Al Fornello da Ricci

There they were again, the famous Michelin stars, staring me in the face as we walk into Al Fornello da Ricci, a one michelin star restaurant in the outskirts of Ceglie Messapica, a province of Puglia. As soon as I walked through the door, I was breathless; the restaurant was beautiful, yet simple. Each and every detail about the restaurant had it's own beauty, as most of the decorations had been passed down from generation to generation.

We are guided to our table, which was beautifully set with the tools that are necessary for a beautiful dinner, Fork, Knife and Wine Glasses. We sit and converse, talking about how the interior was beautiful and cannot wait to eat the food. We are given a menu, but told that the chef has prepared a tasting menu for us instead of us having to order, and we are shocked! Aperitivos are brought out, a fried meatball full of beautiful flavors, and our first wine was poured, a local Rosè. We savor every bite and drink the wine, appreciating every little beautiful flavor. As we finish the meatballs, we are given a choice of Wine, either White or Red, and we choose Red. He brings out a Primitivo di Manduria, a beautiful red. Along with the wine, we are given the first course, a mix of different small bites, Fried Zucchini Blossoms filled with local Ricotta, Puree of Tropea Onion, Crostini with Puree of Potato and Bacala (Salt Cod) and a Quiche of local onion and Herbs. Along with this plate, we are given house made breads and another plate of Purees, which included a Potato and Fava puree. My plate was cleaned in under a minute, and by clean, I mean I licked the damn plate. After we finished, we are given Chef Vinod's cured meats that he helped us make the week before with a fresh cheese. We savor everything, not leaving a single crumb on plate. We are cleared for the next course, which comes to us with gusto. House made pasta, made by Chef Antonella Ricci's mother, tossed in a sauce made from Pureed Broccoli rabe and Porcini mushrooms and Wild Boar. Holy, frickin, moly. Again, my plate was licked clean, and not a single sign of food was present at the table, as I had eaten it all. I lay back in my chair, dumbfounded by the food so far, and we aren't even half way done with the meal. Entrees came out, a beautiful fillet of veal, cooked to perfection, served with a Puree of green onion and a turnip cream sauce. I have never been so damn impressed by a dish in my life. I felt as if I had been slapped in the face by God. That's all I can say about that, so go try when you can!