A bold vision, imprinted with terroir, plant-based and NO WASTE: the constant evolution of Osteria degli Assonica, which offers menus for everyone, from the reduced formula to the total green route.
Photo Credits: Newseventicomo
THE RESTAURANT and PHILOSOPHY
The passion for vegetables was deep from the very beginning, but the unconditional love has been consolidated over the years; today, in fact, the vegetable world is the undisputed king of the cuisine of Vittorio and Alex Manzoni, the two brothers beating souls of Osteria degli Assonica. A love that is alive and boundless, so much so that they have gone so far as to create the drink proposal with a non-alcoholic pairing made entirely from vegetables, fruits, berries and spices, according to the philosophy of “non-waste.” "From the kitchen, come all the ingredients used for the drinks. This is precisely why seasonality marks the non-alcoholic path. Only two ingredients make up all the drinks, deliberately unprocessed to allow the recognizability of the products: the depth of drinking is guaranteed by fermentations and extractions that enhance the acid note naturally present in the ingredients. Acidity is a characteristic of all our dishes, it is what allows the connection between the glass and the plate", Vittorio and Alex tell, referring to this project materialized this year, the result of long study and research.
“NO WASTE” is, in fact, a prevailing diktat in the cuisine of the two brothers, a philosophy rooted in the concept of sustainability, which at “Osteria degli Assonica” is stripped of all fashionable frills and expressed in all its essence. A 360-degree sustainability that goes beyond the ingredients used and the processing and embraces the entire social fabric, leading Alex and Vittorio to collaborate with small local producers and solidarity associations. “Lately we have been working with a small, socially committed organic producer that employs former prisoners and those about to embark on a path of reintegration into society. For us, sustainability has to be well-rounded and not just refer to the elements. We also cooperate with “Tante Mani,” an association that takes care of young people with various disabilities: with them we made our new paper menus and coffee cups decorated with the children's drawings," they explain.
No waste, territory and sustainability are intrinsic values for Vittorio and Alex, originally from Valle Imagna, and for their gastronomic proposals that go beyond the three evening tasting menus. At “Osteria degli Assonica”, in fact, on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays you can enjoy a business lunch for only 25 euros (which becomes 30 if dessert is added to the two dishes) this is to let people discover their cuisine, but above all to make 100 percent use of every ingredient used for the evening menus. “The NO WASTE principle also translates into our business lunch where with what could technically be considered scraps or second-rate preparations we create a proposal at a lower price, but absolutely not inferior in taste and quality," they tell.
The Manzoni brothers have given birth, as well, to “Saturday Market”: “A three-course proposal for Saturday lunch, where the menu is simpler than the a la carte one, a little less studied, let's say, because it comes from the intuitive spark that is triggered based on what the market offers that day, ” they continue. Another cornerstone of Alex and Vittorio's cuisine, as well as, a distinctive element of “Osteria degli Assonica”, remains the practice of foraging, born from their deep symbiosis with nature. “The use of foraging should not impose itself on the plate: foraging is not the main actor in our recipes, but one of the elements that help us enhance the result we want to achieve. Man has always gathered berries, wild herbs, roots. Practicing foraging is prehistory and history: it allows us with our creations to bring guests closer to many forgotten ingredients", they conclude.
THE CUISINE and THE SERVICE TEAM
"It all began with a dream from when we were children: to be able to cultivate our passion for cooking together just like a family. After several experiences at high-profile restaurants, the long-awaited opportunity presented itself to us, in which we immediately launched ourselves together with Giovanna. A dream that can be described in a few words: family, talent, passion and nature", write Alex and Vittorio to describe what ‘Osteria degli Assonica’ is for them. A desire that since February 2020 when Alex and Vittorio, in the kitchen, and Giovanna, Vittorio's wife, in the dining room, opened their restaurant has come true, and that continues to be lifeblood for their creativity. A dream in which the two brothers want to involve every diner who visits them to convey their vision of cooking.
Among the three proposed tasting menus, “I Vegetali,” a vegetarian menu, is perhaps the boldest and the one that best represents them: a six-course itinerary filled with passion, telling of their deep connection with nature. "The vegetarian menu is constantly evolving and is the one that most intrigues our creativity, as well as that of the public. It is a menu that meets with more and more success: it is a path that, both on our part and that of the diners, requires time and commitment. "I Vegetali has to be metabolized and understood, it has to be cultivated and explained. Even those who are not vegetarians have begun to choose it, and they say they are satisfied because there is no perception that there is a lack of animal protein. For us it is a great satisfaction. In terms of taste and texture, there is no lack of anything. Many diners are going to try it spontaneously because there are many vegetarian dishes in the other two courses as well. Our most loyal customers therefore are already accustomed to our approach."
Alex and Vittorio express themselves in a cuisine that is extremely identitary and territorial, with such clear-cut traits that they did not hesitate to take one of Osteria degli Assonica's iconic dishes off the menu: linguina, bagna cauda, oysters and juniper. “It's a dish that we hold very dear and has always been very successful; it's been on the menu since day one. We thought we would no longer offer it because, today, it is less in line with the road we are taking. It is planned, in fact, to use oysters that, yes, are Italian, those of the Po' delta, but they are not an ingredient of our territory. We have always wanted to undertake a continuous evolutionary process, and this also involves breaking down our own milestones." The dynamism that characterizes Alex and Vittorio's cooking and thinking also pervades their cellar where constant is the research and, once again, the desire to enhance the places where they grew up and where their dream was realized.
