Four Hands Tasting Menu

I never miss an opportunity travel up the winding road to San Pancrazio, a hilltop village off the strada provinciale that leads to Siena. This evening was special: a tasting menu offered by two chefs, Palazzo Tiglio Chef Mattia Parlanti and Executive Chef Francesco Ferretti (currently helming the kitchen at La Roqqa in Porto Ercole on the Monte Argentario peninsula) both of whom share a vision of seasonal ingredients from the sea and hinterland, with a nod to flavors from other lands. As journalists were present on this evening, we were on our best behavior. Never flashy dress because, after all, we were headed to restaurant in the deep countryside. Our table consisted of party of 5, three local friends and my stalwart spouse. You can already spot golden-hued Palazzo Tiglio on the main road into the village. The structure's undergone massive renovations in the past few years and encompasses a small luxury hotel (en suite rooms and a gorgeously appointed full-floor apartment on the top floor, and an inviting shop facing the main square offering aperitivi, quick meals and does double duty as a grocery store for all manner of essentials for both guests and the local population.

The two well-appointed dining rooms awash in sage-colored walls overlook a spectacular terrace with views of the Ambra Valley, art-filled and airy; some of the walls feature large-format images taken by the proprietor, a professional photographer, of stunning Italian landscapes juxtaposing nature and architecture. Our dinner began with the requisite flute of spumante from Chianti with a trio of starters. Gli odori dell'Orto, odors from the garden (it sounds so much nicer in Italian), candied celery, onion jus finished with a carrot sorbet blended, savory, sweetness and crunchiness and I loved the playfulness of Chef Parlanti's asparagus-leek topped tartlet with creamy Mornay served on a bed of dried lentils (one needed to be told to not ingest them). Chef Ferretti's main course was a studied plating of fresh raw mackerel, all'aglio, olio e peperoncino (shaped like a chili pepper), a perfectly oval mozzarella di bufala with a cucumber compote peeking out underneath. Chef Parlanti followed up with pigeon leg (declared delicious by my dining companion who has tasted many a pigeon growing up in Tuscany), braised celery root, truffle and spicey n'duja which seems to find its way onto Italian menus with increasing frequency as palates have grown accustomed to it. Spiciness from hot pepper is most vociferously NOT a feature of traditional Tuscan cuisine.

My favorite dish was decidedly spaghetti in a deliciously sweet tomato sauce layered with tomatoes plucked from La Roqqa's garden, prepared in a variety of ways, that added color and flavor depth. Of course, the tasting menu included a selection of wines, all Tuscan, to accompany each course from a tasty Chardonnay IGT produced by Castiglion del Bosco to a delicious Sassi Chiusi, a Sangiovese blend from Azienda Agricola Bertinga (gaining notice on the international scene for its interesting fine wines). A trio of desserts signaled the conclusion of a wonderfully orchestrated evening by these two talented chefs. What I remember most was a tangy explosion of raspberry foam (grazie, chef Ferretti) across the palate and the earthiness of Parlanti's ice-cream dessert infused with fragrant hay and tangy orange finished with a honey-laced cookie. My spouse loved the savory vegetable tartlet and a resounding thumbs up all around on the evening's wine pairings. As generally happens, our party was the last to leave restaurant out into the warm Tuscany evening and, stomachs sated, the drive back through pretty countryside to home. At the evening's close La Roqqa's marketing director presented each couple with a prettily designed box containing a jar of the restaurant's succulent tomato sauce and selection of different varieties of tomato seeds. A thoughtful gesture and wonderful excuse to visit the Argentario which I adore.

This is one of many times I've dined at Palazzo Tiglio and rarely does it disappoint. Maître and sommelier Danilo Salvi guided the dining room staff through the multi-course dinner with a confident hand and always makes trying a new wine informative and pleasurable. As always, kudos to proprietor-restaurateur John Werich for the special place he's created.