Allegro

Last night Katie and I attended a dinner benefiting the Gwinnett Heart Walk for the American Heart Association at Allegro, which is near the Virginia-Highlands (almost exactly across the street from One Midtown Kitchen).

Until this weekend I had never heard of this restaurant, but a friend ate there this past week, and his expert palate assured me it was one of the better meals he and his parents had eaten recently. I love Italian food, and justified or not, I sometimes feel Atlanta doesn’t have enough REAL quality Italian food.

In my nine years in Atlanta my favorite Italian meals have been at Sotto Sotto (and their pizza place next door, Fritti), La Tavolo Trattoria, and Nino’s Cucina Italiana, in that order. I am kinda of “meh” on Vini Vidi Vici and Baraonda. My family used to go to VVV frequently, but the last time I went it was very unmemorable and my feelings are consistent with what I’ve heard recently from others.

I had a horrible food AND service experience at Antica Posta and will not be going back there, despite claims from other people that say that it rulez. I also think the chain Maggiano’s sucks.

Now, Allegro can be added to my list of great Italian meals in the ATL. Two reasons I have never heard of Allegro: one, it’s less than a year old, and two, there is not much reason you would go down their street by happenstance. Previously, a foodie would only go down that street to go to One Midtown Kitchen, and actually I was told that Allegro gets a lot of the overflow from One (those who don’t want to wait for a table at One say “oh, there’s a restaurant right across the street, let’s go there!!”). That statement is the whole basis for my theory that a neighboring restaurant would do well in proximity to Nuevo Laredo, but that’s another topic.

Reviews of Allegro from both the “pros” and the amateurs internet reviewers have been very positive. Meredith Ford of the AJC (who lost some credibility when she slammed Nuevo Laredo), raves about chef Joséé Rêgo, saying he is “poised to be the next Emeril if the Food Network ever discovers him”.  Big-time praise. She goes on to comment on his knack for braising, and the quality of his seafood, including the Gamberoni, tuna carpaccio, and spaghetti with clams.

Back to our dinner – There was a cocktail reception by the bar, where I enjoyed a glass of the Riff Pinot Grigio (82 points Wine Spectator, 88 points CellarTracker), which was crisp, refreshing, with some light almond on the finish. It retails for $11 a bottle and I had it for $9 per glass. Yay. I also had a complimentary glass of prosecco, but did not see the bottle from which it was poured.

Some tasty and fresh appetizers of a simple bruschetta with yellow and red (maybe heirloom?) tomatoes were set out for us before we sat down and ordered. When our waiter came by, he gave us some great chewy Italian breads and olive oil, and took our order. For this event, Allegro had three choices for the appetizer and four choices for the main course. The appetizers were a braised beef ravolini, classic caesar salad, and their house caprese salad. The entrees were a spaghetti with wild boar ragout, grilled monkfish, chicken wrapped in prosciutto (with great looking polenta and asparagus), and a pork tenderloin (braciola di maiale).

I ordered the caprese salad and the braciola di maiale (maiale being Italian for “pig”). I also ordered a glass of the 2005 Barbera D’ Alba ‘Hang Tag’ Gagliardo.

The caprese came, and I had high expectations for something tasty and fresh, but this really beat my expectations. The dish was plated elegantly and creatively. There were three large chunks of AWESOME mozzarella served with warm sauteed tomatoes, served over a very small spread of yellow tomato sauce, then garnished with a basil chiffonade. I can’t say enough about the interesting quality of the warm salad, but really what got me is how much the mozzarella ruled. I’m not sure if they make it in-house or what, but the firm outside gave to a creamy, not-chewy-at-all inside that melted away inside my mouth. Another person at my table told me the caprese dish at Allegro used to feature burrata, which you don’t see or even hear of often – clearly these guys know what they’re doing.

My entree was even more impressive. The pork was cooked to perfection – as you can see in the picture below the center of the loin was around medium. In addition to being the perfect temperature, it was well seasoned and tender with a slightly smoky flavor. The dish was presented over a spicy ratatouille along side fried ravioli filled with gorgonzola cheese and pecan. Every bit of it was awesome. The dish was thoughtful, the ratatouille was an interesting addition, the pork was clearly Italian, and the fried ravioli was hot and crispy and added the creativity that I enjoy when going out to eat. The meal was definitely not the same old thing, and it was well executed.

The Barbera d’Alba wine was also a nice addition to the meal. It wasn’t a knockout, but for a red it didn’t overpower the meal, it had tons of subtle cherry/raspberry up front, and nice tannins that segued into a surprisingly long finish.

Closer view of the ravioli.

Once all of the collateral damage had been cleared away, a surprise dessert was served to everyone. Strawberry shortcake, in the shape of a heart, surely done to mark the occasion. While I was close to full, I ate it all.

I’m glad to have another choice for quality Italian in Atlanta. The meal was creative, while tapping some very traditional aspects of Italian cooking. That’s a combo that will be a winner in my book for a long time, and hopefully yours.