Restaurateur
Saveliy Libkin

About restaurants of Budapest.

So, I chose 6 restaurant out of all variety recommended by Mishelin, Zagat, Rusian internet, concierges of hotels, taxi drivers and friends. The radical mistake was made with two restaurants: Onyx with Mishelin star and Renascence in small town Visegrád near Budapest.  The mistake with Onyx was predictable because my intuition prompted me that I won’t be able to eat there and I came there rather because of curiosity. What do they mean under “the best” restaurant in Budapest? Trip Advisor, Michelin and Zagat call Onyx one of two the best restaurants of Hungary. I don’t quite understand what kinds of criteria are guided by people who praise this restaurant… I estimated general atmosphere, is it possible to eat deliciously and amicability of service. Already at first sight at Onyx empty dining area and tall models waiters of the same height daunted me. The process of apéritif offering was nice but rather affected. The order was brought on the added table with castors which was covered by big and small bottles. I also liked small warm buns. The appetizer and main course allowed to pick by pincers in the plate but no more. There wasn’t any gastronomy in these false cubes. The food looked like silicone and the taste was the same.

At Renascence everything was much merrier. The huge restaurant (about 500 seats) in the village, meant for welcome of tourist groups from another villages (post-Soviet out-of-the-way place) solely. Here they have everything for this: personnel can drum meeting the buses, the cloakroom is hanged tightly with costumes of servants and aristocracy of “Renascence” epoch, a lot of paper crowns on the tables. Additionally there are also two mini thrones with two copper crowns in the dining area. You must admit that in this situation they can don’t feed people. Crowds of tourists come there, put on the costumes, take there seats and have their pictures taken. The food for tourists is cooked beforehand, probably a few times in a month for all planned groups.

I came over and above the plan but I ordered dishes from the menu, so « assembly» of food took only a short time.

Below you can find the photo of the dish.

Café 21 made very good impression on me. English-speaking personnel, the menu in English, clear names and complete correspondence between what is on the plate and what is written in the menu. In addition, cozy warm colors and full restaurant of non tourists up to 35 years old. Not a hint of gourmandize but the food is delicious.
Photos of the dishes from 21

Definetly the best restaurant to my mind is Bock Bistro. The atmosphere is excellent. The chef and the manager are in the dining area constantly and seat the guests. The menu is not long and understandable. The food is cooked technologically correctly. Professional hospitality and huge practical experience is felt in every thing. It is noticeable that all the team works in this composition no less then 5 years. Everyone is quick on the uptake of everything and everybody. Everything is very delicious and exactly this thing makes this restaurant standard fully busy all the days. You can’t get there without booking. There are no available tables for dinner at all.
Below you can find photos of the dishes and the chef.

Alabardos is typically evening restaurant. The chef Attila Bicsar according to his own confession dreams about Michelin star and this fact has a slight impact on the way of writing the3 names in the menu and some complexity of the dishes. Nevertheless the food is delicious and looks freshly cooked. The guitarist and melodies of the Beatles, Celine Dion, Animals and Ennio Morricone mixed up with ethnic tunes are in the dining area. At this there are a lot of axes, arbalests and other weapon in the interior. The local Furmint (local wine) also added romanticism to the atmosphere.

Below you can find photos of the dishes and the chef.

On the photo the chef is on the right

Pesti Diszno. A youth gastropub without cuisine and with warmed-up food in the very downtown of Budapest. Nevertheless the atmosphere is very good. It is better to go there full or at least you can feed up there a little bit drunk girls. The spirits are in the priority at this restaurant, because you won’t be able to have a good meal there.

And nevertheless the impression is positive because of logo and corporate identity of half bar – half café under the name Pig from Buda.
Below you can find photos of the dishes and interior.

About naphthalene café Gerbeaud you can read in the interne, and it is preferably to visit it after pension, but only if your savings will be enough… Boring-pompous-historical-expensively-chocolate. Very good packing plus papers, wrappers and labels with gilding. Everything is stand on this.
Below you can find photos of interior with papers.

