Just in time for the beginning of the dark and cold season, our highly esteemed Confrère Rino Frattesi and his team succeeded in preparing for us an evening full of culinary delicacies and Italian dolce vita. The venue was Restaurant La Grappa in Essen.

In keeping with the theme of 42 years of “La Grappa”, Maître Rôtisseur Frattesi conjured up an exclusive Italian menu that left nothing to be desired.

Already the first course in the form of carpaccio mare e monti (carpaccio of the sea and the mountains) from bison, in combination with a very generous sauce of caviar, caused a huge taste explosion.

Other highlights followed, such as the famous 40-year-old balsamic vinegar on raspberry and the gnocchi alla grappa, which made the hearts of truffle lovers beat faster.

We were also enthusiastic about the tagliata of tenderloin beef from Silver Fern Farms, accompanied by the perfectly-matched Decebalo Riserva Strogolo red poured from the magnum.

The final culinary fireworks display was the sweet end of the “Fantasia” dessert in the form of a wonderful chocolate mousse, a delicate crème brûlée and a small chocolate tart.

Not only the culinary delights remain unforgotten, but also the imparted joie de vivre from the positive mood of Chef Rino with his entire kitchen and service brigade.

A spontaneous Italian guitar solo transported us for a moment to beautiful Italy with all its sensual pleasures and made us forget any worries.

Dear Rino, dear kitchen and service brigades, we would like to thank you all for this unique culinary experience and a touch of Italy in the German autumn. With your commitment and your enthusiasm, we are sure that we can look forward to further extraordinary events in our Bailliage despite COVID-19.

Dr Natalie Meyerhans
Vice-Chargée de Presse

Photos: Dr Natalie Meyerhans, Vice-Chargée de Presse