I went to Alloro and I loved it!

On monday night was released the list of the 50 best restaurants in the world and if nothing happened to the first three nominees always for Noma in Denmark, El celler and Mugaritz in Spain, lots happened in the rest of the classification.

The best restaurant in UK is now the new entry Dinner by Heaston Blumenthal, while his previous restaurant, The Fat Duck , high in the list last year, is this time at the 13th position, with The Ledbury at the 14th, up of 20 positions.

Unfortunatelly even Massimo Bottura lost a position being this year at the 5th place with his Osteria Francescana, while the other two italians, Le calandre and Il canto are at the 32nd and 46th position.

At this point waiting for the chance to book a table in one of these great restaurants, I will share with you my last experience to one good italian restaurant in London: Alloro.

I really enjoyed a lot the dinner there with my other two italian friend @federilli and @gi_nav. Respect to previous dinners in other italian restaurants, we spent slightly more but every dish was superb and really tasty.

Here some pictures from Alloro, where you can find our Pastificio dei Campi pasta too.

Agnolotti del plin al sugo d’arrosto

Traditional pasta parcel filled with roast pork & veal

Linguine di Gragnano agli scampi

Pastificio dei Campi linguine with fresh scampi

Tartar di salmone con insalata di panzanella

Salmon tartar with “panzanella” salad

Zuppa di pesce con pane bruschettato

Traditional fish soup with toasted bread

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Ready for the show and the winners of 2012?

Do you think Noma will still remain at the first place in the World's 50 Best Restaurants or a new restaurant will be selected as the best worldwide? In few hours we will know it... and this year will be possible to follow the event directly from the first row, thanks to the facebook technology.

Click here and reserve your place to don't miss anything from this great show and to be the first one to know who will be the winner this year.

But do you know why these nominees are so famous and recognized all over? Because this is one of the few awards where there isn’t a list of names to select from and any restaurant in the word is eligible.

“There are no criteria that a restaurant has to meet. They certainly do not have to sell a certain product. They do not need to have been open a certain number of years and they do not need to have won any other culinary accolades.”

It’s The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 800 international leaders in the restaurant industry, to choose the best. The Academy comprises 27 separate regions around the world. Each region has its own panel of 31 members, food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘gastronomes’ each of whom has seven votes. Of the seven votes, at least three must be used for restaurants outside of their region.

These criteria are designed to allow them to vote far and wide. They could vote for a small, unknown restaurant in a secluded region, or select the best-known restaurants in the world.

At this point let's the countdown start! 

I hope you will enjoy the event and I wish good luck to all the participants while I will keep my fingers crossed for our best Italian one, Massimo Bottura and his “ Osteria Francescana”.

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Giorgio, his great menu and ... our pasta!

Last Tuesday was one of these day when nothing goes according to plan… but sometimes this also means that an unexpected phone call can change your night… and just in a better way.

This call in fact brought me to Locanda Locatelli, for me THE Italian restaurant in London and the one that I have never been to yet. The day was finally saved thank to Giorgio and my brilliant host!

The place is simple but elegant, the light is soft and relaxing and I felt really spoiled by the service and of course by the nice meal.

Homemade Parmesan breadstick and bread are brought to your table just to intrigue you.

I had Pan fried scallops, celeriac purée and saffron vinaigrette as a starter, a Locatelli special invention absolutely stunning for the combination of taste and texture.

The main needed to be Linguine with lobster, tomato, garlic and chilli. This Linguine ( like the Orecchiette) in fact are Pastificio dei Campi Linguine and they were just top in my opinion. I tried also the Cod parcels with chickpea purée and rosemary oil but there I understood I’m not a big fan of the fresh pasta filled with fish.

Then we ordered more fish and also if the Char grilled mackerel in herb crust it was good The Pan fried fillet of plaice in basil crust, potato, olives and tomato sauce was much more tasty and smooth and ... there was a perfect balance and combination of ingredients.

To close this amazing dinner we ordered some sorbets, and a Chocolate and pistachio fondant, with milk ice cream and toffee sauce, but they also gently brought a plate full of sweets from trulles to amaretti and mashmellow.

This was my PARADISE and in a day like hell, a dinner like this one can really save your soul. 

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The new cinema and fast food experience

Some days ago came up the news that an Odeon cinema “ The Lounge” in Queensway, London, will soon offer to the customers a gourmet proper meal during the movie!
Ok, it's well known the problem of the junk food in the cinema, and the choices are grown with the time: not just pop corn but also nachos, hotdogs, ice creams, sweets of any kind... but a Michelin star chef, Rowley Leigh of Le Café Anglais, thought in something different: a proper gourmet dish brought by a waiter and served during the trailers at the beginning. The menu will include a hamburger "royale" with a fillet steak in a bun for about £14.50, red mullet risotto, deep fried squid and salsify fritters, all for about £10.

