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Dishes mentioned

• Misticanza al Pomodoro Olio e Farro

  It's hard to sum up in a few adjectives the variety of flavours you feel when you chew. Every element pushes in a different direction, and it's beautiful.

• Ostrica, Cicoria e Crema di Latte

  It's beautiful because you clearly taste all the elements in your mouth, each pushing in different directions. The chicory is slightly bitter, the oyster is iodized and savoury, and then the soft milk cream combines perfectly.

• Riso Anice e Emulsione di Basilico

  The presence of anise is persistent together with the acidity of lemon and the very pleasant basil, and the consistency of the rice is also very pleasant. No, guys, this isn't the plain rice your mom makes when you're sick, unless your mom is Niko.

• Cocomero e Pomodoro con Gel di Olive Nere

  Between the two parts there is a black olive gel. This is an extra because I absolutely had to taste this crazy dish again. I couldn't imagine summer better in a plate.

• Zucchina Croccante con Basilico Sacro e Crema di Cannella e Peperosa

  Crunchy zucchini at the base, small zucchini cut thin on top. The sacred basil is this cream of cinnamon and peppery that gives it a very interesting spicy touch. We keep flying very high.

Dishes mentioned

• Aspretto di Pomodoro e Fragola

  This is a combination of Datterino tomato juice and slightly fermented strawberry juice, served with raw oil and chili pepper. It smells like strawberries even from a distance. It reminds me of the sauce that forms at the bottom of a tomato salad bowl, but cubed. Starting with something cool is ideal given the 40-degree heat outside. I like it because it's a mix between a pleasant, acidic dip and sweet strawberry juice — a truly perfect combination. I'd call it a summer consommé.

• Insalata Mista Alcolica e Mandorla

  This is a salad of spontaneous herbs seasoned with a little gin, so they are alcoholic, with an almond emulsion at the base. The bitterness of the herbs is very strong but pleasant, and the sweetness of the almond mitigates everything. At a certain point you actually get the gin, but not in the alcoholic sense — as aromaticity. I really appreciated this reversal of roles where the salad actually made the real cocktail.

• Carota

  This is a single ingredient — carrot — in different consistencies and structures: juice, puree, slices, and carrot caramel. The first hint that comes to you is bitterness, which is very difficult to do well in a dish. Then everything else comes along. The bitterness is accompanied very well by a sip of sweet Moscato d'Asti. I'm a friend of carrots, honestly I've never hated them.

• Cazzarielli e Bieta

  These are typical Abruzzo pasta made only with water and flour, usually used in soups with legumes, but here served with chard and chard sauce. The chard gives an herbaceous and earthy note, while the lemon provides a fresh, acidic note. They use all parts of the lemon: peel, under peel, pulp, and zest. The pasta is fatty when biting, super pleasant. The lemon note is absolutely the protagonist. This is the third dish in a row where I detect a slight bitter note, and it's handled really well. Absolutely delicious.

• Pane di Niko Romito

  This is Niko Romito's bread, made with Monococco spelt flour and Popolazione Evolutiva flour, two very ancient grains from the Marche region. It has a balsamic note from pure laurel extract added during processing. The crust is crunchy, the heart is perfect in consistency and alveolation, and it has a very good taste with low acidity. It's off the charts. Unfortunately we are used to frozen bread most of the time, and we don't realize how good this can be.