The Italian job
Capriccio
ul. Koszykowa 54
Tel. 630-8850
Hours: Noon-last guest
Credit cards accepted
Call me superstitious, but there's something rotten in the state of ul. Koszykowa 54.
Looking like a dowdy 1990s office complex, it has little hope of catching the attention of any unsuspecting passersby which is possibly the reason why all other restaurants there have mysteriously vanished. They open amid great fanfare, warrant at least one visit from the capital's restaurant elite, build up a reputation and then disappear without trace.
Such was the case with the stilted Kahlenberg, a rather austere place that resembled an office but nevertheless served excellent nouveau Austrian cuisine. It wormed its way into our hearts, and it must have been a shock to many a Tyrolean to find it suddenly replaced by the mechanical claws of the Cosmic Crab. I doubt many people had the chance to check out this psychedelic shack; all my potential visits were put off by finding it empty and then it too vanished.
Capriccio is the third establishment to pop up in this ill-fated spot in as many years, but it seems determined not to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors. Its pamphlets boast of the restaurant's calm, refined atmosphere and top-notch cuisine as if describing a Tuscan trattoria.
I went with Ewa, who has a fine eye for culinary detail, and Robert, who admitted to being ready for anything. We set out on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, but the pleasant garden we expected from the promo brochure turned out to be a narrow row of benches shielded by brewery-sponsored umbrellas, like those above the riverside bars selling fried sausages and cabbage.
Luckily the inside is more sophisticated with two calmly colored rooms, ample table space, and, most importantly, air conditioning. The lines of the walls are broken up with various textures and fixtures, and adorned with lamps and china to give both rooms a light veneer of Italian authenticity. The illusion was shattered only by the bottles of olive oil adorning each table, clearly a nod toward the American clientele; dipping bread in oil is not an Italian tradition.
Our waitress was studiously polite, friendly and cheerful and almost certainly going to be headhunted for an international PR firm in the future. Thanks to her excellent knowledge and salesmanship, our modest lunch turned into a gracious three-hour banquet.
The only sore point about the atmosphere was the music, dominated by the reedy tones of Italian rock singer Eros Ramazotti and an endless stream of slushy guitar ballads. But, happily, the food's arrival was accompanied by a shift to a more appropriately light adagio.
Ewa's Insalata Italiano arrived with Parma ham and mozzarella draped on a vast hemisphere of iceburg lettuce, which our prima donna found too bland once the ham and cheese tidbits were gone. Robert was left unimpressed by the carpaccio, which had rather waxy flakes of parmesan and tough meat. However, I was happy with my wholesome Penne al pomodoro, which had a firm bite to the pasta and a harmonious sauce.
The fish set the theme for the main course. Robert's seabass in butter and wine sauce was like Roberto and Dino Baggio only brothers in name while my limp and sodden salmon hid shamefully under a turf of melted mascarpone and refused to play ball. Ewa chose more wisely, netting the marvelously smooth Chanterelles in cream with Tuscan herbs and Marsala wine from a special menu, which she cooed over while consuming. Next time I know what to order.
We pigged out on desserts, with Ewa's Zabaione winning hands down with a combination of amaretto, egg cream and fat blueberries. The Capriccio ice cream and nutty Semifreddo barely stood a chance, but the Tiramisu held its ground, seductive and creamy until the very last and well matched to our Amaro Ramazotti liqueur.
Like its vanished predecessors, Capriccio is already looking fairly quiet. But this has its advantages and makes it great for an intimate late-evening t×te--t×te, especially as the wonderfully competent staff made our brief Italian affair an unexpectedly grand afternoon. Our visit to Capriccio, including wine, came to a reasonable zl. 303 ($75).
On the menu:
Carpaccio di manzo zl.27
Italian salad with Parma ham,
mozzarella and fresh rucola zl.29
Penne with Pelati tomatoes
and basil zl.23
Seabass in butter and wine sauce zl.47
zl.12
Roast salmon with herbs
and mascarpone zl.43
Chanterelles in cream with Tuscan herbs and Marsala wine zl.23
Zabaione zl.15
Tiramisu zl.17
Semifreddo-style nut ice-cream zl.17
Capriccio ice cream zl.17