The marks in the result look like this

Bock Bistro 5

21 and Alabardos 4

Pesti Diszno 3+

Onyx and Renascence firm 2

Gerbeaud get stuck between 3+ and 2.

Tags: Будапешт, Gastro-tourism, Restaurants

Thinking aloud about Italian restaurants

Good Italian restaurant in Prague is…

• Chef with notions.
• A half of personnel are Ukrainians.
• Slicer Berkel at a price $10 000 with prosciutto San Daniele in the dining area surely, plus 30-40 options of grappa and fresh mozzarella di Bufala and Sicilian tomatoes.
• 5-7 options of the freshest Mediterranean fish.
• Short Italian menu.
• Balsamic and olive oil of decent quality.
• Decent interior, without «Celentano» in the frames, empty wine bottles as a décor, junk is present but a little.
• Check makes 30-70 Euros without wine

Good Italian restaurant in London is…

• Books about the chef at the most noticeable place of the dining area.
• The handsome chef in person in the dining area.
• A half of personnel in the kitchen are black-skinned.
• The personnel of the dining area are with notions and know about food.
• You can purchase some products to take away
• Short menu always.
• Very delicious and more often more delicious then in Italy.
• The interior is functional, restrained and performed by noted architect.
• Wine in bottles is present in the interior.
• Check makes from 50 up to 70 pounds without wine.

Good Italian restaurant in Italy (Milan, Rome or Florence isn’t considered) is…

• All the personnel of kitchen are black-skinned.
• The chef is from Montenegro or Croatia.
• 3-4 options of grappa and enough options of another aperitif.
• 15-20 options of very delicious antpasti on the big table in the dining area.
• Age of the waiters is far more then 50.
• Big portions.
• Borscht and solyanka are absent.
• Very delicious olive oil without labels.
• Interior doesn’t pay attention to itself and looks like nobody worked on it.
• Torn couch and family portrait in the dining area.
• Check makes up to 30 Euros

Italian restaurants in Dnepropetrovsk are …

• 15 cooks graduated from culinary school in Tiraspol at 15 square meters.
• No one including the chef understands what good Italian food is.
• Everything beginning from solyanka and borscht up to steaks and beef Stroganoff is present in the menu.
• Pizza and pasta are made from Ukrainian flour and Ukrainian sense.
• Mozzarella of local style also.
• Plastic onion and garlic are hanged everywhere in the dining area.
• Everything is checked.
• Huge quantity of different junk and empty bottles of olive-green color is placed on the shelves.
• A lot of firewood.
• Interior was made by Sikorskiy.
• Palm and other gilding can be met, but these are moves of another expert.
• Check makes from 90 up to 200 hryvnas

Good Italian restaurant in Moscow is…

• v. like in London but without chef and books in the dining area, and check makes about $160

Italian restaurant in Odessa is…

• The chef read Visotskaya at best.
• Personnel can say hello in Italian.
• The matters with cooks are going better then in Dnepropetrovsk.
• Solyanka is almost absent in the menu.
• Flour and other products is Ukrainian.
• Cooks can’t make pasta but they try.
• Under the name fresh fish is salmon in the menu.
• Balsamic by Knorr or similar.
• Everything is checked also.
• All shelves are filled up with junk, empty bottles and flowerpots with wooden trash.
• Plastic onion and decorations from colored noodles are present in the interiors.
• A lot of firewood.
• The hand of the same expert like in Dnepropetrovsk is noticed.
• Wood-fired oven in the dining area and «Celentano» in the frames.
• Check makes from 70 up to 160 hryvnas.

I’ll repeat myself: the character is generalized and doesn’t pretend to 100% precision or polyhistory. The exceptions are exists surely. I wrote this in rainy weather and after meeting with officials.

