<a target="_blank" href="https://www.alajmo.it/">Le Calandre</a>

Via Liguria 135030 Sarmeola&nbsp;di Rubano (PD), ITALY









































Tel. +39 (049) 630-303 

BY IAN D'AGATA | JANUARY 12,
2018

The Food

Soft shell crab with a
turmeric sauce (Moeche fritte con salsa
alla curcuma)

Cuttlefish and ink cappuccino (Cappuccino di seppie al nero)

Crispy ricotta and buffalo mozzarella
cannelloni with tomato passata (Cannellone
croccante di ricotta e mozzarella di bufala con passata di pomodoro)

Mantis shrimp, artichokes and bottarga (Scarpetta di canocchie, carciofi e bottarga)

Pumpkin cappellacci and spicy
mustard in mushroom water and white truffle (Cappellacci
di zucca e curcuma con mostarda in acqua di funghi e tartufo bianco)

Artichoke risotto with aromatic
crumbs and bergamot flavored pumpkin (Risotto
di carciofi con briciole aromatiche e zucca al bergamotto)

Red mullet Luciana-style (Triglia alla Luciana)

Almond mozzarella (Mozzarella di
mandorle)

Caramelized apple tart with Armagnac
with prune and Armagnac ice cream (Frolla
di mele caramellate con gelato di prugne all’Armagnac)&nbsp;

The Wines

2016 Doro Princic Collio
Malvasia&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 94

2016 Miani Ribolla Gialla Pettarin&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 95+


















2013 Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fonte Canale&nbsp; 95+2016 Miani Sauvignon Saurint&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 94+

2016 Miani Chardonnay&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 91

2004 Emmerich Knoll Riesling
Ried Pfaffenberg Steiner Beerenauslese Wachau&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 93My latest dinner at Le Calandre was one of my
two best meals of 2017. Precise cooking, masterful technical ability,
concentrated flavors, professional but not stuffy service and an outstanding
wine list all combine for a memorable dining experience.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1515773709508-A+welcome+thought+from+Massimiliano+greets+u+at+the+table.jpg">A welcome thought from Massimiliano greets you at the tableTrying to decide which were my
two best meals of the year turned out to be more difficult than usual in 2017,
given the many worthy candidates for top spot. Atelier Crenn in San Francisco,
Le Bernardin in NY, Carré des Feuillants in Paris, Ming Court in Hong Kong, and
a few others all left lasting memories of great food, wines and friends.
However, after picking a foreign restaurant as my winner last year (Auberge del
L’Ill; reviewed <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-l-auberge-de-l-ill-illhaeusern-france-dec-2016">here</a> in 2016) this year I am back to picking an Italian
restaurant, and two at that, ex–aqueo:
Dal Pescatore (previously reviewed in 2017) and Le Calandre in Rubano, near
Padua. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1515774472155-amuse+bouche.jpg"> Amuse bouche Le Calandre, a modern looking
(inside and outside) dining establishment, is part of the Alajmo empire that
includes numerous dining spots in Rubano and surroundings including Quadri inVenice
and Café Stern in Paris further afield. The flagship restaurant is situated in
Rubano and is a favorite dining destination of foodies worldwide, with
customers ranging from the famous (Donatella Versace was there the last time I
dined) and the not so famous, but all of whom look forward to having a
memorable meal. Le Calandre is run with considerable skill by brothers
Massimiliano (chef) and Raffaele (maître).I first dined at Le Calandre
in 2001 or 2002, and have found that over the years Massimiliano Alajmo’s cuisine
has done nothing but improve. Although he was always the inventive sort, Alajmo
has successfully managed to lighten up some of his creations so the meal ends
with everyone having still considerable spring in his or her step. I do not
remember it being always so in the past, but maybe it was just me and what I
had eaten on previous visits.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1515774522452-Cappucccino+di+seppie.jpg"> 














Cuttlefish
and ink cappuccino&nbsp; Over the years, Alajmo has created
a number of dishes that have become famous and caused people to flock to Le
Calandre just to try them, including the mozzarella and crispy buffalo ricotta
cannelloni with tomato sauce as well as the saffron, juniper and licorice
powder risotto. My personal favorites include the cuttlefish cappuccino (which
I now regularly cook for my friends when I invite people over for dinner,
though my rendition is nowhere near that of Alajmo’s) and the fried spaghetti
and shrimp with a lettuce emulsion. Many such historical dishes are available on
the restaurant’s classic tasting menu, but there are also two other tasting
menus to choose from. These are simply named after the brothers (hence the
“Max” and the “Raf”) allowing you to catch a glimpse of the individual taste
preferences of each brother. Importantly you do not need to stick to one menu alone,
but can pick dishes from each menu and make up your own menu for the evening, which
is what I do.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1515774572407-Cannelloni+di+ricotta.jpg">