"Our winery is an ‘’animated‘’ place, we like to renew, discover and make varied experiences in the world of wine as of beverages in general. We try to give attention to the territory very close to us, in what is the reality of Bergamo, with its novelties; however, we also look at Lombardy, which guarantees us important appellations. Outside our region we look for wines that can speak of their place of origin and where the hand of the winemakers is able to give an imprint that we are always excited to tell." “Osteria degli Assonica” is attunement from the plate to the glass, or rather from the earth to the table, taken care of by Giovanna's hospitality, which, always elegant and discreet, manages to receive guests with extreme warmth. “The hall must reflect WE, understood not only as the kitchen, but also as people. It is OUR house. This is exactly how I experience our hall. Those who walk in the door must immediately feel at home ... you go to the restaurant to feel good, to have an experience, to have a pleasant time, to celebrate. It's our job to be able to make customers experience these emotions."
THE DISHES
“A path that stems from the desire to enhance the products of the earth,” reads the menu that narrates “I Vegetali.” The mise en place is essential, it is the force of nature that decorates the table. The tones on the walls are light and soft, the tablecloths white, the color is left to a wall as yellow as the sun adorned with paintings depicting tree canopies in bright green such as to make even clearer the Manzoni brothers' deep connection with nature. The choice of crockery and glasses, which alternate with each course, is meticulous and extremely refined in an atmosphere that is never congealed but always warm and attentive. “Welcome colors and flavors,", the six amuse-bouches that open each tasting course, trace the hallmarks of Alex and Vittorio's cuisine. All plant-based, they are true sparks of flavor that release all their intensity and authenticity in a single bite.
“Il morbido di carciofo" with licorice powder is melt-in-your-mouth with tones ranging from sour, to umami, to balsamic; "the wafer” of walnut flour and kale, mint emulsion and preserved wisteria flower is crispy and light, extremely delicate with an almondy finish; ‘l'assoluto di carota’ is the emblem of no-waste: of the carrot everything is used, from the crispy puffed skin, to the pulp in tartare, to the barbecue sauce made from the same vegetable, which hints at the eclectic nature of each ingredient; “the potato millefeuille”, sour cream, garlic herb flowers is to be eaten like a lollipop: fun and lively, it recalls the mouthwatering goodness of potato chips, which lingers in the mouth thanks to the long aftertaste of the topping.
The “Takoyaki”, the typical Japanese meatball, here becomes vegetarian; instead of octopus, in fact, it is made with a ragu of smoked eggplant, pistachio and raspberry is a prelude to Alex and Vittorio's passion for smoked and barbecued food; “the macaron” with shallots and Pecorino cheese, then, is both savory and sweet. The warm welcome from the Osteria degli Assonica family continues with a sensational “Cavolfiore, nocciola e capperi”: course zero of the tasting itinerary and further sensational flattery for the palate. A tornado of flavors and textures, extremely enveloping and intense, yet absolutely light with the savoriness of the capers, the balsamic of the herbs and the crunchy of the hazelnuts. A dish that is mandatory to ask for seconds.
“Zucchini, almonds and marjoram“ is left as the prelude to the vegetarian course. In this dish, trumpet zucchini skins become ragu, its blanched flesh the cream at the base. Thanks to the bright green, one can already sense the intensity of the dish, as well as in the mouth, where the sweetness of the zucchini meets the mousse of bitter almond, the balsamic and spicy note of fresh marjoram and fig leaf oil, eviscerating the concept of “no waste.” The smokiness becomes the protagonist in the next dish, the “Smoked celeriac, hazelnuts, lemon with salt” to be enjoyed while sipping the delicate broth made from the vegetable's waste. It is a dish that dares, giving the personality of the smokiness and the citrus accent, which makes all the difference. We move on to carbohydrates with “Ravioli with silene, peas, garlic herb and lemongrass.”
The vitality of spring is on the plate with colors from the green of the pasta, to the lilac of garlic flowers, to the whiteness of lemongrass mousse. Protagonists here are the sweetness of legumes, the herbaceous and sour note of silene, garlic grass and lemongrass. “Swiss chard, goat butter, laurel and cardamom” is perhaps the course that best photographs the Manzoni brothers' cooking at this time. The innermost leaves of the vegetable are blanched and pureed in goat butter, while the outer leaves and stems are used for the ragu. This is a bold dish in which the bitter accent is sharp, but extremely calibrated by the enveloping goat butter, then steered by the spiciness from the black mustard and the pungent note of the wild bay laurel ristretto. A course as complex as it is surprising in its simplicity, extremely calibrated by a rhythmic alternation of bitter and sweet.
“Roasted onion, anise and thyme” is a fireworks dish, masterfully executed. A typically poor ingredient like onion surprises with its richness, elegance and power of flavor. From bite to bite the sweetness of the onion, the balsamic of the thyme and star anise emerge. The vegetable remains the essential element in the dessert as well, “Belgian Endive, Orange and Sesame.” Endive is dressed with oil, vinegar and salt, like the most typical of salads, to be cooked and accompanied by a reduction of orange, fresh orange and sesame that becomes both praline and ice cream. Alex and Vittorio's distinctive element is also evident in where sweet, sour, bitter savory and spicy are combined with the precision of an alchemist.
Contact
Via Don Santo Carminati, 9, 24010 Sorisole BG
Phone: 035 412 8398