Tags: Gastro-tourism, путешествия, Restaurants

People at Georgian markets have rather patient attitude towards the tourists with cameras. And markets in Georgia are absolutely amazing places. The counters with various fruits, vegetables, greens, seasonings and spices… Raspberries, strawberries, hazelnuts, aromas of lilac and roses, long lines of matsoni, suluguni, Imereti cheese, corn meal for gomi, young pork and variety of Churchkhela… Very delicious home made cheeses of different grade of saltness, which have peculiar smell and taste. You can always buy tklapi, tkemali (red, yellow, green), lobio (kidney beans), gozinaki. Various salted foods: tsitsaka, cucumbers, red cabbage, dzhondzholi… But the main peculiarity is people. Their manner of communication, mimicry… mood are transmitted to the buyers in a moment. I spite of five o’clock shadow and rather aggressive expression on their faces, and women also, all-in-all the sellers are attentive and well-wishing. Below you can see some photos which were taken at the markets of Tbilisi and Batumi.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Gastro-tourism, Грузия

Pаrt 1

Part 2

The next day began from Ceretto. Two brothers Bruno and Marcello put a lot of their heart and soul into the lands bought by themselves and earlier by their father Riccardo. In time the film director Sergio Leone nicknamed them as Barolo Brothers. The brothers actually made their best so that the winery Ceratto became one of the symbols of the region and the main thing so that their children — Lisa, Alessandro, Federico and Roberta can sell the wines with pride and tell about company’s history to numerous tourists. The involvement of distinguished architects Marina and Luca Deabate allowed Ceretto to create memorable architectural beacons, which now allow to the guest to distinguish Barolo and Barbaresco of this company from many competitors.

We were received by the American Ellan from guest relation department in Ceretto, she was careful and attentive. I paid attention to her deep understanding and knowledge of Italian culture and found out that Ellan is graduated Italian University of Gastronomic Sciences. In Italy the attitude to restaurants is placed on cultural- scientific basis very long ago. The employee working at the reception of modest Hotel Savona knows much more about wines then many Ukrainian sommeliers. Below I cite his preferences among producers of wine in Piedmont. The first place takes Gaia of course, then Prunotto, further were mentioned Marchesi di Barolo, Sordo and Сordero, and also Fontanafredda, Correggia and Almondo.

In 1977 David Tremlett, British artist, together with Sol LeWitt have restored tumbledown chapel on one of the Ceretto’s hills. Now emotional and bright colors and simple shapes make the chapel the symbol of region Langhe. The artists have agreed to work for only one bottle of local го Barolo Bricco Rocche per week until death. The chapel is opened daily for free visits. The children of famous brothers now also involve the designers Donald Baechler, Robert Indiana and others for décor of placemats in their bistro and restaurant at local Duomo Square in Alba.

Federico, one of the heirs of Ceretto brothers, invited us to have a dinner at his restaurant where we met the chef Enrico Crippa. According to Federico’s words Grippa is one of the best cooks of in the world. The restaurant of the company performs representation functions; that is why I won’t comment what was going on there much, except mentioning the fact that their kitchen which has the square equal to the dining area is equipped almost up to the ceiling, at that together with the ceiling by the French company Matinox. And the dining area is painted in a little subdued but nevertheless unusually bright for restaurants pink color. After day meeting at Ceretto we had a half of an hour till the visit to cheese makers Beppino Occell. Absolutely by accident, just having typed the word restaurants in the navigation and chosen the first one, we got to trattoria Vasccelo d`Oro in the small town Carru. The restaurant was full; the menu isn’t served to the guests in principal, because all food is offered on the sideboard, carts and trays. Everything is very showy and uncommonly delicious. The merchandising at its best as always.   I liked Piedmont cuisine in the country style and without truffles very much.

