So, I'm at Vittorio Emanuele for aperitivo in Verona, and this is the
place to kick back and have a cocktail before dinner, and I was here before at
the cafe and marveled at the table next to me that had this very unusual green
colored drink. So, I had to order it, and here's the thing, they won't tell you
what's in the drink. It is a secret, but it is tropical in flavor, so think of a
tropical fruity drink, and it is non-alcoholic, but you could get the
alcoholic version with vermouth, Italian of course, and that is the red color
drink. So, if you come to Vittorio Emanuele make sure you say that you
either want the alcohol or the non-alcoholic version and just reference
the big green drink in the barrel glass.
It's definitely got tartness in the drink, it's delicious, it's refreshing. You
might not know that there's not alcohol in there because it definitely packs a
punch, but a non-alcoholic punch and it is really refreshing. This is more my
speed. So, to give you an idea of what this tastes like, it's a bit similar
to an Americano, so you have the vermouth you have the Campari and the citrus, it's
really really good, and it's the perfect aperitivo at Vittorio Emanuele.
Having an aperitivo at Vittorio Emanuele is perfect because then you can move
right on to dinner at its Michelin restaurant.
Well I'll tell you what, what sounds really good to me is this black truffle
flan, to start with that, yes for start something not too hard,
Then, if I were to pick a fish appetizer which one would you recommend? You can
choose green crab salad. The crab salad with avocado and fish, so we'll do the
flan and the crab salad to start. For starter. Exactly.
If you are looking for one of the most elegant dining experiences in northern
Italy, then Verona is not only the place for you, but Vittorio Emanuele is the
restaurant for you. The atmosphere at Vittorio Emanuele is striking, from the
black and white checkered floor to the crystal chandeliers and a hardwood panel
walls, this is a romantic evening and we're going to try some of the
restaurants prime cuisine.
Having a glass that is chilled is key to enjoying the Prosecco because it is best
served chilled and you'll notice that it was actually served in more of a coupe
style glass rather than a flute and there's a reason for that. When you drink
Prosecco or champagne, it's important to have the proper glass which you can tell
with the stream of bubbles that come from the centre of the glass.
If it does not come from the centre of the glass, but it spreads out and the
bubbles rise throughout the entire glass, then you know that the glass is not a
properly made glass for the champagne. The stream of bubbles should always come
out of the centre of the glass. Cheers!
For my starter course, I selected the black truffle flan in a beautiful
parmesan cream sauce with freshly shaved black truffles.
It is truffle season after all. Beautiful, the flan literally falls apart when you
cut it and looks divine with the parmesan fondue.
It's fantastic, the parmesan fondue pulls this dish together. The black truffle is
absolutely earthy and woodsy, you get that nice almost garlic hint to it
and then of course the flan just melts in your mouth. It is very light.
Are you from Verona? No, I am from Egypt I am Egyptian, but I live here in Italy
like 12 years or more, yeah, then from Cairo and
here from Verona I live like three years. Before I live seven years or more
in Milan. That's where we're heading tomorrow.
You know Milan is fashion. Yes, Milan is a fashion city.
Crab salad. For my next starter, I selected the seafood salad, and it's
gorgeous. Beautiful beads of pesto and balsamic, dried orange garnish with a
sprig of what looks like a bay leaf, and in the actual composition you have
beautiful shredded crab, red cabbage, avocado, and shrimp.
It's absolutely perfection on a plate.
The flavors are beautiful, it's perfectly chilled. The crab is the star of this
dish along with the avocado, very clean, very fresh, and the perfect follow-up to
the flan. Oh very nice. This soave classical is from Valpolicella
and it's also just for our restaurant. Perfect.
What a beautifully complex wine. To the nose, it's sweet, it's aromatic, it's very
fragrant and floral, which led me to believe that it was going tof be a very
sweet wine which would go well with the seafood pasta that we got however it's
actually dry which shows you the complexity and beauty of the
Valpolicella grape.
Oh is that beautiful. Look at this presentation, it is absolutely fabulous. The dish in
itself is striking, but the star is what's in it. This absolutely gorgeous
Paccheri pasta which is the local pasta here in Verona, it is beautiful.
Think of it as almost like a very flattened rigatoni and served with king
crab in this tomato ragout, absolutely beautiful, and look at the size of that
basil leaf, this dish is stupendous.
The balance of herbs and salt and pepper in this dish, it's perfect.
Absolutely so well done, and the noodle is fabulous. We all say and aspire to
cooking al dente, this is true al dente, it is fabulous.
One thing about dining in Europe is that it's not something that you
traditionally do early, it's really something that starts around 9 o'clock
in the evening. So, the restaurant has picked up in terms of the noise factor,
seats are getting filled, and it's absolutely beautiful to see how
different the dining scene is here in Europe. Dinner starts 9:00, 9:30, 10
o'clock at night. I remember years ago when I was in the French Riviera, and I
tried sitting down for an appetizer at 7:30 in the evening, and it was a no-go.
So, when you're dining in Europe, plan on making a later reservation, and plan on
staying for several hours. This is also from Valpolicella. Ok. From Sartori. Thank you.
That's from me. Thank you for having us.
When you are in the Veneto region, if you try no other wine, try the Amarone which
is a Valpolicella grape, and it is absolutely delicious and it's going to
go perfect with our beef tonight.
This Chateaubriand is cooked to absolute perfection, rare just the way I like it,
and it is. When you see all that beautiful juice running out of the meat
you know you have perfection.
What makes Chateaubriand, Chateaubriand, is how it's actually prepared. It is the
beef tenderloin or the filet of beef, it is wrapped in the cheaper cuts of
of the cow, of the beef. So, you wrap the cheaper cuts of the beef around the
tenderloin, and then you roast it, and the center cut, that filet is actually
cooked to perfection as it is here right on my plate. If you have not tried
Chateaubriand, you absolutely must, and if you're in Verona you must try it at
Vittorio Emanuele. There is no better way to finish tonight's meal than with a
sweet finish, and because I couldn't make up my mind, I chose two desserts this
evening. First, this beautiful brownie composition which looks fantastic with a
berry puree custard and this beautiful, what looks like a praline shell, fabulous,
and then of course the apple cake, with these incredible fresh berries and mint,
and fresh baked apples inside. It does not get sweeter than dinner and dessert
at Vittorio Emanuele. Wow, gorgeous gold apple cake.
In France they have a dish called Clafoutis, which is basically a blown-up custard
with fresh berries and whipped cream, and it exactly tastes just like that.
The mint gives a brightness and freshness, the sponge cake is comforting
with the beautiful warm apple, the raspberry gives it that beautiful
tartness, and then the custard is just creaminess all over, it's the perfect
composition.
This is the winner, and let me tell you it's fabulous.
The brownie is dense with hazelnut toasted inside, the chocolate brownie
with the bite of the raspberry sauce, the creaminess of the custard, the nuttiness
and caramel of the praline, absolutely fantastic.