AL DENTE PUTS BITE ON TRADITION

Al Dente 139 Easter Road Edinburgh EH7 5QA 0131 652 1932 www.al-dente-restaurant.co.uk Tuesday to Saturday 12-2 Monday to Saturday 5.30-10 Closed: Sunday AL Dente is in the shadow of Easter Road, home of Scottish Premier League football side Hibernian who once entertained leading clubs, including Italian giants Juventus, in Europe. Those days – for anoraks among you Hibs played Juventus in the UEFA Cup in October and November 1974 – are long gone now as Hibs, who are currently riding high in the Scottish domestic league, have slipped down the European rankings. But the owners of Al Dente have taken on the challenge of creating the true Italian experience in one of Edinburgh’s less celebrated areas and lifting it high in the pecking order. The restaurant has a head start. As Tinelli’s, it build a solid reputation for good, authentic Italian food over the past 25 years. But Al Dente has new owners and is different. It claims to serve pure Italian food, unadulterated by cream or pre-cooked pasta, always fresh and delicious. The menu is not extensive but has items to satisfy most tastes. Duncan and I pondered while we enjoyed some olives. It proved difficult as this menu had twists. For example the antipasti selection included steamed mussels with orange fragrance and pie with smoked Apulia cheese and baked fennel au gratin. Eventually, Duncan plumped for baked figs topped with gorgonzola and wrapped in Parma ham. I eventually decided on cabbage dumplings with minced pork and mushrooms served on a bed of mashed chickpeas. The presentation was superb, particularly the figs. They were delicately wrapped with the ham which looked like a rose petal. And the taste was distinctive. My dumplings provided a mouth-watering surprise. The cabbage was a fine accompaniment to the distinctive minced pork and mushrooms. It was a clue to what was to come next. Al Dente’s food and surrounding is billed as being authentic of what one would expect in a traditional Italian restaurant. The surrounding, possibly, but not the food. The secondi underlined that. Once again, the small but interesting selection caused healthy debate. I was tempted by oven baked terrine of cod pie with leeks, olives, broccoli and tomatoes served topped with grated mashed potatoes. The sirloin steak stuffed with Parma ham and cheese with a porcini mushroom sauce served with roasted potatoes and vegetables was an attraction. Duncan eventually picked the house special pasta which came enveloped in a thick, tomato sauce. It was filling without being exceptional. My roulade of grilled swordfish steaks stuffed with pine nuts, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and raisins, served on a bed of barley and pepper with capers and anchovies was both eye-catching and innovative. The beautifully cooked fish – I was assured it was fresh from a local fishmonger – was complemented by the barley. Not a mixture I expected but nonetheless a welcome addition to my gastronomic experience and one I may try at home. Chef Graziano Spano sources produce locally and his menu will soon change for the winter. He stressed the concept of al dente cooking as being very important to the restaurant. Al Dente, means, literally on the tooth, and indicates a firmness of pasta texture, which is symptomatic of freshly cooked pasta. His style is individual and is worth experiencing. The busy restaurant – with around 20 covers – also hosts theme nights which are extremely popular. They are trying hard to build a clientele and I wish him well. He faces stiff competition not just from neighbours in Easter Road but nearby Leith, formerly a run-down area and now one bristling with restaurants and bars. The slick service, good atmosphere and attention to detail, with food allergies catered for, and vegetarian options available, make this cosy restaurant one to visit.