The chef said: “I wouldn't exactly say it's my take on fast food but it will have to be something that is remarkably tactile". Also if it seems an eccentric but maybe pleasant experience to live, my only concern is just the darkness of the room... How do you think to eat properly and enjoy a dish you can't even see?

The funny thing is that something similar has just happened lately in Italy too: Gualtiero Marchesi, the chef of all the italian chef has just created 2 hamburgers and a dessert for the king of the fast food, Mc Donalds.

Vivace, with bacon, sautéed spinach, marinated onions, beef burger and mayonnaise with mustard seeds and Adagio, with bread covered with chopped almonds, eggplant mousse, sliced ​​tomatoes, sweet and sour eggplant, beef burgers and ricotta salata. Both will cost 4.70 euros!

How to call all this? Maybe it’s a challenge for bored chef or just a gourmet low cost menu'? Do you think all this wants to show that you can eat well everywhere for a little price or the purpose is actually to invite young people to enter in contact with healthy and good food?

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Twitter and Facebook really keep us updated on events

 
Yesterday it was the Identita' London day, with some great italian chefs, coming to Shoreditch and showing off their magical knowledge, experience and art.
 
I couldn't attend the event, but I had the chance to follow everything online in real time thanks to lots of foodlovers and journalists reporting from the venue.
 
Here a little recap of the event who has actually leaved every guest surprised and satisfied while we were literally mouthwatering in front of the video.
 
These are the nice pictures:

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The people and places to keep an eye on

Today have finally been announced the winners of the Observer Food Monthly Awards. Some of these were chosen by readers and some by an expert panel that saw between the others Nigel Slater, Angela Hartnett (Murano),  Jason Atherton (Pollen Street Social) and Thomasina Miers (Masterchef 2005 & Wahaca).

This award as the same magazine says, "celebrates the best in British food and produce, from independent producers to the UK’s most revered chefs."

And the winner, awarded yesterday in a great ceremony in London are…

Readers’ awards

Best restaurant: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London. 

The opening of this restaurant it was the news of the year…and in fact there are months of waiting list to enjoy a meal there.

Best cookbook: Plenty by Ottolenghi

Ottolenghi always seems to conquer all harts from the chef to the people who never entered in a kitchen before and it’s true than is more about the ingredients and their union than cooking process.

Best place to drink Mark’s Bar, Hix, London

Best independent retailer The Cheese Shed, Devon

Best Sunday lunch Bull & Last, London

Best food personality Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall especially busy this year with his fish fight campaign particularly famous.

Best food blog  Eat Like a Girl. 

I don’t spend too many words here. If you read my blog you could have seen different references to her , who on top to be a Pastificio dei Campi fan, is a great foodlover and blogger of course.

Best cheap eat : Koya, London

Best ethical restaurant: The Ethicurean, Somerset

Judges’ awards

Best newcomer Maltby Street, London.

The first time I listen this name was last winter by Katie Parla. She was absolutely amazed by the magic of this street, by the vibe that place has and she told me lots of time to go there. I’m really happy they won this price because this is some innovative idea to push forward in future.

Best producer Johnny Pustzai at JT Beedham & Sons, Nottingham

Reader’s Cocktail Recipe Simon Amster

Reader’s Recipe Maria Kuehn

Outstanding Contribution Tristram Stuart

Lifetime Achievement Michel Roux Senior

Young Chef of the Year Paul Foster, head chef
Tuddenham Mill

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone! And keeping an eye especially on this young chef, as also Eatlikeagirl suggested, I think I will start to plan my next "Dinner "and a Saturday at Maltby Street.

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From the 3rd to the 17th in London

 
Have you already decided which event you are going to join in these days? There is such a big choice that is really hard to decide.

Between the best events of the London Restaurant Festival there is the stunning dinner on the London Eye, that of course is quite special and quite expensive too, but absolutely impressive from the picture that you can see here.

One of the chef invited to cook there will be even one of my favorite Italian, Massimo Riccioli, from Rome and absolutely great.

If you are more for the undergrounds than  for the high views, you can’t miss The Minotaur and PRET A DINE  in the amazing Old Vic Tunnels in king cross...really an unbelievable place to see! A dinner there have to be really an experience.

“Lazarides Gallery and Kofler & Kompanie will present The Minotaur. Transforming The Old Vic Tunnels into a subterranean cultural maze, the event features a unique contemporary art concept to stimulate your senses alongside the UK debut from Michelin star restaurant, bar and music experience PRET-A-DINER.”

But funny have to be also the Gourmet Odissey that will engage you in a marathon between the best restaurants in different areas to try a bit of all of their menu in just one night! Funny and clever idea I would say.
 
I will probably go to Canteen Covent Garden where Angela Hartnet will cook on the 14^th of October, but lots of other restaurants are organizing special event and menus to call new guests and food lovers.
 
This festival it's certainly a nice way to color a bit the autumn with some  very unique event.
 So, see you where?

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