Una notte bolognese a Solo Bistro

Ancora Pasta and Solo Bistro once again will bring you on a gustatory fantasy ride this Thursday evening. This week's stop? Bologna!

Bologna, nicknamed La Città Rossa - The Red City - as much for its political leanings as for its distinctive red roofs, is an entirely different Italian experience from Florence, the last stop on our Ancora Pasta/Solo Bistro culinary tour of Italy. Florence is cosmopolitan, while Bologna is educated (the first university in the western world still attracts students from around the globe). Florence is Renaissance marble; Bologna is medieval brick. Florence's narrow - or sometimes nonexistent - sidewalks provide zero escape from the elements, leaving that task to the Duomo and Uffizi, undoubtedly a most culturally gratifying "escape"; Bologna, on the other hand, had the forethought to provide shelter with portico after portico after portico covering its wide sidewalks, allowing for business to continue through all the elements.

The most distinctive difference, however, is the food. Florentines are proud of their food, to be sure, but Bologna's cuisine defines its culture. We Americans grew up with baloney/bologna as a sandwich staple, no? And Chef Boyardee made a mean meat tortellini, right? And as our palates matured, we grew to appreciate spaghetti bolognese. As bastardized as these are, their roots certainly do lie in Bolognese cuisine. You simply cannot walk down a street without being subjected to the most gorgeous displays of handmade tortellini, cappelletti, and ravioli. Hundreds and hundreds of them piled in bins along the streets of the open market, in shop windows, in tantalizing restaurant displays. Cured meats, including mortadella - the Americanized version of which is, of course, baloney - hang from shop ceilings right alongside the legs of its neighbor's infamous "Prosciutto di Parma." And spaghetti bolognese? Well, you just don't serve spaghetti with a ragù alla bolognese; but you certainly would serve it with the distinctively yellow, egg-yolk-rich tagliatelle, as every Bolognese cook would.

Thus our culinary tour just had to stop in Bologna next. Watch out, though, Bolognese cuisine is deceivingly rich (Bologna is also referred to as "La Grossa" - the fat one...) - you are going to leave this meal fully satiated! Mangiate bene e buon appetito!

primo piatto

cappelletti in brodo

~ By definition, cappelletti are cheese-filled (meatless) tortellini. [The name cappelletti comes from the "hat" (cappello) shape.] Cappelletti in brodo (in broth) is a classic Bolognese first course. ~

secondo piatto
tagliatelle alla bolognese
~ The Bolognese claim tagliatelle as their own creation. Regardless of the arguments to the contrary, the Bolognese have perfected the thin, egg-yolk-rich version that we are serving this week. Presented with a traditional bolognese (hearty meat) sauce, this dish is undoubtedly the most famous of the Bolognese cuisine. ~

dolce
Zuppa Inglese

vino
tbd

~ Check back tomorrow for our update on the dessert course and wine pairing... ~

Ancora Pasta + Solo Bistro = Delicious!

Last Thursday's Ancora Pasta night at Solo Bistro went off without a hitch, at least from Ancora Pasta's (and its dining diva's) point of view. The pasta was perfect - Mrs. AP knew it would be (but you know how Mr. AP is...). But more importantly than that, it was cooked, paired, and presented perfectly, as well.

Chef Tyne did an amazing job with the brown butter, wilted arugula (I never would have thought of that and it was delicious!), and shaved pecorino romano for the chestnut ravioli. The second course was equally as yummy.

My dad was thoroughly fooled by the amount of pappardelle with pork ragù served. I agree: the bowl seemed bottomless (though we all polished the plate off, of course)! The ragù coated and stuck to the pappardelle so every bite contained smooth pasta and meaty deliciousness.

And, finally, the last course - the crostata di mele (apple tart) with homemade vanilla ice cream - was phenomenal. The crust of the crostata was super flaky, sweet, and crunchy; and the apples had been sweetened to perfection. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not really a fruit-pie person, so this dessert really took me by surprise. Kudos to Shyanne for that! The ice cream - which I'd had in its cinnamon and caramel incarnations a couple of days prior - was awesome, as well: creamy and very flavorful. All our plates were (virtually) licked clean!

