The Interview
One thing is the Mediterranean style, very different is to serve THE Mediterranean. In all its facets, nuances, shores, and cultures. We meet in the renovated premises of The First Arte Hotel, on Via del Vantaggio, Benito Cascone, a forty-two-year-old responsible for the restaurant of one of the few Michelin-starred restaurants in Rome, Acquolina. The restaurant is located inside the hotel but with its own elegant entrance shortly after a lounge area to welcome guests. Also, a standout feature is the outdoor offering on the top floor of the structure with one of the most beautiful views, the Acquaroof Terrazza Molinari, a more casual but equally sophisticated version of the Acquolina world.
Benito Cascone, at the age of twenty, completed his hotel management studies and went to work abroad, in England, Switzerland, and France. He worked in some of the best kitchens in the world, from Alləno to Colagreco, with only a brief return to Italy for the launch of Ristorante Del Cambio in Turin. Then, fate called him back to Italy, to Rome, where he reunited with his partner Roberta and fell in love with the restaurant he started to lead, ending up passionately marrying them both. His professional partner, in addition to the ownership of Andrea La Caita, is Daniele Lippi, one of the most talented chefs in the city. Modest, unassuming, with an authentic personality and incredible creativity. Completing the team are sommelier Valerio Erba, sous chef Pietro Piazzoli, manager Andrea Menichelli, and bar manager Alessio Grimaldi.
“The philosophical turning point for Acquolina came at one of the most disastrous moments, especially for the restaurant industry,” Benito explains. “During the pandemic, with Daniele, we took a pause to assess the situation and had the time and clarity to analyze ourselves and understand what identity we wanted to give to the restaurant: we do not just cook Mediterranean-style cuisine in the classic trio of fish-vegetables-citrus.”
Acquolina is a cuisine that works with ingredients from across the Mediterranean, reinterpreting them in an innovative way.
In the kitchen, pastry, and bar, only products from the Mediterranean coasts are used, intended not only as our coasts but ranging from Africa, Spain, Greece, Turkey. At the time, we decided to do a focused study of the Mediterranean, delving into some traditions, such as breadmaking; we draw inspiration from ancient techniques and preparations, which we have reinterpreted and presented in our own way, eliminating the entire world of sous-vide cooking: only grill and live fire. Orthodox Mediterranean also for the pastry, devoid of cocoa and vanilla, and the same strict selection for spirits and ingredients in the cocktail list. The wine list is a meticulous selection of references, hardly found in other restaurant cellars. Here too, the keyword is research.
The atmosphere at Acquolina is like stepping into a SPA, once you cross the threshold you are immersed in the harmony of movements that characterize the dining room, which dances in unison with enviable coordination. Here, complementarity is not just a slogan but a symphony that doesn’t need a (magic) wand: “We have always worked as a quartet: sommelier, maître, chef, barman,” Benito points out, always focusing on cohesion: if one of us makes a proposal, we discuss it, everyone tastes it, and eventually it gets corrected until the product is approved unanimously. But beyond the score, the orchestra thinks about the overall melody. “Before releasing a dish or a menu, there is always a general idea, the result is thanks to the team.” Daniele and Benito are two sides of the same coin, where there is no room for prima donnas, and this message comes across loud and clear to the customer. There are two strong personalities that do not conflict, they can discuss and then find common ground for shared objectives.
“How is the work on the Mediterranean perceived by the customer?”
“It was not a sudden change; we arrived there gradually. It was initially an ‘inter nos’ work, slow and relentless, which led us to new awareness and a single great goal: to be identity-driven.”
This may be the greatest success when you are at a certain level, where the service standard, the ritual of tasting menus, and the selection of high-quality ingredients are solid cornerstones but also inviolable boundaries. “Pastry was the toughest challenge, having to completely remove cocoa.” For example, they also bid farewell to Terra Arida, a dessert with meringue, vinegar, licorice, parsnip, white chocolate, and black garlic, which was almost a signature dish of Daniele Lippi for its creativity and harmony of flavors. They are identity-driven, with distinctive and precise characteristics. “The particularity of Daniele’s menus is that he proposes meat and fish in the same dish. In the 7-course menu, fish is the main focus, while in the 9-course menu, the meat-fish pairing is a sought-after leitmotif,” Benito specifies, mentioning that customers are required to view the menu during booking to provide awareness. “The cuisine featuring exclusively Mediterranean ingredients does not immediately evoke foods like lamb, anchovies, liver, or duck. The challenge at the beginning was to guide customers into our mindset without drastic changes. We also consider the first fermentations that were not conducted in the East as commonly believed but by the ancient Romans. Research is a fundamental aspect of our work, but to be identity-driven, we set constraints that do not always make the job easier.”
