Italy is a complicated place. It’s easy to forget that the peninsula wasn’t officially unified until 1871, and some areas didn’t become fully Italian until the end of World War I. It remains a fiercely regional country and has almost as many wines and cuisines as there are villages.
There are over a thousand grape varieties, hundreds of designated wine regions, over 300 pasta shapes and thousands of local names. Almost every time I go to an Italian wine tasting, I encounter either an unknown varietal or a DO wine region, and I have long since given up hope of learning them all.
On a warm August evening, however, I felt I was getting a little closer to Calabria, the mountainous region at the foot of Italy. ‘A Fianco’ translates to ‘next door’ for the logical reason that it is next door to its sister restaurant Grano. I reviewed Roberto Mungo’s Grano restaurant here in 2019 and have visited often since, although I have yet to manage to meet Roberto’s mum who regularly comes from Calabria to train the staff in the Fileja fresh pasta making – she became a local celebrity and is known as Mamma Grano.
A Fianco is more casual than Grano and offers a selection of small plates and charcuterie, most of which are typical of what you’ll find at a similar Vineria in Calabria. The wine list includes many wines from Calabria, but also wines from Sicily, Puglia and northern Italy, all from small organic producers using native grapes and traditional methods.
It was too hot one evening to sit inside and while I waited for my guest at one of the outside tables I was sipping late harvest Ciro Bianco made from the local Greco grape. Being a late harvest, it was a rich golden color that was reminiscent of the hazy sun setting over the horizon; with a scent of lemon oil and citrus juice and bitter lemon fruitiness, it performed well with bittersweet wrinkled green and black olives. It was also a good match for Grano’s hazelnut crusty bread, especially once it was drizzled with Calabrian olive oil (made by Roberto during his last visit home).
My guest started with a glass of dry Zibibbo (€10) made by a friend of Roberto’s – he only makes a few hundred bottles and Roberto gets a small allowance. Zibibbo is the local name for Muscat and the fragrant floral nature of the wine suited the olives just as well. Friselle di Farro (€5) is an Apulian crusty bread of the poor made mostly from spelled flour – its textured crunch provided a nice contrast to the sweet little tomatoes heaped on top.
The marinated anchovies (€6) had been seasoned with olive oil, garlic, parsley and a touch of chilli and tasted sweet and fresh, a world away from any anchovies you’ve had in box. Lardo Toast was topped with thin slices of fresh summer truffle and cost just €5 – the sweet lardo pork fat spiced up with the earthy side of the truffle (no, of course there was no olive oil truffle – it’s a real restaurant).
Calabrian mortadella and Sopressato salami, Calabrian blue goat cheese and a block of perfect Parmigiano Reggiano drizzled with 12 year old balsamic vinegar were other highlights. The Nduja meatballs were smoky and meaty and paired well with the black cherry flavored ‘Brënda’ red made from a blend including Montepulciano and Calabrian Magliocco.
For dessert, we ordered the complex fluffy Tiramisu (mandatory) and a “deconstructed” Sicilian Cannolo with pistachio, dark chocolate and orange zest to offset the sweet ricotta. We drizzled them with a Greco Bianco “passito” flavored with lemon and honey.
A Fianco is a treat, the staff are lovely, the food is perfect for the wines, and even though we won’t have the Calabrian sun for much longer, I promise you’ll still feel transported even if it’s raining.
Dinner for two with several small plates, a bottle of wine and four wines by the glass costs €134.50 – less gourmets will pay less.
- Food: 8.5/10
- Drink: 9/10
- Serving: 9/10
- Atmosphere: 8.5/10
- Value: 8/10
A Fianco is a lovely local wine bar specializing in Calabrian and southern Italian food and wine and it’s Fantastico Rapido (which bleeds fast).
Comments are closed.