I was really blown away by how everything came out. Now, I know, I'm a little biased, but don't you agree with me?

AP's First Restaurant Showcase

Knowing the right people pays. We may not want to admit that to ourselves or to people that, frankly, know more of the "right" people than we do. But tomorrow is a perfect example of how striking up a conversation or a friendship or a debate with one person can lead to something special.

In September, Mr. Ancora Pasta started a new job in one of the Greater Portland area's most well-known inn restaurants. At the same time, that restaurant was introducing a new sous chef, with whom Mr. Ancora Pasta found he had a great connection. They challenged each other, taught each other new techniques, and generally had a common vision for their new place of employ.

Recently, Mr. AP's new-found friend has returned to his former employer, Solo Bistro, in a new capacity: Executive Chef. In doing so he can mold an already fabulous and well-renowned restaurant's menu to fit his style. He has passion for what he does and can now truly demonstrate that passion, and his ability, in a new setting.

So how does this benefit us, the Ancora Pasta family? Well, Solo's executive chef knows well how Mr. Ancora Pasta's passion matches his own when it comes to producing a responsible, quality product and he has asked us to partake in his new vision for Solo Bistro. As part of that process, Ancora Pasta will be teaming up with Solo Bistro to create culinary tours of different regions of Italy. Each Thursday night a new region of Italy will be explored during a three-course prix fixe menu. Each course will be carefully designed to reflect the ingredients and culinary history of that region; the wines will also fit that same bill. It's a very exciting new stage in Ancora Pasta's life!

Check out this week's menu, which focuses on the cuisine of our beloved Florence. And, if you're not busy, come check us out tomorrow evening!

il menú típico fiorentine

Primo
tortelli alle castagne e miele (chestnut ravioli with honey - the chestnut honey is from Italy; we brought it back last year after we visited Florence and forgot we had it)
Secondo
pappardelle sul maiale (pappardelle with a pork ragù)
Dolce
crostata di mele (apple tart)

Information:
Tortelli alle castagne e miele - One cannot walk down a street in Florence in the autumn or winter without seeing a vendor roasting chestnuts on a corner. The surrounding towns of Florence (specifically Ortignano Raggiolo) are responsible for producing the majority of castagne found throughout Italy and shipped here to the States. The Florentines are so passionate, they can even tell you which small town in Tuscany had the best tasting castagne, farina di castagna (chestnut flour), or miele di castagna (chestnut honey) that year! This year, my friend said it was Lunigiana.

Pappardelle sul maiale - Every city, town, neighborhood, or even street throughout Italy has its own idiosyncratic pasta shape. In Florence, the pasta of choice is clearly pappardelle. With the Tuscan region having the most abundant hunting game in Italy (most famously the cinghiale/wild boar or coniglio/rabbit), a hearty, wide strip of pasta was the best way to capture the large chunks of meat with each bite. Solo Bistro's sauce will feature pork from Squire Tarbox Farm on Westport Island.

Crostata di mele - All of the pasticciere found in Florence are filled with different forms of "pies" such as a crostata, torta, or barchetta, each being filled or covered with a seasonal fruit and/or jam, and enveloped by a sweet, crisp crust. A day in Florence is not complete without one (Mr. AP's streak is at 25 and counting!). Solo's executive chef's talented pastry-goddess wife is to thank for this delicacy!

Chianti Classico - The Tuscan region is of course synonymous with Chianti's regional wine. A Chianti Classico is strictly regulated and must be made from at least 80% sangiovese grapes found within the "old Chianti" wine region. The sangiovese grape is very sensitive to its terrain and more so than most other grapes, really gives a true sense of the soils it's grown in (calcareous soils give it the wild berry flavor; sandstone gives the flowery bouquet). Solo's owner has selected a Chianti produced by the Ricasoli family, with whom he spent some time long ago sailing along the coast of Greece (now that's a connection we'd love to have!).

Happy eating, Ancora Pasta (and Solo Bistro) fans!