A Full Circle

Italian chef Antonello Cancedda has been spearheading the eatery for over a year now and has stuck to his original plan of introducing the city to authentic Italian dishes,his skills at strumming the guitar and singing in Hindi. For the most,he’s been successful with the combination.

We catch the chef in the thick of the action when he’s plating up a fresh batch of pizzas for the guests. As the menu appears,along with a refreshing glass of Sangria,the chef is quick to point out,“It’s a mix of pizzas from different regions of Italy and I made the choice keeping in mind famous Italians and choosing pizza styles that come from the areas they belong to.”

That bit of information is immensely useful in studying the menu that brings in a smorgasbord of options and tongue twisters like Arrotolata Vegetariana (more on that later). The first thing to notice is how after the list of gourmet pizzas come the real surprises — rolled pizzas,Mamma-style pizzas and even pizza desserts. In the gourmet section,Michelangelo Buonarroti is a tribute to the Renaissance artist who was born in Caprese in the Tuscany area of Italy. So the thin-crust pizza is rather simple with a topping of Caprese salad,honey balsamic reduction,basil and arugula (better known here as rocket salad leaves). It’s delightfully light and flavoursome.

If you relish simplicity in meals,the Pavarotti with its buffalo milk mozzarella,basil and oregano toppings seasoned with garlic-porcini oil is worth every bite. But our real treat came with the Mamma-style pizza called Govi. True to its name,it’s what busy mothers in their kitchen rustle up in a jiffy and this is Chef Antonello’s version. With basic ingredients like potatoes (yes,the carbs meter just went up) with basil pesto and green beans,it’s a really simple pizza that’s far from the usual cheesy ones. For those looking for a new take on the pizza,try the rolled pizzas that are like huge wraps and the Arrotolato Vegetariana would make even your dietician nod in approval. Bursting with arugula and porcini,onions and fontina cheese,it’s wholesome and fresh. Though keen to try more,the pizzas,despite their slimness are indeed filling. The dessert pizza list has many choices and we thought the Pizza al Cioccolato Fondente or Chocolate Fondant served with vanilla gelato was a welcome surprise,much like the rest of our meal.

The festival is on till March 15

Meal for two: Rs 2,200 (including taxes)

Location: JW Marriott,Sector 35,Chandigarh

Contact: 3955555