Dulcis Vitis

 Bruno Cingolani has been working in this warm and welcoming place located in the historic downtown of Alba for a while now. This man of about fifty, from Senigallia (Le Marche region), arrived at the cooking team of Hasta Hotel, in Asti (Piedmont) a bit later than his fellow citizen Mauro Uliassi (same age). Bruno stayed in Piedmont, though. Despite his origin (Senigallia is also the home town of another great cook: Moreno Cedroni), Bruno is also a classical cook. His cuisine is the fruits of the experience and good taste from Le Marche Region, that is culture of pasta, sea, country and wood (game), mixed with the sensitivity from Piedmont (French rigor and technique, culture of bovine meat, Alpine milk, great wines and truffle). Bruno is an erudite cook who masters both classical techniques and raw materials: a real professional. Talking about cooking and products with Bruno is always a pleasure; he always teaches you something new. Is there anything better? Nothing. So let’s sit at the table.
The appetizers were simple but generous: quail egg and grated black truffle with extremely delicate Alpine ricotta cheese, candied tomato and some olive oil drops. The red prawns from San Remo over country salad accompanied with a magnificent mayonnaise made with goose egg and virgin olive oil, called “Niscia” in honour of a famous local cook, were perfect. They were followed by a “sea and earth” dish: scallop cooked in sparkling wine laid on a delicate Pigna white beans cream, rosemary, thyme and olive oil: rustic flavours, wise and tasteful texture game. Savoir-faire, simplicity, sharpness and perfect doneness are reflected in the stewed cuttlefish from the Adriatic with salted Treviso radicchio and small potato chip. A real delight after the fresh pasta! An hymn to spring in Langa: ravioli of Alpine Seirass ricotta (an exceptional product, what a refinement!) slightly seasoned with butter (as refined as the ricotta), a bit of cured Parmesan and countryside: flowers of courgette, asparagus, tomato and baby courgette. From a previous visit, we remembered the fragrances of the tagliatelle with morels and black truffle, outstandingly good. We then received the main courses: Fassone veal steak over sautéed grated potatoes and black truffle; great product and delicate doneness seasoned with perfumes and trends from the wood. The tender suckling kid medallion from the Bormida Valley with potato and courgette millefeuille was impeccable.
And to finish with, a greedy dessert: millefeuille with vanilla and wild berries custard.
In short, Dulcis Vitis is a very solid restaurant where you can taste a great cuisine based on exceptional products and made by a really erudite cook. This is probably one of the best restaurants of classical cuisine in Alba.