3Quarti in memory of Stefano

On 18th April, 27 year-old chef Stefano Leonardi suddenly passed away, killed by a heart attack. “I will continue to write our story in your honour. Goodbye, my friend, rest in peace” was the comment with which his partner Alberto Basso saluted him on Facebook.

The two opened restaurant 3Quarti together, in 2010, in the heart of Val Liona, with a beautiful view of the Colli Berici. Leonardi and Basso shared their tasks: both coming from local catering schools, their meeting occurred at Nicola and Pierluigi Portinari’s restaurant La Peca, a great school. They then continued their journey together, up till the choice of taking a chance with a restaurant of their own. A journey the passing of Leonardi questioned: then came the decision to continue.

We’re happy about this. Because, as we’ll see, Basso offers a well-executed cuisine, with always interesting dishes, with a very strong character. They are charming explosions of taste, sometimes even excessive, as if the chef was afraid to lack in personality. Yet the talent is all there, the techniques are interesting and the mix of territory and creativity is excellent. Dining at 3Quarti is very pleasant.

Basso’s style shows a careful research of textures, contrasts and sensations; he’s not imprisoned in the local-product philosophy, he enhances excellent raw materials in the best possible way, sourced without any mental or geographical barriers.

The Spicy spaghettone Cavalieri with raw scampi and lime is the way you would expect it to be, tasty, without the fireworks we found in the previous dish, “i” Ossi de mas-cio, originally a dish with fuming boiled pork bones: here, in a light version, their succulent meat paired with peppers, a pinch of dried horseradish, in a sapid, well accomplished balance.

This was the first in a series of remarkably-made dishes that shared the same muscles and originality: Acquerello rice with Campari Soda and mint, crispy aubergines and sweet gorgonzola mousse (the taste components are all strong, but each is in its place), Cotechino with pearà, scallops, scallop tripe cooked with beef jus, green apple and parsley (a knock out for the taste buds), up till the Pigeon à l'étouffée, dried bread, three textures of salad, grilled shallot, purée of cassis and dehydrated blueberries.

A deliciousness deserving a few more words: Basso can simplify, but proves a complete mastery of cooking times. And the salad – fresh, dried and in the form of a sponge – is brilliant. The browning point of the following Venison on cream of smoked chestnuts, chips of foie gras, clementine, crispy Jerusalem artichoke and porcini was also exemplary: non-banal complexity, absolute elegance, if not for the meat being exceedingly sapid, though in fact magnificently juicy, because of a strong-tasting breading with herbs.

Basso worked at La Peca, and one can tell in the dessert too – Pierluigi Portinari is a master in this: Autunno is a crème brûlée with vanilla, pomegranate reduction, boiled chestnuts, pear jam, mountain pine ice-cream, all this with the smoke of apple chips. This demonstration of excellence would be enough to certify the clear talent of its creator.