Here is a restaurant I’m hesitant to tell you about. Why? Well, I don’t know whether to shout from the rooftops that there is a fabulous new Italian bistro in town, or keep it to myself, like a gem that I only show to very special guests who deserve a very special treat.
But heck, this restaurant is too good to keep quiet about. Mascalzone Latino, tucked into a tiny street up the hill from Batthyány tér, is authentic Italian food in a simple, elegant setting. Mascalzone means “rascal,” and although chef Giuseppe Mosti has unusual tastes (baguette smothered in Nutella) and habits (sniffing from a jar of Italian air), there was no evidence of rascal-ness.
Nevertheless, the name points to a sense of adventure that Giuseppe and British colleague Nigel Clease bring to Mascalzone. They have dared to present Budapest with authentic Italian cuisine that is a far cry from the pizza-pasta proffered elsewhere, Italian cuisine with imaginative elements and exquisite presentation. Another brave move – the restaurant is completely and unabashedly non-smoking. Because food, and wine, should be enjoyed (and, arguably, can only be truly enjoyed) in a smoke-free environment.
Settling into our leather chairs in front of the window, we soon ordered a Prosecco to start, in anticipation of the Italian specialties ahead.
My dining companions and I easily decided on an irresistible appetizer plate of various kinds of (need I say, Italian) salamis and cheeses, a pleasant change to their Hungarian cousins, and a truly Italian treat of marinated artichoke hearts.
To accompany our meal, we chose a Vino Nobile de Montepulciano from the wine menu, which is comprised of both Italian and Hungarian wines in a nod to the skill of the Magyar winemakers. We thoroughly enjoyed the smooth and strong Montepulciano, designated a wine fit for noblemen in the mid-16th century by Pope Paul III Farnese.
I continued my meal with maltagliati pasti with porcini sauce, because as you will have read in the last issue of Funzine, it’s chef Giuseppe Mosti’s favorite! Indeed, it was as simple and scrumptious as it could be; homemade pasta, al dente, with a cream sauce suffused with the true taste of porcini mushrooms.
My dining companion opted for lamb scottadito, lightly breaded fried lamb chops on a bed of artfully tossed zucchini. He was thrilled with the rare opportunity to have succulent lamb chops – being Hungarian, he could vouch for the fact that well-prepared lamb is rather hard to come by in Hungary.
We soon finished off the Montepulciano, and chose to follow with a Chianti Classico, which we perhaps should have had first, but it was actually nice to have something lighter as our meal progressed.
Our other dining companions, satiated after the generous appetizer platter (we, on the other hand, held back in anticipation of pasta and lamb), chose grilled pecorino cheese with rucola, a light dish that makes the most of the savory cheese.
The dessert menu presented quite a dilemma – homemade Italian cornetto with vanilla ice cream, hazelnut and chocolate brittle? Orange and couscous mousse with green apple coulis? Or limoncello tiramisu?
The latter, a combination of two of my favorite Italian specialties, sounded truly tantalizing, so I did not resist. The ladyfingers and mascarpone cream, soaked in the tart-sweet taste of the lemon liqueur, was a fantastic new twist on tiramisu.
The lemony loveliness soon disappeared, so we finished our meal with a chilled glass of the real thing, icy limoncello. What else can I say? We’ll be back.
Adri Bruckner
From the menu:
Appetizers:
Mediterranean platter with Italian cold cuts, cheese, olives and artichoke
Grilled pecorino cheese with rucola and chilli oil
Pastas & Main Dishes:
Maltagliati pasta with porcini sauce
Lamb chops “scottadito” with sauteed zucchini
Desserts:
Limoncello tiramisu
Orange and couscous mousse with green apple coulis
Mascalzone Latino
Locanda Mediterannea
1015 Budapest, Donáti u. 40-42.
Tel.: +36.1.201.0084
