Baccarosa, Bistrot Enoteca

Let me preface this by saying although there are no foods I dislike, there are some foods I never seek out. (Every ingredient, prepared properly, can be delicious. But that doesn’t mean I always order it. When available, I always order red wine instead of white, shellfish instead of actual fish, eggplant instead of zucchini, etc.)

But this restaurant, Baccarossa, had a degustation (“tasting”) menu, where you take the chef’s suggestions. This is my favorite way to experience a restaurant’s cuisine. You basically give the kitchen permission to serve you what they deem a complete and cohesive meal.

I gave this restaurant control, and I didn’t regret it. It was five courses, so I’ll go through them individually. A gent named Amerigo was my waiter, and I trusted his wine pairings. Turns out he was the sommelier also, so I lucked out.

[0. Amuse bouche – Torta di zucchini (Zucchini cake). It was like a little, wet, green quiche. Zucchini isn’t one of my favorite ingredients but this was surprisingly good.]

1. Carpaccio di branzino marinato sotto sale con insalata di arance, finocchi, e spinaci novelli (Salt-marinated sea bass carpaccio with orange, fennel, and baby spinach salad). This was awesome. Carpaccio is kind of like sashimi, precisely sliced raw fish. There were pine nuts in the salad, which added to its rich texture. The flavors were clean and the textures were light. The wine pairing was a white, a 2005 viogner “le Chiare” from Maurigi vineyard in Sicily. Its balance of sweetness and acid matched the course nicely.
2. Tortino al forno di alici e misticanza mediterranea (Oven anchovies with Mediterranean flavors). This was served simultaneously with the carpaccio and salad. The flavor of the anchovies was nicely toned down by the olive oil and tomato they were baked with. I actually thought they were sardines at first. This was heartier than the first course, so it was a nice change. The expertly-paired Sicilian wine also held up against the slight saltiness of this dish and smoothed the transition between the two dishes.
3. Tortelli di branzino su pesto leggero di zucchini (Sea bass tortelli with a light zucchini sauce). These four large discs of fish-filled pasta brought back two earlier ingredients, zucchini and sea bass. The flavors were done differently of course. The zucchini sauce was very much like a pesto and the now-cooked sea bass was more intense but not at all “fishy.” The pasta was a little intimidating with two courses left but was surprisingly, pleasantly light. The wine was again white, this time a 2005 gavi “Filagnotti” from Piemonte, Cascina ulivi vineyard. It was sweeter than the first wine and combined nicely with the nutty of the pesto and the salty of the sea bass.
4. Tagliata di filleto di tonno in crosta di mandorle con piccolo flan di melanzana (Seared filet of tuna in an almond crust with a small eggplant pudding). Wow. Wow. Wow. The middle of the tuna was a dark pink like a tenderloin steak and sliced accordingly to show off the rich, fresh color. The almonds gave more texture to the already caramelized outer layer, and the eggplant pudding reminds me of the mashed potatoes you find with lots of beef dishes. But better. This dish was a masterpiece. The wine was a 2004 syrah from Sicily. It was red to match the semi-rare tuna and more acidic than the other wines to give a tinge to the delicate flavors of the dish.
5. Bonet: Budino al cioccolato con amaretti, rum e caramello (chocolate pudding with amaretto cookie, rum, and caramel). It’s “bunet” in Piemontese, where this dessert is from. It was a dark chocolate dish with just the right amount of firmness (like a flan), richness (not too heavy), and sweetness (the cookie) on top. It came with slices of grapefruit, again another of my not-favorites. But its acid made the combination of flavors all the more complex and deep. And the final wine: Malvasia dell Lipari by Antonio Caravaglio. A sweet, softer, dessert wine from Venice. The pairing of this sugar-sweet wine with the sourness of the grapefruit and the nutty-cocoa of the pudding: AMAZING. The most divine combination of flavors I’ve ever experienced. This is exactly why I need to learn more about wine.

So yeah, take it from someone who’d never buy all these ingredients to cook at home and who would gladly (for the renovated furniture, Mediterranean style, delicate elegance, and fresh flowers) bring his mother, his grandmother, or any fish lover to this restaurant. Really any food-lover would be happy here. This meal was amazing, the best one I’ve ever had in Italy and easily in the top four meals of my life.

If you still need more objective reasons, here are a few: The couple sitting next to me, Robin and Chris from San Francisco, and I couldn’t help conversing about how delicious everything was. I know I’m not alone in my approval. The place is noted in this year’s Michelin Guide to Italy. They only use wild-caught fish, no farming. The menu changes weekly as dictated by the season, the ocean, and the Chef Claudio’s imagination. All the pastas and desserts are made in-house. And every wine I had was organic and bio-dynamic, meaning no sulfites or preservatives. Fresh, clean flavors.

Via Ghibellina 46 Rosso
50122 Firenze, Italia
+39.055.240620
http://www.baccarossa.it