Nino Di Costanzo, born in 1972, is one of the most generous and impetuous chefs of the Italian gastronomic scene. His Danì Maison, in the heart of the island of Ischia, is an enchanted place, a chapter of magic and found inside in a tarot garden full of works of art and objet Trouvé, which boasts two Michelin stars and three forks of the Red Gambero.
His cuisine is made of impeccable technique learned by great masters such as Gualtiero Marchesi, Gaetano Found and Juan Mari Arzak but colorful by a strong personality and from the peasant roots and marinating Nino. Which now brings his strong thoughts within one of the most beautiful hotels in Naples, the Hotel De Bonart Naples, Curio Collection by Hilton part of Caracciolo Hospitality Group. The deschevaliers restaurant, open in mid -June, is an ambitious project, in which art has an importance at least equal to the cuisine, and it is no coincidence that it takes its name from the totem work of the Neapolitan artist Sergio Fermariello, located in the lobby of the hotel, which recalls the imagination of the knights, symbols of exploration and discovery. Firmariello himself also signed the logo of the restaurant that evokes the figure of the knight, transformed into a visual emblem of strength and research, in perfect harmony with the identity of the hotel.
There are two tasting menus of the room, made by the resident chef Antonio Autiero (but in the evening when I ate I was from Costanzo in flesh, bone and charisma) and bilingual. The first is see Naples and then (saw Napule and Ppo ‘) and it is a cultured and non -oleographic journey in the Neapolitan cuisine, in four dishes and 120 euros. The second is joy … Moci (furniture … mmoce), more evolutionist, six dishes for 140 euros. Then there is a card with about twenty dishes in all, for those who want to build their personal path.
I started with a welcome composed of a fake packet with pea and heels cream and heels, from a bao with provolone and anchovy mayonnaise, from a basket of rice paste with aubergines and pop corn flavored with pumpkin seeds, by an aspic of fish with cuttlefish black, from a upper pepper of the river with green tomato gel and kiwi, from a classic Neapolitan Parisian Wall of buffalo milk with tomato water and crunchy basil. A small game of successful camouflage.
Then after the service of the bread (very good) and the presentation of an oil trolley, here is the actual first course, an interpretation of the seafall, with an essence of fish at the base, and then escape, shrimp, mazzancolla, tuna and cornia, in different marinade (one of the most beautiful compositions that he has seen in the last year), and next to a potato puree with salicornia, calamaretale,
I continue with the red shrimp tartare with crunchy rhubarb marinated rhubarb and buffalo milk jelly, then with a classic of Costanzo, the Astice in Parmigiana, with a remarkable lemon risotto, worked in seven different parts (juice, extract, zest, ground etc.) with shrimp spheres and zucchini. Then another evergreen of Di Costanzo, the spaghetto with the five tomatoes: copper, golden, datterino, cherry, ox heart. A triumph of Mediterranean sunshine.
Let’s go on: here is the Neapolitan ragout that lightens and becomes more agile because it is not cooked, with dehydrated tomato, buffalo carpaccio, marinated pork capocollo sausage, stuck pasta with Parmesan, the cappelletti stuffed with beef overflowing, butter, Parmesan and sage, the simple but wonderful meat with pizza chef.
The sweet part is entrusted to a predeassert played on freshness (raspberry sorbet, with celery, cucumber and kiwi, pod of crunchy bread and semifreddo with the yellow datterino) at the Napu’è Napl’In Festival consisting of a barrage of sweets many of which play with the city’s oleographic making the table a piedgrotta of colors and flavors and finally the small pastry shop.
A wonder, a fun.
An emotional and narrative dinner, which never detaches from the city, which, however, unrolls magnificent on the other side of the bar glass. All of Campania is represented by the suppliers of the various products, meat, fish, vegetables, virtuous and authentically sustainable reality. Each choice is an act of love for the territory, a tribute to biodiversity and quality.
The Deschevalier is located a Naplesat the Hotel de Bonart Naples, Curio Collection by Hilton in Corso Vittorio Emanuele 133. Tel. 0810902000. Open only in the evening, closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.