I booked a table at Mirazur based upon your Oct 2022 post; we were going to be on the Italian coast about an hour south this fall. I also reserved a tour of their garden before the Sunday lunch on 10/8.
We were driving around northern Italy in September and stayed at a favorite hotel, Villa della Pergola, in Alassio for the first week of October. We were enjoying the food at their 1-star Michelin restaurant, Nove, in an elegant but casual garden patio overlooking the water. I was wondering if I made a mistake booking the Mirazur reservation, I was dreading a 3-star formal experience but we had to honor the reservation.
We were thrilled with the experience, everything about that day was wonderful from the garden tour by one of the kitchen staff to the creative and beautiful flower menu. Lunch allows full appreciation of their amazing view. I think we were there the day before you but we had the flower menu. The magenta cosmo dish you pictured was one of my favorites, it had veal tartare underneath. My other favorites were yuca petals (crunchy) with caviar served on top of a sauce and a hibiscus dish. I can't figure out how to post pics, they are a piece of edible art. The service was so fun, the opposite of what I expected. I splurged with the extraordinary wine pairing and was glad I did. I’m not an expert on wine but I knew it would be the place to taste wines I’d never have at home. Wine service wasn’t even stuffy. My only disappointment was I didn’t have time to go on the kitchen tour after lunch because we had to get back to Alassio for an evening appointment. I don’t know if the kitchen visit was part of the garden tour (garden before lunch and kitchen after). I didn’t understand they were offering a kitchen tour when I booked the reservation. It is expensive. It costs a lot of money to have that quality of food and service, he employees 100 people including 12 gardeners and 1 horticulturist.
I also highly recommend restaurant Nove and Villa della Pergola. The hotel is a restored English colonial villa situated on top of a 5 acre terraced garden overlooking the sea. The new chef is making amazing dishes, my favorite of our 6 week trip was his lobster on tagliatelle with veal sauce and vadouvan. It has reasonable rooms along with suites and the restaurant serves a la carte in addition to prix fixe. They don’t get many Americans which is a shame. It is an easy drive from the south of France, Piedmont or Milan. They will also arrange car transport from the Nice airport. Their website has info on the hotel, gardens and chef. I had notes about the Armato oil mill in Alassio who also produces extraordinary red pepper flakes. I think it was from one of your posts but I’m not sure. I found their mill/store but they were closed for vacation. On my list for next time.
Are you still Editor-in-Chief for GOURMET (which is what your Goodreads bio says about you)? I thought that it had gone the way of...most other print media....
Looking forward to your novel, whether I win the getaway or have to buy it! I've loved your memoirs, so I'm really looking forward to this.
I love raw oysters, but I'm generally not a fan of cooked ones. They tend to seize up and become tough. But this was a revelation: cooked so lightly it was like biting into a cloud. I can't stop thinking about that dish.
I booked a table at Mirazur based upon your Oct 2022 post; we were going to be on the Italian coast about an hour south this fall. I also reserved a tour of their garden before the Sunday lunch on 10/8.
We were driving around northern Italy in September and stayed at a favorite hotel, Villa della Pergola, in Alassio for the first week of October. We were enjoying the food at their 1-star Michelin restaurant, Nove, in an elegant but casual garden patio overlooking the water. I was wondering if I made a mistake booking the Mirazur reservation, I was dreading a 3-star formal experience but we had to honor the reservation.
We were thrilled with the experience, everything about that day was wonderful from the garden tour by one of the kitchen staff to the creative and beautiful flower menu. Lunch allows full appreciation of their amazing view. I think we were there the day before you but we had the flower menu. The magenta cosmo dish you pictured was one of my favorites, it had veal tartare underneath. My other favorites were yuca petals (crunchy) with caviar served on top of a sauce and a hibiscus dish. I can't figure out how to post pics, they are a piece of edible art. The service was so fun, the opposite of what I expected. I splurged with the extraordinary wine pairing and was glad I did. I’m not an expert on wine but I knew it would be the place to taste wines I’d never have at home. Wine service wasn’t even stuffy. My only disappointment was I didn’t have time to go on the kitchen tour after lunch because we had to get back to Alassio for an evening appointment. I don’t know if the kitchen visit was part of the garden tour (garden before lunch and kitchen after). I didn’t understand they were offering a kitchen tour when I booked the reservation. It is expensive. It costs a lot of money to have that quality of food and service, he employees 100 people including 12 gardeners and 1 horticulturist.
I also highly recommend restaurant Nove and Villa della Pergola. The hotel is a restored English colonial villa situated on top of a 5 acre terraced garden overlooking the sea. The new chef is making amazing dishes, my favorite of our 6 week trip was his lobster on tagliatelle with veal sauce and vadouvan. It has reasonable rooms along with suites and the restaurant serves a la carte in addition to prix fixe. They don’t get many Americans which is a shame. It is an easy drive from the south of France, Piedmont or Milan. They will also arrange car transport from the Nice airport. Their website has info on the hotel, gardens and chef. I had notes about the Armato oil mill in Alassio who also produces extraordinary red pepper flakes. I think it was from one of your posts but I’m not sure. I found their mill/store but they were closed for vacation. On my list for next time.
These dishes look devine. What did you sip with these beautiful creations
Are you still Editor-in-Chief for GOURMET (which is what your Goodreads bio says about you)? I thought that it had gone the way of...most other print media....
Looking forward to your novel, whether I win the getaway or have to buy it! I've loved your memoirs, so I'm really looking forward to this.
Lovely, but “barely warm oyster”...what’s that about?
I love raw oysters, but I'm generally not a fan of cooked ones. They tend to seize up and become tough. But this was a revelation: cooked so lightly it was like biting into a cloud. I can't stop thinking about that dish.
I Was served warm oysters on the half shell last New Year’s Eve, and I sent them back. Twice.
Pretty sure that was a terrible error.
Magnificent and magical. Thank you for sharing.💕