WineCountry.IT Selection – Benissimo Ristorante & Bar
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| Benissimo Ristorante & Bar | |
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| Fountain in front of the restaurant | |
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| Inside Benissimo | |
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| The Bar | |
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| On a busy night | |
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| Pulcinella, a traditional masked character from Naples, putting a pizza into the oven is a copy of an original painting which hangs in Pizzeria Santa Margherita in Naples. The above a copy painted by Tony. | |
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| Tony (right) with clients | |
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| Mario (background, center) with clients | |
Benissimo, located at 18 Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera, CA, was actually a pizzeria when it was first founded in 1987. Since then, the place has grown into a full Italian-style restaurant featuring excellent dishes, such as my wife's favorite, Risotto Pescatore, a delectable, perfectly cooked risotto with lots of clams, mussels, seafood and selfish.
We discovered Benissimo in 1996, when we lived for a brief period in Corte Madera and have been satisfied clients ever since. So much did we like it that we even held our wedding reception dinner there. In fact, though we have since moved away and are not in the neighborhood anymore, we still drive to Corte Madera from time to time just to eat there. The reason I'm so attracted to this place is that it serves the best Italian-style pizza in the US. Well, the best pizza that I have ever had in the US. Believe me though, having grown up in Italy, I am kind of a pizza nut and have ordered many pizzas in several states this side of the ocean, and none has even approached the elegant simplicity of a Benissimo's pizza.
If you have ever been to Italy and loved pizza there, or are an Italian visiting and have a pizza craving, take my advice and check out Benissimo. The dough is light and almost cracker-thin, crispy at the edge and almost melting with the toppings in the middle. It's light, satisfying, flavorful, and with the undeniable taste of Italy to it.
"There must be a pizzaiolo from Naples in the kitchen," I told myself when we first went there. Then we become friendly with Saed, the founder and co-owner, nicknamed Tony by the Italian owner of a hardware store that used to be next to the restaurant, and found out that he was actually the creator of such delights. I must say that it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, as, in fact, two of my favorite pizzerias in Italy are owned by Syrian- and Tunisian-born Italian citizens.
Tony was born in Iran but left in 1973 for Italy, where he lived for 13 years. He moved first to Florence, where he studied painting and, as many students do, moonlighted working part-time in restaurants, first as a waiter and then as a cook. Subsequently he moved to Rome to study cinematography at Cinecittà (literally, Movie City, where all Italian studios are located). He continued working in restaurants, learning in the process many of the fine nuances and fine touches that make Italian cuisine so appealing.
In Rome, Tony met Felicia, a Neapolitan student who later became his wife. In 1981 they moved to Spoleto, a beautiful Medieval town in Umbria region, known for the yearly Two World Art and Music Festival. They opened their own restaurant and Tony took care of the kitchen, serving pizza and other light fare to the many tourists passing through town.
When later they sold the restaurant, they moved to California and Tony opened Benissimo at its current location. In the beginning he did most of the remodeling and decorated the walls with his own paintings, some of which are still hanging there to this day.
As Tony, in his own words, "never could handle money matters," he asked his brother, who had been in the country for six months at the time and had formal accounting training, to become a partner. Manochoor, soon nicknamed Mario by the same Italian hardware store owner, then become the business manager and Benissimo has thrived and evolved ever since.
"Cooking," says Tony, "is as creative as painting," and what comes out of his kitchen are truly pieces of culinary art.
For an Italian style four-course meal you may start with one of the delectable antipasti (hors d'oeuvres), such as Bruschetta (toasted Tuscan-style bread topped with tomato, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice) and Caprese (fresh sliced tomato and mozzarella with basil, garlic and olive oil).
Continue with a primo piatto (first course, or pasta dishes), choosing among Cappellini al Pomodoro (angel hair pasta dish), Ravioli della Casa, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (capers, olives, anchovies and tomato sauce), Gnocchi al Pesto (potato dumplings with fresh pesto sauce),or any one of the four Risotto offered, to mention just a few of the menu entrees.
Next, order the secondo (main courses) choosing among others from Melanzane Parmigiana (sliced eggplant Parma-style, topped with fresh, melted mozzarella cheese), Cioppino, Pollo Marsala, (chicken in Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms), or Pesce Fresco (catch of the day, seafood).
To wrap it up, order your choice of Gelato, Limone Ripieno (lemon sorbet in a natural lemon shell), Affogato (a mouthwatering vanilla gelato with espresso, chocolate, whipped cream and wafer), or the classic Tiramisù (three layers of espresso soaked sponge cake and mascarpone cheese topped with semifreddo and sprinkled with cocoa powder).
Finally, clean your mouth with a Limoncello (lemon liqueur), an Amaro Averna (bitter liqueur from Averna), a Sambuca or a stronger Grappa liquor.
However, if you are more like me, or prefer to stay on the light side, just order a Rucola salad (baby arugula with cherry tomato, olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Modena), followed by your favorite among the six pizzas in the menu.
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