Pasta e fagioli, bigoli al torchio and "mari e monti" ravioli: these seem like ordinary dishes, but at Filia they become bold gourmet interpretations thanks to the style of chef Michael Silhavì. The new coming of age in Verona, in the city's most chic neighborhood.
Ristorante Filia
Do you know what "bondola" is? In the Vicenza area, they correctly define "bondola" as a sausage that is produced exclusively by processing salted and pressed pork. This "ball" of sausage differs from cotechino in shape as it is larger in size and defined by its packaging in a pork bladder and the inclusion of tongue (only during certain times of the year). Well, given the similarity in both spherical shape and pork composition, it has also become a term synonymous with "mortadella" in the neighboring Veronese area. And thus, it is from here, from "bondola," that our story stems from.
We are in Verona, a wonderful and romantic city, with a countryside that produces rice from the "lowlands" in the plains to the south. It is washed by the great Garda Lake to the east; finally in the north, after the Pre-Alps, it begins to wedge into that Val d'Adige that takes us to Trentino and then to Alto Adige. Verona is a beautiful city with its wonderful Romanesque churches, great Roman monuments (the Arena and the Roman Theater above all) and stupendous medieval towers and castles. Land of desperate love stories like that of Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague on the one hand, but also of great wines such as Amarone, Valpolicella and Recioto.
And the cuisine? Lots of tradition, but little innovation until recently. Then... along came the likes of Giorgio Gioco, the entrepreneurial chef, and his restaurant "12 Apostoli," one of the first in Italy to be awarded with Two MICHELIN Stars. And after him, at the restaurant, Mario Buffo imparts a creative and minimalist note to that cuisine. No more "pastisa del caval" (the horse stew in red wine typical of this city) but rather an openness to innovation. But other chefs "go through" the 12 Apostoli. First, Giancarlo Perbellini: who holds Two MICHELIN Stars, five restaurants in Italy, and important partnerships abroad. But, most importantly, he has trained chefs such as Diego Rossi of Trippa (Milan), Giacomo Sacchetto of La Cru (Romagnano Veronese), and Michael Silhavì, the protagonist of our story today.
The chef and the restaurant
Michael began his training as an intern at Ristorante La Peca, in Lonigo, and then moved on to "La bottega del Vino," the historic restaurant in downtown Verona. This was followed by three years at Perbellini Restaurant in Isola Rizza, and eight years at Ponte Pietra Restaurant, also in the city of Verona. Then, finally, he opened Filia, his restaurant in Verona's "uptown" neighborhood of Borgo Trento: precisely, the "bondola" neighborhood. The "chic" district of Verona, where professionals, entrepreneurs and managers live.
But when it was built, between the 1950s and 1960s, in the midst of the economic boom, families, in order to boast of living in the "Parioli" of the Venetian town, are said to have taken out mortgage after mortgage, and bought themselves a nice apartment or a small villa... but then forcing themselves and the family to "magnar pan e bondola," "bread and mortadella," every day in order to pay their debts. And you will see that this anecdote will come to form part of our chef's "kitchen of quotations."
Silhavi's cuisine is indeed a creative one, almost avant-garde and never exaggerated, but every now and then he indulges in happy and amused recreations of Veronese gastronomy.
The dishes
So, let's start with the amuse-bouche. It is a savory cookie with champonzu gel. A cube of crispy pearà and horseradish mayonnaise. Pearà (or peverada sauce, rich in pepper and ox marrow as well as breadcrumbs and Parmigiano cheese), is usually served as an accompaniment to mixed boiled meats and is in this case offered inside crispy and flavorful cube. The third amuse is a small olive cannoli and Americano gel. It is so good and fun.
We continue with a tempura radicchio, (it could be slightly lightened) with smoked beet and raspberry vinegar. Very interesting. The bread (sourdough, whole wheat flour, spelt and rye) is served with cold-pressed EVOO from untreated olives from Mezzane di Sotto (VR) of Le Raise farm.
And it's time for a super-light but flavorful dish: char crudo, oyster sauce (really good!) green apple and marinated celeriac.
And at this point...one of the most interesting dishes: pasta, fagioli (beans) and miso. You might say think “pasta e fagioli, what’s the fuss all about?” Well, Silhavi uses Felicetti Monograno spelt ditalini cooked traditionally and then also puffed, covered with a mousse of Lamon beans, rosemary powder, which is all mellowed out by a wonderful miso broth. A dish that would initially come across as direct, strong and might seem far too savory, but which turns out to be gentle, delicate and innovative, both in textures and flavor, while still being a pasta e fagioli. Very good indeed.
We then continue with the "mare e monti" ravioli, bottoni stuffed with nori seaweed, finished off with a mushroom-restricted broth, bay vinegar gel.
And then bigoli al torchio, (another recreation of a Veronese dish, "bigotti in anchovy sauce "), served this time instead with smoked roe and cultured butter. And it's time, now, for the main course: pigeon (breast, thigh, offal pate), broccoli fiolaro and its jus with added chipotle. A perfectly cooked, very nice and delicious dish.
The pre-dessert is a pistachio macaron, bondola (mortadella) and beer gel (dedicated to the borgo Trento neighborhood, because its inhabitants are precisely known as "bondolari," as we explained).
Finally for dessert, the Veneto Remedy (curdled milk, shortbread and honey crisp, hot milk mousse and grappa) and small pastries (caramelized chocolate peanuts, chocolate and hazelnut puffed meringue, raspberry made with orange, beet and Campari).
In short, a tiny restaurant (five tables), a tiny kitchen but a big menu. Finally, after Perbellini, Buffo and Sacchetto, we are beginning to see a creative cuisine also in Verona.
Address
Ristorante Filia
Via Francesco Anzani, 19, 37126 Verona VR
Tel: 388 724 9430
Website
