Evo Ristorante : Alberobello, Italy
Who would have thought that wandering could work up such an appetite! Um, this girl! Fortunately, we had reservations at one of Alberobello's best restaurants, Evo.
Evo is located at the top of Via Giovanni. While accessible by car, I would recommend throwing on a comfortable pair of walking shoes start stepping. Just think of the extra calories you will burn on your walk over!
Evo Ristorante
Via Giovanni XXIII, 1, 70011 Alberobello BA, Italy
Website
Evo is the quintessential Italian restaurant. While the restaurant is modest in size, the chef definitely makes a statement with his cuisine. Let's jump right in, shall we?
To tease our palate, the chef sent over his twist on bruschetta. This bruschetta was far from basic. The tomatoes were the most vibrant red I have ever seen and bread, of course, was fresh from the oven. Notice the herbed dressing at the top? That my friends was the glue that pulled the bite together. It was a refreshing change as most typically use olive oil when constructing bruschetta. Even though my hunger pains were running rampant, I controlled them long enough to capture the beauty of this bite.
Erin, the rock star behind Eat Pray Move, coordinated a lovely tasting menu for lunch which was paired with local Puglian wines. Our first pour was Cupa from I Pastini. More to come on I Pastini as it has quickly become one of my favorites and they ship to the US. Cupa is a well-balanced white wine. While it has the color of a Chardonnay, its flavor remains delicate with some fruit forward notes emerging ever so often It was the perfect accompaniment to our next course, Nero.
You often hear people say" that's just too pretty to eat." That exact thought came into my head when presented with our next dish, Nero. Nero is a vegetarian starter made of buffalo mozzarella, tomato, carrot, and broccoli. (Note: the carrot and broccoli are the only two ingredients cooked). The dish is then topped with buffalo milk and mozzarella water with active carbon. Don't be intimidated by the color of the dish. The flavor was indescribable, but I assure you I savored every bite.
Our next pairing was Somarello, a lovely rose wine produced by Masseria Croce Piccola. Admittedly, this was the first time I had ever heard of Susamaniello grapes but I immediately started crushing. The floral and mineral notes were a nice compliment to our next dish which substantial.
Our next dish had an unusual flavor combination and to be honest, I was a bit skeptical. Although once I saw the dish was topped with black truffle shavings, I knew it would be decadent. Below you will find Pumpkin and Thyme Tortelloni pasta with Canestrato cheese fondue, black truffles, and sparkling tomatoes.
Undoubtedly, this might be one of the most flavor-filled bites I have ever experienced. The richness of the cheese fondue coupled with the dense pumpkin filled pasta made for quite the bite. Luckily, the wine curbed the intensity of the dish slightly.
Ending the meal on a sweet note, the chef presented us with Mascarpone cheese mousse served with Coffee biscuit and chocolate. it was absolutely dreamy. The mascarpone cheese had a cloud-like texture, each bite floating in your mouth.
As I've said before, some of the best meals don't have Michelin stars and aren't on the World's 50 best list. This chef has cleared poured his heart and soul into creating culinary masterpieces and it resonates in each bite. If you find yourself in Alberobello, make a reservation at Evo Restaurant. You will thank me later :)
Until Next Time!
