Il Molo

Dishes mentioned

• Farina Fritti, Uova di Carta, Crema Beige e una Spugna Aromatizzata al Pomodoro con Maionese al Basilico, Polpette di Patate Tinta e Maionese Affumicata

  This is spectacular — it feels like biting into a tomato from grandma's garden, with this Umbrian-style heel. The breading is masterful, thin and not greasy at all. The smoked flavor is the undisputed king of this dish. Really interesting.

• Trota Marinata con Tzatziki, Mandorle, Cannella, Arancia e Infuso di Rabarbaro e Frutti Rossi

  The first thing that surprises me is the firm consistency of this marinated trout meat — but then it melts like a cream in your mouth. It's exceptionally balanced. The tzatziki with cinnamon and almond cleanses the palate, but the real twist is this infusion of red fruits and rhubarb, which adds so much complexity. The rhubarb pushes the acidity, and together with the tzatziki's slight acidity, they balance the fatness of this lake fish. The red fruits give that touch of sweetness that adds another tile to this mosaic of flavors. I'm truly amazed — a really well-made dish.

• Roveja con Finocchietto Selvatico, Rosmarino, Salsa Nantes e Erba di San Pietro

  This dish is phenomenal. The roveja is a typical legume from our region, from the family of ancient peas — it tastes like lentils and chickpeas. Underneath you find the roveja, then the Nantes sauce made with milk, shallot and wine vinegar, and on top the wild San Pietro herb which gives a bitter note. Very interesting, and the roveja is something you rarely find. Also the Nantes sauce gives me the cue to invite you to watch our series on France.

• Luccio in Foglia Amara con Finocchietto

  I'm back in Venice, I'm back in Liguria — this dish is phenomenal. The pike in the mouth is a bit fattier than cod. This leaf is really bitter, but it's a right bitterness — you know what note it is? It was in the background when they told us about it, but it gives a big character to the dish. And the fennel makes this dish even more special. Delicious.

• Pasta con Burro, Limone, Bottarga di Luccio e Persico Reale e Cioccolato Fondente

  You can taste the chocolate, obviously. The pasta is exemplary — the mantecatura with butter and lemon on the palate is beautifully fatty, but the lemon notes give the illusion that it's a butter cream. So everything pairs perfectly with this bottarga, which is exceptional, and the chocolate adds that 'I don't know what'. And the idea of serving bottarga — fish eggs — in a container shaped like an egg reaches other levels of poetry in this restaurant. I also want to break a lance for restaurants like this: don't stop at the fact that it's three forkfuls, because a dish like this is never just three forkfuls when the preparations are so complex and the flavors so rich. And especially with a tasting menu, the chef calibrated all the small portions so that when you get to dessert you still have room.

Dishes mentioned

• Spugna di Rocket e Maionese

  It's a very soft sponge, like bread squeezed inside, but without crust — it melts in your mouth completely, goes pffffff and disappears. Very interesting, very good, and the mayonnaise is tasty.

• Polpette di Tinca e Patate con Maionese Affumicata

  Very good, I feel the smoked fish inside that makes this croquette delicate. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a light smokiness and a part of acidity that makes you want to eat it — it really grabs you and says 'eat me'. I think it's lemon peel.

• Arvoltolo Umbro con Uova di Carpa e Crème Fraîche

  The name is beautiful. It's made like a taco, I really like the consistency — a little crunchy and a little soft. The carp roe tastes like fish roe, and there's also this note of acidity that entices you and makes you want to eat even more. Very pleasant, very crunchy on top, soft inside, and the sauce lightens everything. Perfect for an aperitif.

• Cremato di Luccio con Roveja e Latte Acidulo

  I'm shocked. I thought I'd taste something good, but I never thought a few simple ingredients — pike, roveja, and acidified milk — could create something so shocking. It's incredible. The game of temperatures — hot, cold, crunchy, soft, liquid — all put together create a great dish. The sauce completely throws me off. It's delicious as hell.

• Tagliolini Arrotolati a Mano con Ragù Bianco di Tinca Affumicata e Finocchietto Selvatico

  Very fragrant, I smell smoked fish — delicate and very tasty. It has a relaxing effect on me, it's a very comfortable dish. The pasta is made very correctly, cooked very correctly, everything is fresh. The flavor is not demanding, not strong, really delicate and just right. It's like the cream and salmon farfalle from the 80s, but done well. There's creamy, there's smoked, but also something that refreshes you a little — perhaps the fennel. Very balanced, tasty but not too much, delicate but not too much. Perfect balance.