Ai Fiori

Nothing makes me happier than good pasta — pasta that is freshly made with the right chew and pull, cooked al dente, covered in a sparing amount of sauce, and sprinkled with shaven cheese.  Few places  can cook true pasta and Ai Fiori is most definitely one of them.  We decided to go with the four course prix fixe, which includes per cominciare (appetizer), pasta or risotto, pesce or carne, and dessert.

Before we began with the prix fixe, we were treated with an amuse bouche of carrot puree.  Light, savory, and slightly sweet, it was a refreshing start to the meal. 

For appetizers, we ordered the Crudo di Dentice, a red snapper crudo on top of garlic crema, topped with crispy shallots and salmon roe.  The red snapper was delicate and fresh, while the brininess of the roe complemented the slight sweetness of the shallot crisps.  

There was also the Granchio, a dish composed of fried semolina dusted soft-shell crab with acqua pizza, fennel, and orange.  I liked the contrast of the crab's crispy exterior and the softness of its meat, but the semonlia dust could have used a tad less salt.

The third appetizer was the Uovo, a slow poached egg on top of braised lamb, chickpea pesto, and pistachio. 

The best course hands down was the pasta.  The squid ink dish, called Trofie Nero, sounded so enticing that four of us all ordered it.  However, the move turned out to be for the better because we all enjoyed it so much that it would have been impossible to share.  It was a ligurian crustacean rague of seppia, scallops, and spiced mollica.  Not only was the dish full of umami, the pasta itself had the most perfect texture with just the right amount of pull. 

The fifth pasta dish was Cappelletti, which consisted of english pea ravioli on top of lamb and mint pesto. The english pea filling was heavenly light and whipped, and the dough of this pasta was perfectly al dente.  

For the main course, I chose the Ippoglosso, a filet of line caught atlantic halibut on a bed of summer squash caponata, coco beans, and pine nuts.  It was a clean dish with a nice acidic punch from the dried fruits. 

However, I have to admit that my mom's Capresante was the entree of the night. The seared scallops had a natural buttery sweetness and the couscous, taggiasca olives, broccoli rabe, and tomato aioli made a great pairing. 

The Agnello was rack of lamb en crepinette, so instead of the flat slices of meat we're used to, the racks came out in the shape of drumsticks.  The portion size was actually quite filling and the lamb was braised in a thick savory sauce and accompanied with ratatouille and summer squash 

There was also an excellent olive oil poached swordfish dish with razor clams, chickpeas, and chorizo.

We made sure to all order different desserts. As a fan of boozy desserts, I personally enjoyed mine the most.  The Pane Caramel al Rum, a caramelized brioche topped with torched banana, passion fruit crema, and licorice, had an addictively chewy texture and wasn't overly sugary. 

The Torta di Olio was crowned with a mascarpone mousse, sprinkled with sicilian pistachios, and topped with a dollop of strawberry sorbetto.  Overall, the dish was nice and airy, and I was a fan of the olive oil torte. 

To satisfy our cravings for something a bit salty, there was the Budino, a milk chocolate crema perched on top of a crunchy cocoa sable with a caramel filling and topped with an apricot gelato. 

The Crema di Cioccolato was a dark chocolate shell containing malted mousse, cocoa nibs, and olive oil gelato.  I'm not the biggest fan of mousse-based desserts and felt that this dish lacked a crunchy or cake-like factor.  

Lastly, we had the Mille Feuille, except it was an very untraditional take on the classic. Instead of flaky sheets of pastry, the layers of hazelnut praline and chocolate cremeux were separated by sheets of chocolate. The combination of the fior di latte gelato and the pudding-like texture of the chocolate gave the overall dish a heavy, creamy effect. 

Ai Fiori was probably the best pasta experience I've had to date.  If you ever have the chance to visit, treat yourself to a bowl of springy, chewy, carb-filled delight.