Host Restaurant and Cannolicchio Osteria di Mare: Four Hands Dinner

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 5/03/2019

Host Restaurant and Cannolicchio Osteria di Mare: Four Hands Dinner

In celebration of the arrival of spring, Chef Alessandro Capponi of Host Restaurant in Fiumicino and Chef Luca Baldacci of Cannolicchio Osteria di Mare in Rome prepared a full four hands seafood dinner at Host Restaurant on 30 April 2019.

Both chefs with their own kitchen brigades filled Host Restaurant's open kitchen with a charge of activity as they prepared their guests' dinner on Tuesday night. A part of what made the dinner special was the spectacle of the systematic bustle of chopping the ingredients, tossing of vibrant red spaghetti and dark green linguini in large saucepans, preparation of the dishes before they were taken to the tables. A variety of fresh seafood and an assortment of the season's vegetables in their dynamic colors were used in dishes as tribute to spring.

Chef Luca Baldacci is one of the youngest and most accomplished chefs in Rome. Still under 30, he has already managed an impressive lineup of experiences in three of the capital's important kitchens: Al Ceppo, Il Convivio and Acquolina, the latter two having Michelin stars. At Cannolicchio, he functions as the executive chef and he proposes a seafood cuisine with a contemporary reinterpretation while focusing on the strength of the flavors. Simultaneously, two doors away, he is also heading the kitchen of Trattoria da Neno which specializes in simple regional cuisine.

Chef Alessandro Capponi, Patron Chef of two-year old Host Restaurant had an extensive kitchen experience in the Roman gastronomic scene as well. His biggest mentor was Chef Giovanni Fella, whom he worked with for a number of years at Ristorante L'Uliveto in Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria in Rome. With the fundamental formation he had, he managed Rainbow Cafè for three years where he maintained a cuisine that respects the usage of seasonal kilometer zero ingredients. From his formative experience, he opened his own restaurant, Host, along with his wife Francesca who handles the dining area.

Omina Romana is a family-run winery that was founded in 2004 by German entrepreneur Anton Börner. It is located in the Alban Hills of Velletri, in the Italian region of Lazio (about 40 kilometers from Rome). Oenologist Claudio Gori and agronomist Paula Pacheco work together with the Börner family in producing high quality wines in their 80-hectare land with a cultivation of various indigenous and international grape varieties.

 Amuse-Bouche:

Alessandro: Cozza in tempura con granita di limone e aria di mare (Mussel tempura, lemon granita and air of the sea)

Appetizers: 

Wine: Omina Romana Hermes Diactoros II 2017 

Alessandro: La bruschetta e il mare (The bruschetta and the sea) 

Luca: Battuto di gamberi rossi 2018, pomodoro secco, pistacchio di Bronte, squacquerone e rucola (Beaten red prawn 2018, sun-dried tomatoes, pistachios of Brinte, squacquerone and rocket)

Pasta Dishes: 

Wine: Omina Romana Chardonnay 2016 

Alessandro: Linguine ajo ojo, peperoncino, zenzero, spirulina e crudo di gamberi (Linguine with garlic and oil, chili, ginger, spirulina and raw prawns) 

Luca: Spaghetto rosso ai lupini di mare (Red spaghetti with wedge clams)

Main Dishes: 

Wine: Omina Romana Viognier Ars Magna 2016 

Alessandro: Pescato locale in crosta di pane con scampi marinati alla menta, melanzane con gazpacho di friggitelli e salsa di cicoria di campo (Local fish catch in bread crust with marinated scampi in mint, aubergines with friggitelli gazpacho and wild chicory sauce)

 Luca: Astice alla catalana con marinata ai 5 pomodori (Catalan-style lobster with marinade of 5 tomatoes)

Desserts: 

Wine: Cantine Pellegrino 1880 Pantelleria Passito Liquoroso DOC 

Alessandro: Pre-dessert 

Luca: Fungo mousse di mascarpone, frutti rossi, ginepri e cioccolato fondente (Mushroom-shaped mascarpone mousse, red berries, juniper, dark chocolate)