Come with me in your mind’s eye.
Imagine the aromatic smell of extra-virgin olive oil with fresh herbs and garlic. Run your fingertips lightly over crisp white linen tablecloths. Feel the cooling breeze on your cheek. Visualize a canopy that shades your table from the bright sun. Raise a glass of fruity wine to your lips; savor each sip and watch the glistening water cascade over the edge of a neighboring fountain.
Let the stresses of the world melt away as you softly exhale and listen to the melodic birds sing. Lift a piece of crusty white bread and dip the soft, yeasty center into the fragrant oil.
Taste; all your senses are engaged.
Now, gaze deeply into the dark eyes of your server, and realize… this is not a figment of your imagination. You’re on Main Street in Dunedin at Pensare’s Italian Bistro, not somewhere in Tuscany, and Chef Ciro Mancini is back at the top of his game. It’s time to think, to believe… pensare, in Italian.
Chef Ciro’s former Dunedin restaurant Bellini closed abruptly in 2010 after a dispute with the landlord. But when Michel and Robin Rey decided to realize their dream of restaurant ownership, they lured Mancini back to town.
All I can say is grazie mille.
Pensare offers a wide range of hot and cold appetizers including the usual suspects: caprese, antipasto misto, and bruschetta. Far more interesting is impepata cozze, impeccable mussels sautéed with white wine and a tasty cracked black pepper broth served with crostini, or shrimp Mediterraneo that is stunning in both taste and simplicity. Huge, juicy Gulf shrimp are butterflied, lightly charred and served on a cast-iron sizzle platter à la fajitas. If you crave shrimp, these are not to be missed.
All entrees include a house salad or rucola e Parmigiano featuring fresh peppery arugula with a light lemon-extra virgin olive oil dressing and shaved Parmigiano; the flavors are balanced and elegant. Maybe opt for a cup of the zuppa del giorno; the zucchini-basil puree and the classic pasta fagioli with white beans and veggies are both terrific.
Pensare’s pastas are not just generic red sauce cousins like most Mom and Pop Italian trattorias. Chef Ciro’s delicious pappardelle Bolognese pairs wide paper-thin egg noodles with a savory meat ragu and the salty tang of Parmigiano Reggiano. Gnocchi rossella features tender potato dumpling “pillows” in a creamy Gorgonzola cheese sauce that is outstanding. Gnocchi are too often leaden, but Chef Ciro’s have the right light touch.
The fish and meat entrees are equally notable. Saltimbocca’s thinly sliced veal is sautéed in a light white wine sauce and wrapped with imported buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto di Parma. The sauce enhances the veal and allows the salt and fattiness of the cured ham to sing. If you worship charcuterie as I do, this one is for you. Chicken piccata practically screams with flavor. Thin-pounded chicken breast is sautéed in a nuanced lemon butter sauce with capers and white wine that delivers just the right amount of bright acidity on the palate.
Carré di agnello features an entire rack of New Zealand lamb sautéed with brandy and Italian herbs, and then cut into chops and bathed in garlic demi-glace. This is the only gastronomic disappointment. While the sauce is flavorful, the meat is unfortunately tough and overdone. Luckily, the salmone Champagne is an unexpectedly appealing combo. It tops flaky pink salmon with a sparkling wine sauce enhanced by salty caviar and sweet sliced strawberries.
Zuppa di pesce is a seafood party in a bowl with perfect shrimp, scallops, fish, mussels, clams and calamari in a delicate seafood and tomato-based broth. Just be sure to get extra bread; it would be a shame to leave any of the heavenly nectar behind.
I’ve never been too excited about Italian desserts, especially cannoli; I just didn’t get it. But Chef Ciro’s cannolo Sicilian made me a convert. Care is taken with each element so that the shell is perfectly crunchy, the luscious ricotta cream is just sweet enough, and the fillings and chocolate drizzle add dimension and texture.
Hence, this one is noteworthy, transcending all the mediocre cannoli from my past. Pensare’s tiramisu is also close to perfection, served in its own bowl rather than square cut. The layers and flavors are distinct and scrumptious. The special limoncello cake alternates delectable layers of moist yellow cake with liqueur-infused buttercream. The flavor is subtle, but the textures are lip-smackingly good.
The hosts at Pensare are welcoming and the service is friendly, but it still has a few kinks. The kitchen can also be slow at times and the wine inventory is inconsistent. But the restaurant has been open just a few weeks, and my guess is that it will gain finesse over time. Pensare is an exciting addition to the region, and to Dunedin’s embarrassment of culinary riches on Main Street.
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2013.