In the Veneto region of Italy, there sits a little town called Rubano. It lies 40 km (25 miles) west of Venice and about 7 km (4 miles) northwest of Padua. The population is around 16,000 and the town itself is only about 15 square kilometres (about 5.6 square miles). Why with all the amazing places to see in Italy are Pete and I driving up to Rubano on a Friday night? We are going to have dinner at Le Calandre. If you follow the Pellegrino world’s best restaurant rankings, Le Calandre’s name does not come as a surprise. In 2016, it is ranked 39th in the world. The chef behind this success? Massimiliano (Max) Alajmo. Max and his brother Raffaele (Raf) Alajmo took over the restaurant from their parents and embarked on a culinary challenge to create beautiful food.
Here is what Michelin said about Le Calandre: “Chef Massimiliano believes in experimentation, so the dishes served at this restaurant are continually evolving. However, the cuisine remains balanced and harmonious. There is a careful mix of traditional and contemporary flavours creating a whole host of unique and memorable dishes.” Huge praise. They also awarded the restaurant three (count ’em, 3!) Michelin stars, which is a rare occurrence. Oh, did I mention that they awarded him three Michelin stars at the young age of 28 (2002), making him the youngest three Michelin-starred chef ever?
The food at Le Calandre (like its dining room) is modern, but its menu roots are very firmly Italian. There are three menus, the Classico, the Max and the Raf. Ruben, our server, recommends the Classico menu for first-timers. Manuele, the sommelier, offers a wine menu (on iPad!), but also offers to pair wines with the different courses.
We take their advice and opt for the Classico menu with the wine pairings, and Pete immediately hopes that they will not be able to substitute the fish and shellfish dishes for me and that he will get mine as well as his. He is not that lucky and they kindly agree to accommodate my allergies.
The menu is a medley of the restaurant’s greatest hits (with some bonus items thrown in):
- a bonus starter of fava beans with rice; a pillow of basil pesto and tomato and bechamel tartlet
- al-Aimo, a dish dedicated to Aimo Moroni (the two Michelin-starred chef from Il Luogo in Milan) with tomato, oil, ricotta, fava beans, Sardinian flat bread, green beans, basil and chili pepper
- raw langoustine rolls (I had the zucchini carpaccio from the “Raf” menu) – oops, sorry, no photos of this course!
- cuttlefish cappuccino – this popular item has been on the menu for 15 years (I had a cream of tomato starter with Bolognese sauce on the bottom and cream on the top)
- crispy buffalo ricotta and mozzarella cannelloni with tomato sauce – the sauce is so simple, yet delicious – this is why there is a bread basket! Our server Ruben said that this is favourite dish on the menu. No kidding!
- smoked tagliolini with egg yolk shavings – one of the most delicious twists on carbonara that I have ever eaten. The tagliolini is served with jellied guanciale (pig cheeks) and shaved egg yolks.
- saffron, juniper and licorice powder risotto – the risotto is one of the star dishes. It is first presented in a small pot . You taste it and think “wow this is really good”. It is then served again with the juniper broth poured over it. The juniper broth gives it an enhanced flavour which makes you think “I didn’t think it could get better and I was so wrong”! The risotto is served in the two stages so that you can compare the addition of the broth and what another dimension it adds to the dish.
- hand-chopped Piemontese beef with black truffles, which is meant to be eaten with your hands – Chef Max came out of the kitchen to chat with us at this point and Pete and Chef Max discussed this dish. Pete called it “selvaggio” (savage), and Chef Max replied “primordiale” (primordial).
- bone marrow crusted with bread crumbs and herbs. This was presented very dramatically with smoking thyme and marjoram on top when it came out – and there was the explanation on how you eat it.
- Pete had the (less dramatic, but very pretty) fried fish bone
- roast suckling pig with mustard foam and coffee powder and green chicory – a twist on the famous porchetta and a nod to Italy’s coffee culture – Chef Max was pleased that we noted the deliberate pairing of chicory, used for coffee during the war, with coffee powder on the mustard – clever!
- Bellini sorbet – the palate cleanser
- bonus desserts – fig walnut filo; pineapple & licorice; apple banana & cinnamon
- melted tartlet with apricot and curry
- almond mozzarella – an orb of almonds, honey, egg whites, sugar and water with black olives and pepper
If you look at a lot of the photos, you are probably thinking – hey, what’s with the balls of yarn on the table? The yarn symbolizes Max’s philosophy that “cuisine is like a needle that, passing repeatedly through small holes, creates a thread so thin and strong that it unconsciously binds us all”.
The attention to detail is incredible, down to the dinnerware (Rosenthal by Max Alajmo) and glasses made especially for the restaurant.
This meal was the best dinner I have had in my entire life. The food was fantastic but also playful and whimsical. The staff was amazing, Andrea the maitre’d, Ruben our server, Manuele, the sommelier, Chef Max and the entire kitchen and the wait staff – everyone went out of their way to make the dinner an unforgettable experience. Chef Max not only cooks (if I can dare use a word that simple to describe what he does), but also comes out to speak to each table, to greet diners and to check on their thoughts on the dinner. Perfect service, perfect meal, what an evening!
Feeling more like a casual bite at a bar/bistro? Go next door to Le Calandrino, which is ideal for a cocktail or quick lunch, or, to indulge a sweet tooth, the Alajmo’s pastry shop. Want to pick up some local items? in.gredienti is the Alajmo’s local delicatessen specializing in products hand picked by Chef Max.
Where: Via Liguria, 1, 35030 Sarmeola di Rubano, PD; When: Closed Monday; Tuesday for dinner only – 8 pm to 10 pm; Wednesday to Saturday: Lunch 12 pm to 2 pm; Dinner 8 pm to 10 pm
