The Oval is La Deovzione’s 30-seat fine dining chef’s counter. The Gala Dinner included a 7-course tasting menu, paired with wine and cocktails.
Each dish in the seven-course tasting menu is based on classic Italian recipes, reimagined by Giuseppe and Executive Chef Alessio Rossetti in modern and experimental ways.
The meal itself took you on a tour of Italy. With fresh ingredients, each dish set itself apart from the next. Everything down from the presentation of the meals was a work of art. Chef Alessio and his team carefully crafted each detail on the plate presented in front of you. As the meal progressed the meals got slightly heavier and more nuanced. With an increase in flavor profiles, my tastebuds were overwhelmed with delicious pasta dishes cooked perfectly each time.
The dishes are presented with custom-made tableware and flatware, and Zalto glassware, all designed to augment the dining experience. While enjoying your meal, you are front row watching the chef work his magic in the kitchen. Each dish was served to us immediately after being put on the plate. The pasta itself was cooked al dente every time.
Chef Rossetti’s spring menu is focused on acidity and bitterness, with ingredients sourced from the top regions of production in Italy at the height of their seasonality, like bergamot and chili peppers from Calabria, and tomatoes from a region of Campania known as Quisisana.
My favorite dish of the entire night had to be the Sogno Rosa. An eliche gigantia spiral shaped pasta similar to tortiglioni cooked in salted water then creamed in an anchovy base served in a wine glass with beetroot cream, whipped goat cheese, toasted almonds, and capers. The wine glass is then swirled tableside by the server. It was a beautiful rose pink color and tasted delicious. I had never had pasta served to me in a wine glass before, nor did I think beetroot and whipped goat cheese would ever go together.
We ended the meal with a beautiful raspberry tarte. It was a short crust pastry base filled with a lemon curd, covered with raspberries, drizzled in a raspberry sauce and garnished with small meringues. It was the perfect end for the most amazing journey we had been on the entire night.
Overall, the meal was fantastic. The atmosphere of the Oval was sleek and sexy. I had never experienced a full on pasta bar before, so this was an absolute treat to experience. The staff, manager, and owners were all there happy to have us as their guests to showcase the amazing food they’ve been working on for months. To see all of their hardwork come to fruition was a sight to see.