Taglienti’s alchemies

During a move, we found an old menu of Antiche Contrade in Cuneo. It dated back to 2008. The “Attimi Taglienti” tasting menu stood out, with dishes such as Oyster and foie gras with prickly pear juice, Beef sweetbreads with squid ink, scampi and lemon, and Veal head, heart of mackerel and black truffle.

With no desire to act as wise guys, we can state that Luigi Taglienti’s talent was already clear when he was still wearing a pair of worn out jeans, instead of the current dress. His dishes were almost always the happy result of a ferocious impact between sea and land, the same that over the geological eras has designed the profile of the Maritime Alps, the horizon that was inspiring him at the time. At Identità Golose, we awarded him with the "Beer in the kitchen" prize in October 2010, almost two years before the revolutions that pushed Andrea Berton (who has just re-flourished) from the backbench of Trussardi alla Scala and substituted him with the Cracco-Taglienti diarchy, the following year.

The supervision of the chef from Vicenza finished a few months ago. So now, the beanpole chef from Savona, born in 1979, is happily the sole one in charge of the most beautiful dining room in piazza della Scala.

He does so without any pride, however, because he still is an easy going person, when it comes to manners: no screams, no media presence on social networks, no self marketing. Quietly whistling, his hands in his pockets, in a few months’ time he made a record: Trussardi is the best restaurant serving Ligurian cuisine in Milan. And he certainly does much better than all (or almost) the most established restaurants in his region of origin, which is going through a preoccupying low period – as told by our contributors – one that is more and more distant from the starred splendour of the times when French guests crossed Ventimiglia with their copy of the Michelin guide in the car, happy to sit in restaurants where the food was better and more accessible than their own.

Things change, however, and today you don’t go to Trussardi’s to rediscover treasures such as Borage ravioli, Prescinseua or the traditional Ligurian style rabbit. The name indicated in the menu, even when stated, is not necessarily indicative, because the chef, faithful to his surname (Taglienti, cutting, sharp) cuts dogmas into pieces and puts them back together into a chiasm, turning the sequence of the elements upside down: in the dish in the photo at the top, for instance, the borage filling becomes the wrapping and the pansotto leaves the main role to the root of the plant, which is grilled, chopped and even juiced.

The Prawns passatina with chickpeas, instead,is a tribute that turns the shape of Fulvio Pierangelini’s passatina inside-out . By the way, on February 10th, during Identità Milano, we will award the latter chef with an important homage – Editor’s note. Not to mention the sagacity of not throwing anything away, as with the delicious Butter and sage in the picture in the middle, in which he uses the stalk and not the leaf of the herb, the same passion for scraps that the chef expresses with garlic peel, which he would never throw into the rubbish (please note that the sage in this dish is caramelised, dried and blended and powdered and the raviolo below is a liquid one, Adria-style, thickened with agar-agar). These are ideas that are full of imagination, taste and «neoclassic» instincts, following the accurate self-definition the chef gave himself, respectful of his role in reading the orthodox commandments and then adding his marginal notes.

Before leaving you to the photo-gallery with the many dishes tasted, we remind you of two facts that add optimism to optimism. First, Marco Curcio and Simone Dimitri, sommelier and maître of this new version of Trussardi, are both 29. Second, ever since the establishment on the upper floor was divided – today, as you exit the lift, on the left you can find the cigars and spirits lounge, separated with a screen from the restaurant – there are less available seats. So the chef is free not to think of numbers and focus on his show in the kitchen.

Trussardi alla Scala
Piazza della Scala, 5
20121 Milan
+39.02.80688201
Average prices: starters 38, first courses 30, fish mains 55, meat mains 48, desserts 25 euros
Tasting menu: 140 and 160 euros