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ALEXANDRIA'S FIVE-STAR TASTE OF RUSTIC ITALY
BY GEOFFEREY CRAIG
Hotel restaurants often fall into two opposite,
yet equally undesirable, categories. They tend to offer either a
generic dining experience with little regard to local ingredients
and tastes, or fill their menu with mediocre versions of mundane
national dishes. In both cases, you would be better off leaving
the hotel and going to a nearby restaurant for a better meal at
a fraction of the cost.
Thankfully, the dining options at the Four Seasons San Stefano in
Alexandria, which opened in July, score higher. Built on the site
of the historic San Stefano Hotel, the hotel’s nine eating
outlets draw inspiration from the city’s Mediterranean influences,
with a strong dose of Italian, French and Lebanese cooking.
The 118-room hotel is located on the Corniche in the San Stefano
district. Despite its mammoth size and media buzz, the crowd has
yet to catch on. On a recent Tuesday evening, the hotel and restaurants
were nearly empty. Over the course of a two-hour meal, only about
a half dozen other customers sat down.
Maybe the thin crowds are partially due to the high prices. To be
expected, it’s not cheap. Dinner for two, including wine,
will set you back LE 500 at Stefano’s, which seats 60 and
specializes in southern Italian cuisine. It is slightly less formal
than the Lebanese-French restaurant Byblos or the Mediterranean-influenced
Kala, which offer diners more intimacy.
Stefano’s does an admirable job of creating a warm, convivial
atmosphere. The circular room is softly lit and lined with comfortable
yet firm sofas. Diners can see their food being prepared in the
open kitchen from just about any spot in the dining room, but it’s
a shame that, unlike the hotel’s other restaurants and lounges,
Stefano’s has no seaside views, or even windows. That’s
fine on a blustery winter’s day, but on a pleasant evening
you might be disappointed, and even feel a bit claustrophobic.
The restaurant’s menu includes eight antipasti dishes, but
you can get a sampler and select four (LE 65) or six antipasti (LE
85), the latter being adequately sized for two while still leaving
room for the main course. Among those, the Carpaccio di manzo, rucola,
scaglie di Parmiggiano, senape e balsamico (beef carpaccio with
baby arugula, parmesan shards, grain mustard and balsamic vinegar)
is definitely worth ordering. The paper thin carpaccio practically
melts in the mouth, leaving the palate receptive to the delicious,
sharp flavor of the parmesan. The Formaggio caprino con foglie di
vite ripiene al pomodoro, melanzane alla griglia e olio al basilica
(goat cheese with vine ripened tomatoes, grilled eggplant and basil
oil) impressed me most with its genuine goat’s milk caprino,
a soft cheese evocative of southern Italy.
Also worth trying is the Cuori di cariofo, fagiolini, funghi di
bosco con olio ai semi di zucca (artichoke hearts with green beans,
wild mushrooms and pumpkin seed oil dressing). The anemic portion
of delicate artichoke hearts disappeared far too quick, leaving
me wanting more. The Insalata di polipo, fagiolini, patate novella,
citronette limone e prezzemolo (octopus and spring potatoes in lemon
parsley dressing) featured a wonderfully tangy dressing, but the
octopus was somewhat tasteless.
Italian restaurants come in all stripes, but most tend to be run-of-the-mill,
content serving heaps of bland pasta. Stefano’s tries to be
much more, offering diners a selection of specialty dishes with
tantalizing flavors: seared salmon with saffron potato puree and
bagna cauda sauce; baked seabass with eggplant caviar; and saffron
risotto with grilled prawns and green asparagus.
Opting for one of the southern Italian specialties, I sampled the
Fettucine pasta con ragu d’agnello, fave e pecorino sardo
(fettucine with a lamb ragout sauce, fava beans and aged Sardinian
pecorino, LE 80). The pasta was slightly overcooked, but the lamb
– which was generously portioned in the sauce – was
tender and flavorful, making this an exceptional dish.
Stefano’s serves a range of meat dishes, such as grilled chicken
breast, veal milanese, grilled beef tenderloin and roasted rack
of lamb. And keeping with Alexandria’s reputation for great
seafood, the menu includes a full selection of seafood, including
seabass, lobster, calamari and prawns. The Zuppa di pesce alla mediterranea
(Mediterranean seafood pot, LE 130) is a good way to sample all
of them, and certainly doesn’t skimp on the amount of seafood.
The clear broth with a hint of garlic and lemon was perfectly prepared,
which made the garlic bruschetta difficult to figure out. It came
burnt and had only a faint smell of garlic.
The staff were knowledgeable and helpful, but not overbearing. We
were impressed that a request to keep a certain ingredient out of
a dish due to a food allergy was carefully followed. But maybe we
shouldn’t have been surprised, given the restaurant is part
of an international luxury hotel chain. And while Stefano’s
doesn’t promise the same joy of discovering a hidden gem –
that cozy place tucked away on a side street – its sophisticated
fare still promises an adventurous meal for a special occasion.
Stefano’s
Four Seasons Hotel
Alexandria at San Stefano
339 Al Geish Road, Alexandria
Tel: (03) 581-8000
Fax: (03) 469-0142
Open daily from 7pm to 1am
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