Above Cesenatico, in Longiano, Alberto Faccani's stars have been shining for two years, creator of a territorial and seasonal cuisine with a commendable quality/price ratio, in a rustic and relaxing setting.
The story
A hint of sea salt breeze barely reaches Villa Margherita, a private residence converted into a hospitality structure in the hills above Cesenatico, in Longiano. And the sea is glimpsed in the distance, beyond the green smiles of the slopes, among which lurks the blue of a swimming pool among the fragrant patches of broom. "I knew this place from when I catered for the owners some years ago, before the renovation," recalls Faccani. "There's this peace, you can see all the way to San Marino. No one could imagine that just a few kilometers from the chaos of the Riviera, there's an oasis like this."
The potential here is quite different from that of the venue on Viale Trento, where even in 2008 the chef had moved the Michelin star he had won three years earlier, only to double it in 2017. Here there are airy and bright rooms, whose combination with fine dining and the landscape attracts an international audience. Alberto Faccani was born an accountant, before becoming a successful self-taught chef.
"Because my parents, who ran a farm and a plastic pipe factory, wanted me to acquire a basic education before getting into manual work. But even as a child, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered without hesitation: a cook! Maybe influenced by the women at home. Then there was the internship at La Frasca, with a still blank resume, and two years at Enoteca Pinchiorri, during the time of the duumvirate Italo Bassi-Riccardo Monco. An experience that shaped me, teaching me the organization of work in a large team.
So when I opened Magnolia on April 1, 2003, with just a few of us, after twenty years I feel like I'm applying those lessons and recreating what was shown to me." Last year, Veranda arrived, a traditional fish restaurant in the center of Cesenatico, which, inspired by Basque asadors, offers, among other things, whole fish and grilled prawns, all sourced from the local fish market. But it's the new location that makes the chef's eyes shine.
Magnolia's Cuisine
"In Cesenatico, I was tied to the fish market, so I used less meat and felt somewhat limited. If I wanted pigeon, I could include it, but sweetbreads or a particular cut of pork would have been unimaginable. Here, I find myself in the midst of the countryside, yet close to the sea. Having everything at my disposal, I can cover 360 degrees. There are artisans from the area, whom some friend colleagues helped me discover: pigeon and lamb breeders, Zavoli for Romagna blackberries, Talamello slaughterhouse for sweetbreads and bones for stocks. And olive oil is also produced.
I still get fish from the fish markets of Ancona, Cesenatico, and Rimini, even to Chioggia during the soft-shell crab season, through a supplier who buys to order, notified the day before or overnight. All fresh. The vegetables are from the Cesena area, and we also do some foraging, in addition to cultivating a small garden for aromatic herbs." The result is a concentration of the territory, taking on elegant and imaginative forms, sometimes playful on a classic and generous base, with a full flavor. "What I've realized over all these years is that I don't want to imitate other cuisines; I prefer pickled over fermented, a trend that, like others, would make no sense in this context and in our climatic conditions."
The Dishes
They come in three tasting menus, sold at extraordinarily friendly prices for a two-star establishment, perhaps thanks to Faccani's background as an accountant: The 21 years of Magnolia, a journey in the dark made of historical dishes sometimes revisited, priced at 100 euros; The Magnolia with 6 and 9 courses, featuring signature dishes or more contemporary recipes, priced at $150 and $180. They are presented in the dining room with a smile by the young manager Debora Fiumi and her team; while in the kitchen helping Faccani are Alessandro and Danilo. Another pillar is the sommelier Andrea Fiorini, who in his previous life was a laboratory rat, temporarily lent to the Grand Hotel in Rimini during the summer.
He manages a wine list of 700 labels, complementing classic bottles with niche selections, the nouvelle vague of Romagna, and some natural wines from the most renowned areas, playing with pairings that are often surprising. It starts with a cocktail, because Faccani likes to showcase personal talents. "And here comes Mattia, who returned from Australia a year ago. We gave him carte blanche in mixology, and now he goes to gather elderflower and medicinal herbs, prepares his bases with seasonal local products, like wild plum and jasmine, happily using Baldo Baldinini's bottles."
From Chioggia, at the peak of its season, arrives the seared scallop, introduced in a domino of spring associations with asparagus, then the mullet egg (bottarga), the almond reconstructed and in the form of bagna cauda from its milk, emulsified with garlic paste and oil in Alajmo style, plus a green anchovy sauce and asparagus scraps, whose peels provide the broth for blanching the tips. A dish full of circular suggestions and zero waste, garnished with micro nasturtium and other garden herbs, celebrating the moment.
It's now a classic, the squid carbonara and truffle, which in the land of tagliatelle and tagliolini ventures into the pasta of a different cephalopod, more suitable than cuttlefish for size and texture; the missing egg as a condiment, in the form of spherified yolk to reduce the size, pecorino cheese, guanciale, and black truffle from Norcia, to support the earthquake victims of 2016.
Here, Fiorini unveils a medium dry Madeira for the zabaglione effect, removing the fishiness, extending the sweetness, binding with the cheese and truffle thanks to oxidation, but also with the mollusk for its sea savoriness.
More recent are the spaghetti alla chitarra with mustard greens and langoustines, in balance between sweetness and bitter trend. "On the way to Longiano, wild mustard proliferates, which we collect in the morning. The tougher leaves are blanched and reduced to cream, along with the tender ones, Ancona langoustines, verbena for freshness, and a delicate bisque, obtained from non-toasted, but fried heads."
Another signature dish is the tortelli of passatelli, or cappelletti, a sort of epitome of Romagna, which encloses within the circle of a plate three icons of the territory, for a unique trio: inside the tortellino is the passatelli dough with nutmeg, cooked in the classic broth, plus chicken glaze, marinated shallot, sauce, and stridoli leaves for the reference to tagliatelle.
The heart sweetbread of Romagna breed is classically cooked and served with morels stuffed with sweetbread, wild garlic from Valmarecchia, smoked milk foam for the liaison with veal. "Because I look up to the greats, like Enzo Ferrari, in respect of artisans. I remember Marchesi, who, if he had to cook veal, used butter."
Closing is a total red dessert, monochrome composed of raspberry praline from a stone grinder, rhubarb and raspberry gel, red beet sponge, frozen faux raspberry of rhubarb and raspberry, rhubarb and raspberry sorbet, raspberry wafer, raspberry filled with red beet puree and Timut pepper, for every possible intersection between acidity and earthiness, without visual holds.
Contacts
Magnolia Restaurant
Viale Trento, 31 – 47042 Cesenatico (FC)
Phone: +39 0547 81598
