A nice new place in Ortezzano: Sebastiani

Ortezzano is a lovely Medieval town in the province of Fermo, with under one thousand inhabitants. You can find it on the hills to the right, when driving up Val d’Aso from Pedaso. The journey wouldn't be complicated if it wasn't that Google decided to suggest, to access the historical centre, a narrow and winding road, one worth the first gear at the end, while on the opposite side the road is large and the slope is very normal. Easy to imagine one might have some problem in case of bad weather.

Up there, not too far from the church and the castle, Carlo Sebastiani, born in 1989 in Fermo and graduated from catering school in Porto Sant’Elpidio, opened on the 2nd of July a restaurant named after him: da Sebastiani. It's lovely and reassuring, a point of arrival – and a new beginning – after a substantial training and commitment, with no frills to distract him. But there were some issues, like in the case of anyone how decided to open a business right before the pandemic. Indeed, he could have opened in the spring of 2020. Instead, he skipped to 2021.

What struck us of this chef is his concrete attitude, choice after choice. The two or three people who suggested I go, told me he's been working with Romito and Cedroni and one would think of them and their stars. Instead, his internship with the chef from Abruzzo dates back to 2010 and in Rivisondoli, in the first Reale that soon would move to Castel di Sangro. Then Bracali in Maremma, Cedroni in Senigallia and Parini in Torriana right before he left Povero Diavolo. This was in 2016, then a sabbatical in Japan and later the return to Italy three years ago at Michele Alesiani's Pepe Nero in Cupra Marittima. «Michele has a knowledge of products that I haven't seen in others, it was crucial for my training, for my opening my own business».

In that osteria Sebastiani had the luck of becoming friends with his current sous, Maicol Pasquali, who is from Porto San Giorgio (Fermo), the only support in the kitchen since they cannot afford a kitchen hand (and they take care of all the cleaning themselves in turn) and so it may happen that Alice Vannicola might have to mix the risotto herself, though she runs the dining room and the cellar, with only wines from the Marche. When they're closed, she goes searching for truffles with Carlo and their dog Zac.

The food is very Italian, it would be surprising otherwise, colourful and charming, the result of a good mastery of warmth and gestures, without the typical frills of those who want to surprise and mix everything.

Three starters, four first courses and as many main courses, and finally three desserts. A total of fourteen options. We were very satisfied with everything we ordered: Cold soup of summer vegetables, caprino and tomato; Caramelised aubergine, tomato, basil and pine nuts; Spaghettone in verde, with the aroma of one hundred different leaves; Risotto pomodori co’ l’ove, exemplary in its elegance; Chargrilled sheep, fermented juniper, baby potatoes and French beans; Roasted guinea fowl, parsley, chanterelle and summer black truffle; Salted chocolate and raspberry; Tiramisù “da Sebastiani” and Pina colada in the shape of a dessert. As for the wine, Case Quagna 2018, Marche IGT Pinot Nero from Cantina di Esanatoglia, owned by Alessandro Vecchietti in the province of di Macerata.

DA SEBASTIANI

Via Giacomo Leopardi, 11
63851 Ortezzano (Fermo)
Tel.: +39.393.7626820
Closing days: in the summer, Wednesday, open only in the evening; in the autumn and winter, closed on Wednesday and Thursday and open in the evening from Friday to Tuesday and at lunchtime too on Saturday and Sunday.
Prices: starters 12 euros; first courses 14; main courses 17 and desserts 6.
Tasting menu: 40 (4 courses), 50 (6) and 65 euros (8).

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso