When Italy married America
It was a rainy evening when we arrived in Fort. Thanks to road blocks, we were doing the rounds within the narrow lanes next to Lion Gate to find the right way that leads to this Americaninspired, Italian restaurant, Americano. Even though it was a weekday, we were surprised to see the place filled to its maximum capacity. After about five to ten minutes of looking around the high-walled spacious interiors, that were warmly lit with soft lights and small candles on each table, we were seated at the bar, where they also serve the main course menu.
To kick start our evening, we called for their signature cocktail, Jungle Book (₹750). The drink is made with Cachaça (a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice), citrus aperitivo, passion fruit, pineapple and grapefruit. Jungle Book was indeed the much-needed start to the evening. We began our culinary journey with the recommended Shaved Brussels (₹625). Though the name sounded as if a plate of nachos with a signature dip would arrive to our table, we were happy to see a neatly garnished dish of greens tossed with Balsamic vinegar presented to us. A perfect mixture of Italian vinegar in the salad with blackberries — it went well with the drink.
Moving on to the main course, we decided to ditch the usual pastas and pizzas. We called for a Roasted Chicken alla Diavola (₹750) and Grilled Seabass (₹850). Both the chicken and the fish are made to order, which in turn takes around 20 minutes to prepare. The Grilled Seabass came first to the table and to be honest, we were sad to see the quantity. It was a small chunk of fish, served with celery leaf pesto, heirloom carrots, fennel and confit tomatoes. Having said that, it was a small portion cooked to perfection. The grilling was just apt to make the skin a bit crispy on the outside keeping intact the tenderness of the meat inside. Then came the highlight of the evening — Roasted Chicken alla Diavola. This dish surely made it up in terms of quantity. With more than six huge chunks of roasted chicken, it is served with crispy potatoes and salsa verde. Here again, the chicken was cooked well, juicy and succulent .
To end our soiree on a sweet note, we ordered the Tiramisu Americano (₹475) and Brown Butter Panna Cotta (₹425). Both served in black ceramic bowls, the tiramisu came with a piece of dark chocolate, and tasted wonderful. The panna cotta doubled the joy with its perfect proportion of thickened cream and powdered gelatin, giving it a melt-in-the-mouth consistency. To sum things up, Americano was a fulfilling experience and would soon be among the favourites in the city.