Research puts chef on the road
AT THE CHEF'S TABLE
A biweekly column where Chicago area chefs offer tips, recipes and insight into techniques and ingredients.
My goal is to provide our customers with authentic regional Italian cuisine prepared with the finest available ingredients and offer a superior wine list with approachable price points.
Sometimes, to do just that, it means going to the source, so this spring senior management and I visited Italy to research wines, ingredients and authentic Italian preparations.
It is important for us to research the origin of popular preparations that have received worldwide acceptance. During our trip we visited several culinary milestones: the restaurant in Rome where fettuccini alfredo is said to be invented; a Neaplitano Osteria known for its fried pizza; a pizzeria where pizza margherita is said to be invented, and a seafood restaurant known for having the finest fish in Rome.
Later, we spent three days in Verona at VinItaly, the landmark event for the Italian and international wine world. This exhibition gave us the opportunity to have a firsthand look at new releases. We tasted a variety of wines from the regions of Tuscany, Campania, Piedmonte, Veneto, Le Marche, Sicily, Sardignia, Puglia and Abruzzo.
We met with our current Italian wine suppliers to discuss wine options and promising vintages for our wine list. At Quartino we believe in offering high quality and balanced wines that are "cheaper than water," which allows our customers to experience authentic Italian dining without having to leave Chicago.
Next it was on to Naples, where we sampled a variety of essential ingredients, including buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and artisan pasta. One of the most impressive ingredients came from a mozzarella producer, Campania Felix. We not only toured the production facility of this small yet high-quality producer of mozzarella, but also visited the buffalo farm that produces the milk used to make this cheese.
Our journey found us back in Rome, where we stopped at the legendary Harry's Bar for a Bellini. It is always refreshing to step away from our daily tasks at Quartino and compare our products with the very best products found in Italy.
Here is an authentic Roman recipe for Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. This simple yet delightful recipe will appear in my pasta cookbook being released next year.
John Coletta is the executive chef and managing partner of Quartino Ristorante and Wine, 626 N. State.