Let’s talk about Acquolina’s big breakthrough, the two Michelin stars of 2022. A great achievement reached and well-deserved.
“What has changed with the arrival of the second star?”
“After that milestone, we had 4-5 months of disorientation, realizing how the clientele had changed. Accustomed to a mainly local audience, sometimes sporadic and less aware, we had to work on the composition style of the dishes: previously we pushed more on acidity and bitter components; now we continue to offer offal and ingredients with a strong taste, but focusing on harmony and proposing a roundness that could appeal to everyone’s taste. More democratic and understandable dishes. For example, sharp saltiness is not liked by customers of all nationalities, so the proposal has shifted towards an internationally appealing profile.”
In short, with the second star, instead of resting on their laurels, Acquolina refined their cuisine. They did not try to impress at all costs by focusing on strong acidity or wines. The selection was meticulous, following similar principles as in the kitchen. Today, the restaurant has become an international destination, offering two unique tasting menus since 2018. “Do you know that when I got two stars here, it was the first time in my life I cried for a Michelin award?” Benito revealed. But how much do people matter in all of this? “There has never been a high turnover of staff here; I have guys who have been working with me for seven years. We have always focused on human resources. Nowadays, they are so experienced that I could almost not be present.”
Next steps? Benito doesn’t answer, he smiles at me and leaves room for the service as the amuse-bouche fill the table, wishing me a pleasant dinner.
The Dinner
Butter: Smoked and whipped buffalo milk butter served with marinated and dehydrated tuna heart. The bread offered is inspired by an ancient tradition of the Sardinian people who used to mix clay and acorn flour. Daniele has always delighted palates with butter, like the previous version of fermented butter blended with a sardine and anchovy garum, recalling an old North African tradition.
Prawn: Red prawn served raw, accompanied by persimmon and Turkish kefir made with sheep’s milk and dill oil. Elegant and clean, an excellent start.
Sweetbreads: Sweetbreads cooked in butter accompanied by veal jus and a puree of salted fermented lemons. The dish is finished with a Spanish aioli sauce whipped with mantis shrimp. This dish truly embodies the restaurant’s identity.
Gnocco: Surprising potato gnocchi served with a borage sauce and accompanied by a sauce made with buttermilk, Po Delta oysters, and borage oil.
Candela: One of the most delicious dishes. This plate is a reinterpretation of the “ragout alla genovese campano”. “Candele” cooked in an extract of burnt onions. Tripe ragout of cod and pecorino.
Cuttlefish: A complex dish, in the first part we find a yogurt and zatar-based focaccia (a mix of Turkish spices) served with cuttlefish tartare and pomegranate; in the second part, cuttlefish kebabs are marinated in a fermented roveja pea mixture and then barbecued, accompanied by buffalo yogurt and pickled cucumbers. The third and final part features steamed cuttlefish eggs accompanied by a sauce made with parsley and cuttlefish ink.
Tuna ventresca: This dish aims to emphasize an ancient Italian culinary tradition which involves reusing stale bread. The bread undergoes a first fermentation with natural molds and a second one in water and salt through lacto-fermentation, resulting in an extract used to coat the lightly seared tuna ventresca. It is served with grilled potato and cabbage millefeuille, a roll of celeriac and apple with mustard seeds.
Lamb: This extraordinary dish is inspired by a recipe from central Italy, the “lamb cacio e ova”. The lamb is grilled and served with its jus, capers, onions, and a sauce made with mullet eggs. The second part consists of a flaky bread with fennel and pepper, on which a lamb liver pate is spread.
Carruba: Pastry test passed with honors. The idea of Acquolina of bread and chocolate with a carob and chicory coffee ice cream to spread on a grilled carob pain perdu.
Petite Patisserie: To end on a high note, pumpkin tatin served with amaretto whipped cream and pumpkin seed ice cream.
