“Dal Pescatore” offers a cuisine with deep culinary roots in the Pianura Padana, an area of fertile plains circumscribed by the Po river and its tributaries, among which the Oglio river, along which the restaurant is located. The area includes the provinces of Mantova, Cremona and Brescia in the Lombardy Region, the provinces of Verona and Vicenza in the Veneto Region and the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena in the Emilia-Romagna Region. The produce and recipes from these territories are at the very heart of the dishes Dal Pescatore serves.
The restaurant’s menu starts off with a selection of courses inspired by this traditional, local cuisine. It suggests ways of embracing the philosophy of the restaurant and getting a feel for the traditions of its surroundings.
The “classics” of Dal Pescatore, inspired by the seasonal produce, define the relationship of the restaurant with the territory around it. The first courses are mainly represented by pastas: tortelli di zucca (where the pumpkin filling is scented with a classic blend of amaretto biscuits, mostarda and nutmeg); agnoli in chicken broth; fettuccine with parmesan fondue and white truffles from Alba. These are followed by the rice and risotto first courses: rice in broth with fresh salami and Savoy cabbage pesto; risotto with catfish and chives; risotto with saffron strands and traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena. Last but not least come the soups, and among them the onion and provolone soup.
The “countryside” – characterized by age-old traditions in the use of butter and pigs, of hens, chickens and guinea fowl – provides the ingredients and the recipes for the entrées: a selection of cured meats such as culatello di Zibello; salame from Mantua; ‘gras pistà’ (finely minced lard with parsley and garlic); pig’s trotters with crispy savoy cabbage; sweet-and-sour guinea fowl salad; nettle and egg omelet.
Snails and frogs are two local delicacies which attest to the centuries-old culinary culture of the area. Their presence is fundamental and they can be found both as appetizers and as main courses. It is even possible to compose an entire meal around them. Dishes such as petit gris snails with aromatic herbs and sweet garlic; snail and porcini mushroom soup with bow-tie pasta; and frog’s legs gratin with fines herbes, are among the favorites at the restaurant.
Another key typology of the restaurant’s “classics” are the recipes of fresh water fish, which too can be served either to open the meal or to complete it. It is from these dishes that “Dal Pescatore” – once called “Wine and Fish” – traces its origin: from the baked carp, passed on by the restaurant’s
first chef Teresa, to the deep-fried carp and eel, to the citrus-scented soused eel or the grilled eel with garden grown radicchio and the pike with parsley, anchovies and capers.
Among the meat dishes one can find cotechino from Mantua with lentils from Castelluccio; duck breast with aged balsamic vinegar and locally-grown fruit mostarda; pigeon casserole; Barbera- braised ‘cappello da prete’ with yellow polenta.
To complete the meal, desserts such as Mardi gras fritters; concord grape pudding; coffee and almond brittle cake; ‘pipasaner’ and zabaione delight the palate.
These are the local dishes that Dal Pescatore proposes with the aim of preserving age-old traditions while offering contemporary accents and standards such as lighter cooking techniques and more balanced menus. In this attempt to create a synthesis between tradition and innovation, various dishes have been adapted to the times, as, for exam.ple, the tortelli di zucca, that are now seasoned with less butter and less parmesan cheese to allow every ingredient to express its distinct, clear flavor and consistency.
The cuisine the restaurant proposes is in line with today’s nutritional standards, lifestyles and eating habits; these exert a subtle but firm influence on the recipes. "Tradition," says Nadia, "is that accumulation of knowledge which has allowed us to arrive where we are today; holding on to it is extremely important. But embracing traditions doesn’t imply remaining passive in how you cook. It involves studying, interpreting, and adapting your cooking to the nutritional expectations of the times you live in."
Over time, the restaurant’s “classics” have been joined by other dishes, inspired by Nadia’s and Giovanni’s creativity. They skillfully combined local produce and practices with those from other Italian and European regions.
Some of the highly prized starters are foie gras with peaches and passito wine from Verona, and lobster terrine with Oscietra Royal caviar and orange-scented soused eel; among the pasta dishes potato gnocchi with salt-marinated stone bass, olives, and spring onion cream; triangoli, made from fresh egg-based pasta stuffed with ricotta and pecorino from Pienza with parmesan fondue; small paccheri with mallard, fresh vegetable sauce and black Norcian truffles; whole-wheat ‘occhi
di lupo’ pasta with fresh stracchino cheese, tuna roe, basil and tomato sauce made from pachino
tomatoes.
In addition to the typical freshwater fish, saltwater delicacies have become part of the preparation of
both pasta dishes (e.g. fettucine with crispy calamari and vegetables) as well as main courses (e.g.
gurnard stew with tomatoes from Sicily and basil from the Ligurian coast; sea bass with extra
virgin Tuscan olive oil, parsley, anchovies and capers from Salina).
Newer meat proposals include suckling pig from Cinta Senese with Szechuan pepper sauce and
caramelized pineapple; fine beef loin from the Marche region with aromatic herbs; saddle of
venison in a cabernet and blackberry sauce.
Dessert proposals include vanilla-scented pineapple ‘maccheroni’ with pomegranate pearls and raspberry sauce; 70% Guanaya chocolate penguin with candied fruit mousse and gianduia sauce; almond meringue with pistachio and Marsala zabaione; orange soufflé with passion fruit coulis.
But, if you ask Giovanni Santini what the most delicious scent coming from the kitchen for the cook is, he’ll answer “the inebriating fragrance of freshly-rolled egg pasta”.