Last month, I had the pleasure of trying the Acquerello at Home takeout menu. During Covid-19, this SF Italian fine dining destination is offering tasting menus to enjoy in your own home. The menu is quite different each week, and I was fan of the menu I tried. There was some assembly required, including stovetop and oven heating. It was more complicated than the average fine dining takeout but still quite approachable for the novice home cook! The meal for two came packaged carefully with detailed instructions on how to prepare.
The first course was a fresh vegetable and speck ham salad. The cucumbers and melon were a little unripe, and the sharp heat of the Fresno chili (perhaps accidentally not pickled) was a little off-putting. The savory speck ham contrast was nice though.
I hadn’t had fresh pasta for the first fourth months of covid lockdown, so I was especially excited for the tomato and ricotta raviolo! The raviolo required boiling, and the balsamic brown brown butter sauce warmed in a sauté pan. It was worth the effort – such delicious, buttery indulgence and that parmesan center!
Following this course was another winner – braised beef short rib with grilled Jimmy Nardello peppers and smoked potato purée. The short rib was tender and comforting, served with the jus. In season Jimmy Nardello peppers added a sweet flavor and texture contrast. A dense, creamy smoked potato purée finished this comforting dish.
The tasting menu dessert was a bright coconut and passion fruit parfait. Fresh baked biscotti finished the menu. This would have been a great ending as is, but the dessert trio add-on was fantastic and highly recommended. The trio had a nice balance of chocolate indulgence in the tart, with the flakiness of a classic vanilla millefoglie, and bright fruit from the yuzu raspberry cake.
A wonderful takeout, which we paired with a younger 2015 Barolo.
