Il Centro

Elide Mollo is a delicate, sensible, immaculate, neat chef who expresses herself naturally and simply. Little or no originality or sophistication, plenty of exquisite flavor. She executes with angelic perfection such simple dishes as battered and fried acacia flowers served with a brushing of honey. She successfully stands out in something so elemental as cured anchovies, meticulously selected, served with half a roast pepper, perfumed with the proverbial touch of renowned Nember oil, valued at €60 per deciliter. Impeccable cooking, as with the eel, which arrives silky, preserving all of its flavor, juiciness and gelatinousness, served with a wonderful aromatic bouquet of vegetables. The cream of Gorgonzola with quail egg, pepper crisp, flowers and sautéed monksbeard (Liscari) is an example of tempered succulence with the addition of freshness and color. The egg yolk tagliatelle, made with 32 eggs per kilogram of flour, with julienne vegetables al dente and tomato, shallot and pepper sauce are some of the best found in Italy; and they have nothing less than integrity, nobility, meticulousness, common sense, skill, and an innate gift for taste. A dish that authentically, wonderfully communicates personal and feminine sentiments.

The ravioli, copiously supported with liver and crumbled sausage, constitute a fling with a more populist, satiating, gluttonous, adventurous gastronomy from which woman emerges exultant, without so much as messing up her hair. The rabbit liver, impressively executed with red wine, port and rosemary sauce whipped with a little butter, served with semolina and lemon peel croquettes, becomes permanent proof of knowing how to achieve modernized traditional cuisine with extraordinary care. Refinement and levity that have many other examples, described with great charm by Enrico Cordero, husband, who, because of the absence of a menu, communicates the dishes that the chef has considered fit for preparing that day. Therefore, here one must surrender oneself; this does not constitute a risk by any means, neither from the point of view of style nor of flavor—both please all.