Last night we went to Nostrani for tuna fresh from Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo and white truffles from Alba. Our first tuna crudo was slices of very good tuna loin dressed in Meyer lemon and EVOO with crushed pistachios and on thinly sliced fennel bulb. It was very nice with a fruity, zesty 2007 Prunotto Barbera d’Asti. Our second crudo was very rich tuna cheek, o-toro, & chu-toro on creamy sliced fennel with yelllow & red cherry tomatoes. The Barbera was also good with this, as was our second wine a 2005 Dessilani Spanna. We drank a lot of this Spanna in the 60s at Lococo’s in Manhattan Beach CA, and not had it since. It was rich fruit, light acidity, and a medium long fruit finish. It needed decanting and a lot of swirling to really open up. After time and swirling it was very good with the final dish - a wild mushroom risotto topped with shaved white truffles, a very flavorful dish.
Then we finished with a cheese plate - robiola, aged Tuscan Pecorino, and a rich Tuscan blue with glasses of a fruity, lightly herbal Chinato Piemonte and more herbal Barolo Chinato. The Chinatos were good with the cheeses. After two short, intense double espressos, we headed home.