Restaurant Week Winter 2018!! I’ve managed to hit 3 (or will) this week. Chillfire in Denver, The Foundry in Denver and Fiamma in Charlotte. Oh be still my heart! Fiamma was so worth the wait. I’ve had it on my wish list forever! It is authentically Italian, probably some of the best I’ve had in this area. Their fish is flown in daily from Europe and they hand make all of their pasta.
Fiamma is also open for lunch Monday through Saturday, so you can try it during the day if you can’t make it for Restaurant week or forget to make reservations at night. You can easily make reservations online through Open Table, though, so don’t forget. This place is hopping!
The service here is top-notch. I found all of the staff to be kind, knowledgeable and prompt. I felt cared for, but never bothered. This is a true accomplishment during harried Restaurant week!
Let’s talk about the food. YUMMM!
When you sit down, they bring out a plate of fresh bread and crunchy bread sticks to dip in this luscious and tangy pesto. If I had a big bowl of that pesto and a hunk of bread, I think I’d be happy. It was so good!
St. Germain Coctail: Prosecco, St. Germain liquor, on the rocks with lemon and lime.
Refreshing and crisp, this is my favorite cocktail ever. Reminds me of a sweeter mojito.
APPETIZERS
Burratta – fresh creamy buffalo cheese served with arugula, roasted red pepper, grilled eggplant, and prosciutto di Parma
Calamari al Salto – sautéed fresh calamari, tomato, avocado in a white wine sauce
This was a perfect hearty warm salad. The calamari was tender and not rubbery and provided a perfect canvas for the avocado and tomato to give it such flavor. The girls were mostly impressed with the party hat on the lemon, though.
Delizia Del Contadina – mixed greens tossed with walnuts, pears, and Tuscan Pecorino cheese in a light balsamic dressing.
This was my first course, and it was lovely! A basic salad, but sometimes that’s just exactly what I want, a simple salad, with fresh ingredients that are all perfect. This hit all of the marks.
Then came this palate cleanser: orange sherbet. I was charmed 🙂
MAIN COURSE
Veal Ossobuco (Fiamma’s Specialty) – braised veal shank served with a side of saffron risotto
This was the best dish of the night. The veal was so tender it fell apart with a touch of the fork. The sauce it was simmered in was so flavorful and rich, you could tell it had reduced for hours. The one blight on the meal was the saffron risotto. It was so salty, it was inedible. No, we didn’t send it back. Restaurant week is super busy and we were seriously enjoying everything else so much it became an afterthought.
Branzino – Mediterranean fish stuffed with fresh seafood and served with spinach, potatoes, and asparagus
Tagliolini alla Scoglio – homemade pasta sautéed with fresh seafood in garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine sauce
This was my selection. It was incredibly hardy. I couldn’t believe how much seafood it had, especially during restaurant week! They truly don’t skimp on portions. The wine sauce was light and really let the homemade pasta and seafood stand out as the stars. I took most of it home and it was even better the next day.
Fussili Al Toscanaccio – sautéed with chicken, mushrooms, served in a vodka pink sauce with sundried tomatoes
I tasted a tiny bite of this dish, and it was packed with flavor and the chew on the pasta was perfect! I rank it the second best dish of the night!
DESSERTS
Panna Cotta – cold Italian custard served with mixed berries
Tiramisu – layered coffee-soaked ladyfingers topped off with a mascarpone cream and cocoa
This dessert was creamy and light, not with an overwhelming coffee flavor. I thought it was perfect, but my dining partner wanted the coffee to be more prevalent.
Cheesecake – ricotta and mascarpone blended cheesecake, served with berry sauce and vanilla ice cream
So light and creamy, and not too sweet. perfect with the berry drizzle.
Crema Tostada – warm vanilla custard topped with torched sugar, served with fresh berries
Anessa’s Cappuccino
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