Crispy ricotta and buffalo mozzarella cannelloni with tomato passata&nbsp; My most recent meal at Le
Calandre was one of the best I have ever had, and a truly virtuoso restaurant
experience. Delightful, attentive service (friendly and professional and not at
all stuffy), a quiet but not monastic environment, great food and wines: one
really could not have asked for anything more. One dish after another sent me
into culinary nirvana. I want to point out that the simple dishes, such as the Triglie alla Luciana were just as good
as the more inventive creations, a sure sign of someone who does not need to
rely on bells and whistles to make an impression. The “alla Luciana” style
preparations, typical of Campania and a reference to the town of Santa Lucia, usually
involve small octopi, tomato, parsley, garlic and a little chili pepper. The
ability to let the voice of simple ingredients such as herbs ring out loud and
clear is a skill, but then, again I would expect no less from someone who
trained with Marc Veyrat.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1515774790272-Scarpetta+di+cannocchie.jpg"> Mantis shrimp, artichokes and&nbsp;bottargaThe mostly young wines I chose
to drink on this night were simply spectacular. I have rarely had a better
night of drinking recent releases than this one. The 2016 Doro Princic Malvasia Collio was superb – a great aperitif in
its mineral laser-like precision of white stone fruit and delicate herbs and
easily one of the best Malvasia Istrianas I have had in years. But no surprise
there, coming as Princic is a recognized master of the variety. On this night,
I had a chance to re-taste the latest and upcoming releases of some of Miani’s
stellar whites. The 2016 Miani Ribolla
Gialla Pettarin is another knockout Ribolla Gialla from Enzo Pontoni that reaches
a level of concentration way beyond that of any other Ribolla made today. The pristine
pomaceous orchard and citrus fruit and decadent mouthfeel are unforgettable.
The 2016 strikes me as potentially one of the better young Ribolla Giallas Pontoni
has made recently. Incidentally, I recently published a vertical of the Miani
Ribolla Gialla. By contrast, the 2016
Miani Chardonnay is almost disappointing by the uniquely talented Enzo
Pontoni’s standards. Don’t get me wrong, the Chardonnay is a delightful wine,
but it lacks the usual depth and concentration that make Miani wines so
compelling. Furthermore, there are just too many other outstanding Chardonnays
from elsewhere in the world (certainly not Italy) that people can drink
instead, which is not the case with this producer’s other truly remarkable
wines. The 2013 Tiberio Trebbiano
d’Abruzzo Fonte Canale is a work of art. I had rated it 94 on release but
it’s better than that today, and a dead ringer for a great Chablis from Les
Clos or Blanchots, depending on the vintage. It is truly amazing just how old
vines (more than sixty years old in this case), terroir and winemaking talent combine to give what is one of Italy’s
dozen or so best white wines. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1515774714845-Risotto.jpg"> Artichoke risotto with aromatic crumbs and bergamot flavored pumpkin&nbsp;I finished my meal off with
the delicious 2004 Emmerich Knoll
Riesling Ried Pfaffenberg Steiner Beerenauslese Wachau, which is an
exercise in impeccable balance and suave but soft, open-knit Riesling aromas
and flavors. I never cease to be amazed at just how well Knoll’s Riesling
translates Pfaffenberg’s slightly warmer microclimate and different soil in the
glass. Located in the Austrian wine region of the Kremstal literally just a
stone’s throw away from the more famous Wachau, the Pfaffenberg’s wines are
very different from those of the Wachau, such as those of the Loibenberg for
example.
The Pfaffenberg sits on a mix of granite, schist and gneiss, with a layer of
loess on the surface, while the Loibenberg vineyard, in the Wachau, and also
farmed by Knoll, has a mostly gneiss soil and gives less fruity but more spicy,
structured wines. Independently of the geology
lesson each one of Knoll’s wines delivers, this 2004 is an absolute beauty that
is drinking perfectly well right now. It is not so common to find Knoll
Beerenauselesen wines, so I never pass on the opportunity to drink one when the
opportunity arises.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1515774629397-White+wine+heaven.jpg"> White wine heavenAll things considered, I
walked out of Le Calandre thinking that not just the meal had been one of the
two best of 2017, but the wine selection was right up there too. Evenings such
as this one at Le Calandre is what dining memories are made of.

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