Milanese by birth (his mother comes from Friuli and his father is Sicilian), Gaetano Simonato is a self-taught cook. His cuisine, instinctive, unpredictable, never repetitive nor rhetorical, hasn’t taken a long time to stand out. He doesn’t want to imitate nor copy anyone; he just wants to get peacefully along with his work, far from fashions and trends. His proposals are based on deep knowledge and meticulous selection of seasonal raw materials as well as on precise cooking methods and times. His dishes, presented in a simple and polished way, rime with refinement and lightness. Gaetano has a weakness for extra virgin olive oil. Listening to this expert –who knows all about the best Italian producers– talking about olive farming and varieties is always a real pleasure. As testifies the range of bottles displayed in the furniture you find at the entrance of the restaurant, he offers a really impressive selection of this gorgeous liquid. One of the peculiarities of the house is that all the dishes are seasoned in front of the diner with a few drops of a specific olive oil, according to the ingredients served. The constructions, generally sober and minimalist, are sauced at the table by the chef, who delicately pours the raw oil: a really natural sauce that varies depending on where it is made, whether Garda or Salento. Gaetano’s cuisine can also show a higher degree of complexity, as we’ll see further on. The impression the cook wants to give is governed by linearity and simplicity, by the purity of the raw materials and by spontaneity: this is the real virtue of the great chefs!
Red mullet and monkfish on white beans and broccoli cream with memorable chard dices filled with apple, pear, potato and artichoke. The chef’s technical level is also reflected by the quail eggs (marinated and caramelized) lain on duck mousse and foie, dehydrated quail eggs, duck breast à l’orange cooked at low temperature, and orange Citronette sauce.
Raviolis filled with guinea fowl reduction, stew (next by), asparagus and celeriac puree: delicious! A refined dish both for palate and stomach. A clever and reflexive proposal. The chef “splits up” the ingredients of the raviolis served with meat sauce and gives the right intensity to each of them. The dark stock (an exceptionally delicious consommé) of the pasta is not mixed with the rest in order to savour its purity. The meat filling (usually mixed with vegetables, cheese, eggs, etc.) remains virgin, neat, true, raw, genuine, perfect.
The duck breast cooked at low temperature, lacquered with honey and citrus fruit, served with a potato, artichoke and pineapple millefeuille, is a real exquisiteness.
In the dessert section, the Catalan cream covered with wild berries is frankly unforgettable. The layer of caramelized sugar hides a surprising … rice cream, whose creamy and slightly grainy texture is similar the one of a very mature Williams pear. A light, fresh, fruity, fat-free, innovative and balanced dessert.
In short, Tano Simonato’s place is a must that inevitably surprises any refined gourmet.
