad, mustard ice cream, Modena vinegar, fried bread and star anise. Or in the best macaroni dish ever made (take this as a metaphor), with tomato and onion sauce, cheeks, pecorino and ricotta cheese; the homemade cuisine brought to its absolute perfection. You will be also surprised by the dentex with green sauce served with pistachio cream, artichokes, mint and liquorice; exhilarating perfumes that preserve the purity of the fish. And do not miss the unique game between coffee and chocolate proposed as dessert, with different unforgettable moments, like the tiramisu or the hazelnut decoration.