The chef in the restaurant is the father of the family, mother helps to the waiters, and al the rest of staff are children, nephews and uncle from the same family. The office of company Beppino Occelli was situated next to village Carru in the small town Farigliano. There is only 10 persons work at the office. We have talked with export manager Debora. She told us about basic differences of the company Occelli, showed us the collection of typewriters and provided us with catalogues and price lists. About cheeses Deborah said much, having explained that we will see everything by ourselves. Then we went 30 km away to the village Valcasotto, which sooner or later will be renamed to Occelli. The main buildings in the center of this village are reconstructed into small bistro of the company Occelli, a small cheese shop of the same company, mini mill and numerous back rooms and also large-tonnage and very wet basements, where grow ripe the best cheese which I ever tasted.

The most famous cheese of this company is called Testun Occelli al Barolo. This cheese keeps to mature two years, at that the last months in the septum from Barolo wine.

Also the company produces the cheese, kept to mature in the tobacco and grape leaves and some types of cheeses with real truffles. Besides, the company produces butter which Wine Spectator and The Guardian are called the best butter in the world according to results of tasting of 13 different butters.

The price list of this company contains more then 20 sorts of delicacies under the name «cheese». As it was confirmed by my questions, Italians themselves think very highly of butter and cheeses by Beppino Occelli. I also saw more then once the cheeses of this brand on the cheese plates of some gastronomic restaurants.

Tags: Gastro-tourism

Pаrt 1

Pavia

In the morning we visited the enterprise Giovanni Colombo in small town Cava Manara. Madam Marcia with whom we made an appointment by phone, count money at work so many and so often that that she never has time for elementary hospitality. The owner of the enterprise, Mr. Giorgio Colombo (there are also such big names), dropped in and said hello, but when he understood that we aren’t the buyers from Moscow disappeared fast. Carlo Milani, production director has spent all the time with us. He showed us the workshop where they produce Grana Padano and Gorgonzola. The company is big, they have a few factories, but exactly this one in Pavia produces several types of Gorgonzola and Grana. I don’t have the impressions as everything was formally, fast and standard.

Then we moved to town Mortara near Pavia and visited salumeria Corte dell`Oka di Palestro Gioachino, which was recommended to us by the owner of lateria from Branzi. Absolutely by accident during the lunch in the restaurant «Il Cuuc» we paid attention to logo of a goose and asked is there anything common in salumeria and restaurant. It turned out that the restaurant is managed by one of the sons David, and another son and Gioachino Palestro are occupied themselves with production of salami and other different delicacies from goose. Besides, the menu of the restaurant offers all production of salumeria in the dishes.

The shop and the production impressed me… Only a few people were noticed at the production and e few tens of types of delicate products: sausages and a lot of other options of food from different parts of a goose, a few types of pate and terrines and of course foie gras. I would like to make special mention of ravioli with filling from goose and breast marinated and then boiled in goose fat. I don’t know who thought of the legend about that only in France people are able to farm gooses. White, beautiful and absolutely identical birds that have very healthy appearance, they rather resemble the swans then their Ukrainian fellows.

On the other hand our village fellow citizens differ more striking from provincial Italians from Mortara. That food which aborigines of Mortara eat every day, our  нашим fellow citizens, and at that only from capital or very well-to-do, can have only in the version of feature film  or when they watch TV program «Eat at home» at  Konchalovsky place and sometimes in the section Living of Vogue magazine. All the rest have the opportunity to choose from average supermarket range and possibility to eat rice with freezing under the name sushi on high days and holidays. I would like to make a reservation; the social implications are not the subject of my gastronomic investigation.

After Lombardia we moved to Piedmont, and to very Alba. We settled, or rather tried to settle at Casa Scaparone in the village Scaparone, 5km away from Alba. The owner of this business, some half Muscovite – half Italian Alesandra was rather courteous and careful within our correspondence. We were promised wonders which in actuality turned out to be rather untidy and unadapted for living of tourist place. Lift, apparently was made by the owner, as only she can use it. As personnel was one more girl, but she disappeared from time to time for 30 minutes, and even if she appeared she spoke only in Italian and didn’t hear unknown for her language and gestures on principle. I won’t describe super Spartan conditions because this place is a mistake in principle.

