La Rimessa shines again

After over 20 years of activity in his Mariano Comense, chef Sergio Mauri, vice-president of the Associazione Cuochi di Como and one of the pioneers of good cuisine in Brianza, left his place to two young men who wanted to invest in the ambitious project of re-launching La Rimessa, a historic establishment in Mariano Comense. So Francesco Palumbo and Stefano Ierardi took the reins of the carriage that leads to this establishment, in a corner of the ancient courtyard in which, once, carriages were left.

Francesco, 33 this July, arrives after the fresh experience as sommelier at Cracco’s, where he was appreciated for his competence and professionalism, while Stefano, who will turn 37 in August, left the De La Ville hotel in Monza, but also brings his experience side by side with Claudio Sadler as his dowry. In other words, their credentials are good. In fact, they are excellent.
And this without taking into consideration the courage of these two young men who have decided to begin a fascinating adventure at a time when things are not exactly favourable, from the economic point of view, since the rich area of Brianza has began, for quite some time, to tighten its belt.

In any case, there’s lots of enthusiasm to be seen here. Francesco, in the dining room, is a good host, while Stefano has managed to give an extra touch of originality to the food. So much so that today, under the sign of La Rimessa, one can also read “Tradizione e innovazione” (Tradition and innovation). The menu is decisively different from the past, but some elements remain together with products tied to local cuisine. You can still find the rustisciada, a typical dish from Brianza, and in some preparations you can notice the use of missoltino or perch. This is, at least in part, tradition.

As for innovation, there are some clear references to the previous experiences of the two men (it’s not difficult to spot them in the Cubes of Milanese-style veal with corn, just to give an example) and there are also some pairings that are both provoking and tasty. Sardines, veal sausage and smoked cicerchie beans (lathyrus sativus) is a starter with a decisive taste, but has an impeccable balance. The Courgette flowers’ tempura, stuffed with buffalo ricotta bursts with flavour.

Stefano loves making fresh egg-pasta with his own hands, and he successfully does so, as his Open cappelletti aromatised with bear and thyme and served with broad beans, guanciale and fatulì (a cheese from Val Camonica) demonstrate. The Pappa al pomodoro with squid spaghetti is an explosion, and not only of colours: it has intense and delicate flavours, at the same time. These, however, are only a few examples. The wine list is still a “hybrid”, with some bottles inherited from Sergio Mauri and the new entries chosen by Francesco Palumbo. Summing up, this is a continuous evolution that started at the beginning of February, at the same time of the Identità Milano congress. Who knows, it might bring them luck.

La Rimessa
via Cardinal Ferrari, 13b
Mariano Comense (Como)
+39.031.749668
info@larimessa.it
Average prices of the courses: 5, 12, 18 and 8 euros
Tasting menu: 45 euros
Closed on Sundays (all day) and on Monday evening