OTTOCENTODIECI RESTAURANT
There is a popular saying that goes “out of sight, out of mind”.
Popular sayings are often true, but there are always exceptions.
The exception in this case are the sisters Annalisa and Veronica Magri, originally from Naples, who for three years now have been passionately bringing Neapolitan culinary culture to Pavia, in Sannazzaro de' Burgundi. In 2016, they moved from the Campania capital here near Pavia where they opened an excellent restaurant,eight hundred and ten, which takes its name from the distance that separates it from Naples.
Even though the Gulf of Naples is far from their eyes, they have brought the flavors and aromas of the Mediterranean to Lomellina, where they have created a new reality in the panorama of Italian catering where distances are not only shortened, but become a starting point for the creativity of chef Rigels Tepshi.
Born in 1990 in Albania, Tepshi trained in several prestigious restaurants in Milan, including recently Trussardi alla Scala and Seta al Mandarin hotel. Here at Ottocentodieci, he brings not only his experience in important Milanese restaurants, but above all a creative attention and culinary intelligence that is expressed in dishes in which Neapolitan and Pavia traditions complement each other in balanced but rich dishes, with local flavors (from Lomellina) and Mediterranean influences. An excellent example is the risotto with Sorrento lemons, scampi and turnip tops, prepared using Carnaroli rice from the nearby Riserva San Massimo, creamed with a lemon cream and completed with a disc of fresh scampi.
The geographical distance of the ingredients and the two cities is not the only distance that Tepshi and Ottocentodieci's cuisine bridges and renews. Finding the right harmony between the various local traditions, 'homemade' cuisine and a more contemporary culinary experimentation is one of the most difficult results to achieve. However, Tepshi manages to combine these different elements with talent and passion in extraordinary dishes in which familiar flavours mix with new and unexpected notes, creating an engaging and very special tasting experience: the snails with black cabbage, onions and currants and the Bertagnina pumpkin ravioli with pink grapefruit, Timut pepper and Mortara goose salami broth are the perfect expression of this.
Vegetarians can also find excellent options such as the Winter Garden with pomegranate juice.
Innovative desserts such as the Sweet pepper jelly with pistachio heart, cardamom mascarpone cream, grapefruit gel and the crunchy note of cocoa crumble or traditional ones such as the Bianco Mangiare with caramel.
An excellent restaurant is not only the result of an excellent chef, but of a broader project with talents in all roles. Among these, Benito Langella stands out, the restaurant manager, with great experience gained working in prestigious Milanese restaurants including Palazzo Parigi, who accompanies diners on the tasting journey offered by Ottocentodieci. His advice on wines, and rum, is invaluable in completing the already excellent restaurant experience.
Whether you are a foodie or a true connoisseur of Italian cuisine, Ottocentodieci is a restaurant you must visit to relive the flavors of different local traditions and to be amazed by the harmonious mosaic of new and classic recipes.
Good to know:
I remind you that the tasting menu varies from 55 to 70 euros.
The Ottocentodieci restaurant also has a 'rib': the 810 Bistrot & Pizza where you can find, in addition to gourmet pizzas (prepared with stone-ground flours and long leavening), also modern cuisine with an excellent quality/price ratio.
I was able to share this beautiful experience with wonderful friends,Francesca from Living to Tell,Chiara from With a journey in the head,Cristina from Good Food Lab,Marco di Mare of Sicily and surroundingsand Brillante Severina.