We moved, in the result to decent hotel, refusing from idea of agritourism in the given case. In the morning we had an appointment with other sausage makers at Luiset Аgrisalumeria in the small town Ferrere d’Asti, 20 km away from Alba. Earlier pig farm was situated directly near the production, but Chiara, owner of the salumeria explained that they have been forced to move pigs to another place. At production works the family, Chiara and her brother Mauro, father Gino and hired Pino.  This salumeria produces only 18 types of delicacies. Several types of salami and salsiccia, lardo, pancetta, lonza and prosciutto.

The tasting took place directly at mini shop next to salumeria and was combined with serving of fellow villagers. Everything was very delicious and with loving care. With that loving care which one can’t see in our sausage businesses. And business is presented here also, but only how can be compared home production of 100-200 kg per day with factory mega volumes where sometimes cuttings and skin, and more often protein hydrolysate is pushed into synthetic or starch cover and after steam cooker goes directly to supermarkets for people, for breakfast-lunch-dinner. Social implication again. I can’t not to compare. And comparison always impels to gastronomic emigration. And it doesn’t matter where from, the main thing is here.

The main product in Alba and in neighborhoods is not salami of course. Everything is dedicated to the truffles here… white, black, small and very large, smelling mysteriously always and very expensive. Even in season, in the end of October, the smallest white truffles cost from 2000 Euro per kilogram. The price for big patterns begins from 4000 Euro and ends at auctions on weekend by five digit figures. You can choose a restaurant not particularly because tartufo bianco is served in each restaurant here. To each dish form egg tajarin, you will offered 4-5 grams at a price about 30 Euros.

We had lunch and dinner at absolutely not tourist restaurant La Libera . There are local businessmen and simple Italians in the dinning area. The owner of the restaurant Marco Forneris, he is also the chef, serves the guest by himself together with two ladies. There are 4 people in the kitchen. The restaurant is full. The service is ordinary, without excess of false smiles and in general without capital-village affectation, but food is excellent. Ravioli with ricotta, spinach and eggs, covered by truffle, I could hardly dissuade myself from repeating. There is firm aroma of truffles in the hall and the dish with them is at every table. I recommend neglecting everything and coming here for breathtaking gluttony and at the same time ruin of stashes and another savings. And also 7-8 sort of local cheeses and crazy panna cotta with pear for dessert. I understand that my fellow citizens associated this kind of dessert with Ukrainian milk jelly, because of the efforts of some too business-oriented and – educated by halves chef…

For dinner Marco offered pork legs, fried with dried crusts and salad with chicken and foie gras. Minimal quantity of embellishment and décor in general, but it was delicious again. Again full restaurant of particular and know about Barolo and tartufo guests. Tomorrow we will have dinner here.

If to remember everything that was recommended or tasted in different shops and restaurants of Alba, then I can mention basic local specialties, like cheese Castelmano from province Cuneo and Gorgonzola, Taleggio and Roccaverano goat cheese, Monferrato salami, white truffles and apples San Marzano. And of course meat from Bue Grasso — Piedmont fat bull, the basis of the dish Bollito misto and Saffron yellow tajarin — Piedmont thin noodles, like Tagliolini which is served with local sweetish butter and white truffles.

The next day began from Ceretto.

Tags: Gastro-tourism, Италия

When I developed the program for gastronomic trip, I applied to several local travel agencies. But I got only silent from all of them, and that is why I provided myself with patience and enthusiasm thought over the entire program personally. Especially I was confused with the answer from the employee of the magazine Simple, who is responsible for eno- and gastro tourism: she said that this is commercial project, so you should search by yourself. However, as a favour I was recommended to visit Ceretto Company, taking into account that when I bother her with my mails they prepared new issue with the story about exactly this company in particular and about Piedmont altogether. And I always look thought the magazine Simple carefully, because the attitude of other employees of this company to the magazine is careful and serious. And the magazine raises the topic interesting for restaurateurs and travelers.

Arrival to Bergamo was late at night and directly in the hotel restaurant was excellent foodа: Caprino cheese — by its consistence it is young goat cheese, but without goat touch and as it turned out it is made from sheep milk — then local vareniki or ravioli, the local name «Casoncelli». Саsoncelli is cooked in the form of long vareniki  and served with sage, butter and cracklings from pancetta. The correct name: Il casoncello alla Bergamasca con e pancetta crocante — it is delicious. The filling consists of few types of meat, pears, raisins and local pastry. (I mentioned this dish several times earlier because I liked its taste very much)

The main Bergamo impressions: showcase with sweet polenta and fresh pasta with local names are everywhere. Then two small towns near the lake d`Iseo Sarnico and Lovere. Then endless mountain road  to the restaurant Ferdi Agriturismo in Scalvia and dinner with warm polenta and local cheese and chops from greens and spinach. Some more sorts of cheese and salami plus modest and warmed up pasta and pancakes with the same grass. After Ferdi the desire to visit venues with prefix agritourism didn’t disappeared at all but the crack was formed. Everything was too primitive and not really. Even food was doubtful, I’m not talking about the nuances and estimation on one-time tourists and on that in Italian village «that will do».

In the morning we reached Branzi, to the north of Bergamo in the mountains. Beforhand we made an appointment with the owner of the cheese dairy Mr. Norberto Midali. About 2 hours they showed us in details the production of several types of cheese. In our very presence they warmed the ferment for Branzi cheese. In our presence they also separated, cut and packaged butter. At this small plant they make from milk from local mountain pastures famous cheese Formai de Mut. This cheese is produced only in summer, and this  question is controlled firmly by the association of producers of this cheese. In the rest seasond they produce Rozetta, Straccino Valligiano and Straccino. The basic product of the cheese dairy  is Branzi FTB and Formai de Mut DOP.

Then we went to town Taleggio. We visited one of the producers of cheese of the same name, but the process of production has been finished already and everything came to nothing more than  mini tasting of very delicious Taleggio,  it is difficult to meet this cheese in the supplier’s offers. Then was a lanch in the Osteria Il Forno, in Brembilla and trip to Gorgonzola.

Many years ago the town was the forefather of famous cheese, but now it turned into solely one of transport interchanges near Milan. For dinner was reserved restaurant Osteria di Via Solata in the old part of Bergamo. It was impossible to park our car plus narrow streets and small squares with a half of car parks for transport of disabled persons and municipal services… The excitement to get there and not to be late was present.  Probably all north Italians are taught merchandising from childhood. Only they can lay out all essential and important things for precise perception of every bar, shop, simple sausage store and restaurant so sensationally and delicately, somewhat pretentiously and at once unconstrainedly. We also swallowed  this visual bait  in the Osteria at the beginning. Tablecloths-toppers, candles,different furniture and old but polished silver intensify the expectations of the main action, service and food always.

The role of hostess, waiter and chef performed the owner of the restaurant. We came at eight o’clock sharp evidently that is why he still was dressed in trainers, jeans and sweater. Nevertheless the owner’s behaviour  is taken as indicative one in the restaurant. After other guests came also, the owner after all put on cook’s uniform over the same jeans. The menu is very short: altogether 20-25 dishs. And there are no more then ten main, basic dishes.

We decided to order two tasting sets, taking into account that it was our last dinner in Bergamo. The food didn’t stay in our memory. Standard expensive tableware plus underplates and portions of 50 grams, including dressing and decoration. Hand-written check and loftily slighting farewell – exactly these things we kept in mind in the result. Such restaurants are forgotten fast…  It is pleasant that they are in the minority.

Further according to the plan is small town Pavia…

Tags: Gastro-tourism