There is an Italian saying that goes, “A tavola non s’invecchia” ... one does not grow old at the table. Eat good food, drink good wine, enjoy with good company – a formula for remaining youthful.
At Il Sogno Osteria – Andrew Weissman’s new Italian venture at the Pearl Brewery – you may grow a little older waiting for a table. Il Sogno has been packed every night since its opening in late July and with good reason. The cuisine is authentic, expertly interpreted and molto Italiano thanks to executive chef Luca della Casa, a native of Torino, and Weissman’s vision.
Start with the antipasti. An array of small bites chosen from buffet style platters: octopus and potato salad (which I’ve rarely seen outside of coastal Italy); tuna and cannellini beans; mixed seafood salad; eggplant and lemon caviar; salumi and formaggi.
Lardo is becoming very fashionable these days (who knew, besides Italians, that pig fat could taste this good?) and at Il Sogno it is served with focaccia and sea salt. I enjoyed the white ribbons of lardo solo to savor the delicate infusion of herbs and its melt-on-your-tongue quality.
Pizze is thin-crust and wood-oven baked with traditional variations like Margherita and Quattro Formaggi. My favorite is Rucola e Pomodorini: peppery arugula is a nice counterpoint to sweet cherry tomatoes and creamy fresh mozzarella.
Insalate is perfectly respectable, including Caprese and Burrata. But what really sings is Asparigi e Uova al Tartufo: asparagus with truffled egg, ricotta salata and bacon. Not light, but truly divine with grassy green asparagus anchored superbly by a soft-cooked egg, salty ricotta and pancetta. The essence of truffle just gilds the lily. Truly, this dish is opera on your plate.
For pasta lovers, don’t miss pappardelle with wild hog ragout – very rustic and very Tuscan for what that means (and for Italiophiles out there, you know what I mean). If you like your pasta a bit more cerebral, Il Sogno house makes gnocchi (potato dumplings) and I especially enjoyed them in Piedmontese-style in Castelmagno cheese sauce. A cow’s milk cheese with DOP status, Castelmagno is aged in grottos in the Italian Alps. How could it not be good?
To my mind, nothing is more satisfying than perfectly cooked chicken. Once again, Il Sogno excels with Pollo Arrosto alla Legna – free range chicken with truffled fries. Crispy, golden brown skin gives way to succulent meat flanked by earthy, truffled fries. Che profumo!
Seafood is also memorable like whole roasted branzino, but even better is Merluzzo allo Zafferano, cod with prawns and leeks swimming in an exotic saffron broth. It’s light and clean and pure, exalting the flavors of good ingredients rather than transforming them into something undistinguishable which is really the essence of Italian food, vero?
