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Castellani Winery, food, Italian, photos, prix fixe, restaurants, Ristorante Milano, San Francisco, wine pairing
So there’s this Italian waiter at an Italian restaurant that’s my friend on Facebook. He sent me a message telling me about this 4-course prix fixe Italian dinner with wine pairing at Ristorante Milano for $85, including the wine! Casatellani Winery out of Pisa, Italy would be introducing their wines with each of the courses. That’s not a bad price, considering that this is San Francisco, so I roped one of my foodie friends into joining me and we went there on Monday night.
The first course was Bruschetta di Zucca e Mozzarella (roasted squash, fresh mozzarella, cannellini beans, garlic and sage), accompanied by Rosato, Ceppiano, 2012. The bruschetta itself was fine, but I preferred those cannellini beans. The wine was described as an intense pink color, with purple notes, with a bouquet of peach, plum and apricot on the nose, and freshness and sapidity on the palate. I’m not a fan of roses; this was no different. It was fine, but nothing that I’d buy or choose. My friend, on the other hand, really liked it.
The second course was Pappardelle con il Sugo d’Agnello (house made egg noodles with braised lamb, tomatoes and white wine). This was my favorite course, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that I’m a pasta fiend! The portion was huge, too! The wine was “Burchino,” Super Tuscan,” Toscana IGT 2009, described as an intense ruby red with purple reflection, characteristic bouquet with plenty of cherry, berry and balsamic flavors; soft and round with notes of vanilla and licorice; nice acidity and balanced fruit. This was also my favorite wine as well. It was smooth, and (to me) had hints of spice and something woody. My friend didn’t pick up on any of that, however. (He probably thought I was crazy.)
Course number three was Braciole di Maiale (pork rib chop, wild porcini, roasted pumpkin and grilled polenta), accompanied with Travalda, “Super Tuscan,” Toscana IGT 2009. Again, another huge course, which neither of us were able to finish. The chop was a little dry, but I loved the porcini. I’ve never been a fan of polenta; it was alright. The wine purportedly had aromas of ripe red fruit with hints of vanilla and coffee, great palate structure with balanced acidity, intense notes of geranium and jasmine. This was, by far, the most intense of the wines. My friend didn’t care for it at all; I had to finish his. I assured him, though, that it tasted different and lighter after it had breathed a bit. He agreed, but still wasn’t going to finish his. I liked the wine, but still preferred the second one!
We finished with Crostata di Ricotta con Amaretto (house made ricotta tart with amaretto crust). The wine was Fattoria del Cerro, Vin Santo, Toscana 2010 (toasted hazelnut, hay, dried figs and dried apples on the nose, full bodied, honey, dried fruit, roasted chestnuts on the finish). There was something bitter in the tart, which I didn’t care for. It must have been the amaretto crust. What else could it have been? As for the Vin Santo, I don’t care for sweet wines, either; this was overly sweet (as Vin Santos always are).
All in all, not a bad way to spend an evening. I got to gossip with my friend, saw my Italian waiter friend AND checked out our cute Italian waiter! $85 plus tax was a fair price for the amount of food. Nothing was bad; average to good. I would try the restaurant again, on a regular night with the regular menu.