Last Wednesday, I attended a Chef’s table dinner organized by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce (IACC), at Levante, an Italian restaurant located in Long Island City that is not unknown to me as we went few times when Jodi had her art studio close by. Located a few blocks from the Court street subway station, it is not a long ride from Manhattan, so I was all for it. The idea behind the series of events organized by the IACC was not to promote a restaurant, but more to showcase Italian products from wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to pasta. And the way they did it was by crafting dishes from the various regions of Italy.

I should mention that France and Italy have close ties when it come to cuisine and wine thanks to the common history of the two countries (of course, it does not stop there: Italian cuisine had many influences and influenced many cuisines). It is said for instance that Catherine de Medici introduced utensils (especially the fork) and table etiquette, and it apparently led to the creation of the French Haute Cuisine. On the other hand, the south of France, in particular Provence, had strong ties with the Piedmont region. A good example is a famous dish found in Nice (France): the Socca, a sort of crepe made with chickpeas that is cooked in a wood fire oven that originated in Genoa (Italy). On the other hand, Baba au rhum or rum baba comes from France and is now a common pastry in Italy.

Wine and alcohol making also mixed between the two countries and, interestingly, it was often monks who produced them and exchanged making techniques with one another.

As I was greeted with a glass of Il Grillo from Santa Tresa, a sparkling wine from Sicily, I looked at the different products from Italy that would be showcased during the meal: olive oil, pasta and tomato sauce being just few of them.

The idea of the meal was to have each course represent a region (Lazio, Sicily and Lombardi), paired with a wine, also representing a region (Umbria, Sicily and Piedmont). The first region for the appetizer was Lazio. It was a tuna crudo panzanella and tomato gazpacho, drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar from Modena (aceto balsamico bianco di Modena). It was a beautiful dish, the tuna looking like a piece of watermelon with its bright red color and shape. Refreshing, it was well balanced, with a nice acidity.

The tuna was accompanied by a glass of Primo d'Anfora 2017 from Argillae, a white wine representing Umbria. What is interesting about this wine is that it is made with Grechetto, Drupeggio and Malvasia grapes and is fermented and sharpened in terra-cotta amphorae.

The first course showcased Sicily and was my favorite of the entire meal: spaghetti di Gragnano Sarde or spaghetti with sardines. I have rarely had pasta with fish and do not think I see that often on a menu, seafood being usually proposed, and sardines are definitely a fish with a specific taste. Well, I admit that I was blown away by this dish: the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, dipped in a light tomato sauce with saffron and pignoli, topped with pieces of sardines.

The pasta dish was accompanied by a white wine: a Cantine Colosi Salina Bianco 2017 from Sicily made with Inzolia and Catarrato grapes.

The main course was a beef shank served with a saffron chip, puffed rice and a bone marrow sauce, representing Lombardi. I was really looking forward to this dish but admit that it was a bit disappointing: overcooked, the sauce missed bit of the decadence I was expecting from the bone marrow. Otherwise, the presentation was beautiful with nice contrast of color.

Beef shank at Levante in Long Island City

But, it was accompanied by a fantastic wine: a Nizza Riserva 2015 from Garesio, a red wine from Lombardi, that paired well with that dish, being bold and smooth, with a nice acidity.

Last was a dessert from Sicily: dita degli apostoli, or the "Fingers of the Apostles" aka "Sweet Carnival Cannelloni", a sort of crepe stuffed with ricotta. It was served with an orange marmalade that enhanced the taste of the ricotta, as well as pistachio gelato that was superb.

Dita degli apostoli with pistachio gelato at Levante in LIC

It was served with a 2015 Cantine Colosi Malvasia delle Lipari Passito di Salina, a dessert wine from Sicily.

Needless to say that I left full, happy that I had an opportunity to have this culinary tour of one of my favorite cuisines. Thank you to the IACC and Levante for having me!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Levante - 26-21 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101

A taste of Italy at Levante in Long Island City

Jean-Philippe Gerbi