LOCATION
Located in the Bay of Portonovo, about 45 km south of La Madonnina, in the province of Ancona (Le Marche) and opened in July 2000, the Clandestino (named after the song by Manu Chao) is a kiosk, a wooden beach bar right on a beach of pebbles and white gravel, nestled in the greenery of the Monte Conero Regional Park, a beautiful rocky natural area.
A trendy venue, with a young and casual clientele, and an atmosphere that quickly enchants. With tables for two set in front of open windows, seated sideways, contemplating the various blue shades of the Adriatic. It’s like dining while looking at a painting of paradise.
CUISINE
Although Moreno Cedroni is known as the creator of Italian sushi, he often reminds us that the ideologue was Gualtiero Marchesi, the Master par excellence, from whom he drew inspiration through his lessons, creating his own ‘susci’ with a C, a play on words, pure innovation that is constantly renewed, never forgetting the starting point.
A different way to reinterpret raw fish that began as an imitation of the traditional idea of Japanese sushi and has become a cross-sectional cuisine, with regional recipes and dishes with a Japanese or conceptual sushi twist, without actually serving proper sushi.
Each year he offers a new menu which he also calls a “collection,” a thematic menu such as the colors, flowers, Greek mythology, Vikings with Norse mythology, the imaginary world of fairies, cinema, stages of prehistory, etc. An inspiring theme that we don’t quite like and that reminds us of the thematic menus of the Moments at the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, but in this case, the dishes are good…
THE MEAL
They offer 2 menus, the “Susci Memories 2023,” featuring some of their most iconic susci dishes, and the “Eros & Susci” menu, with the new dishes for 2023. They also offer the option to dine à la carte, with more than a dozen dishes and 8 desserts to choose from, including some dishes from other years’ menus. We decided to create our own menu by choosing 7 dishes and 2 desserts from the à la carte menu.
The bread they serve is from Forno Sammarco in San Marco in Lamis, in the province of Foggia (Puglia). It’s a bread made from potato starch and flour from an ancient grain. Delicious, moist inside, some pieces had seeds.
The oil they serve is the Limo’ from Frantoio Gianni Giacani in Jesi, an excellent oil from the Raggia variety and flavored with lemon. Once again, what citrus! It reminded me of the citrus from Pasquale Marigliano’s citrus cake in Nola (Naples).
Regal Oysters from Maison Boutrais No.2.
Ricciola with leek and lemongrass, viola del pensiero, and amaranth basil.
A dish from 2010, raw amberjack, accompanied by a leek and lemongrass sauce, topped with fried amaranth, basil, and pansies. Very thin slices of a very tasty amberjack with a delicious dressing.
Il giocco del tonno: bresaola, crudo, tataki, and ventresca.
A dish from 2000, the tuna play, one of Moreno Cedroni’s most famous dishes.
A slice of cured tuna loin, treated like a bresaola (like the one served at La Madonnina del Pescatore in the fish charcuterie dish). In this case, it’s rolled into a small cannelloni and stuffed with very thin sticks of zucchini; accompanied by a sesame sauce. On top, sesame and olive oil from the Raggia variety. Very juicy and very good, served cold, a very tender and tasty tuna, but the sesame taste ends up dominating.
Continue with the bowl on the top right. Raw tuna, conditella, and colatura.
A kind of raw tuna sashimi (the loin part), rice, diced tomato, anchovy colatura, and chives on top. Also, served cold. The taste of tomato was predominant, with the anchovy colatura being almost imperceptible.
Next, the bowl on the top left. Tuna brasato with beans and onion, tonnato sauce.
A tuna tataki (the loin part) cooked in a pan, accompanied by a tonnato sauce (a type of mayonnaise made with tuna, capers, anchovy fillets, wine vinegar, egg, lemon juice, and oil). On top, a “paste” of beans (legumes) and onion, grated as if it were the wasabi and ginger served with sushi. Served lukewarm. It had a taste of rosemary; the onion and legumes were not noticeable, and the tonnato sauce was very mild.
Lastly, the bowl on the bottom left. Ventresca di tonno in porchetta, with green beans and potato.
A slice of tuna belly prepared as if it were porchetta, that is, baked with fennel and spices, and accompanied by diced boiled potatoes and blanched round green beans. The only dish among the bowls that is served hot. A curious and rustic combination.
Polpo con pappa al pomodoro, burrata e bottarga di muggine.
A 2022 dish that we had to share, each with their own plate in front of them.
An octopus from Puglia, baked and steamed. At the base, a kind of fork-mashed sauce/purée made from potatoes and tomatoes; then another sauce of crushed tomatoes; and on top, burrata, julienned celery, basil oil, and grey mullet bottarga. A very aromatic, delicious, high-quality, and well-cooked octopus. The grey mullet bottarga was imperceptible. A recipe that our home cooks could copy, thus avoiding serving those rubbery, chewy octopus legs.
Thor. King crab, fermented parsnip, and seaweed pesto.
A 2018 dish. King crab; well, the legs steamed. At the base (although not very visible in the photo), a spaghetti seaweed pesto; also, at the base, a puree of fermented parsnip; in the center, cubes of fermented parsnip and cubes of fermented celery; around it, basil oil. An exquisite king crab, lightly cooked, soft, not chewy, and very tasty! Delicious! Obviously, it was not from the Adriatic because it lives in much colder waters. Moreover, all the accompaniments suited it very well.
Pizzetta with mackerel, burrata, and cherry tomatoes.
A dish from 2002. Mackerel marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, also with burrata and cherry tomatoes. All together on top of a wafer dough, a flat bread that reminds me of the one from Itchart in Calella before grandfather Salvador Itchart died.
Murakami. Roasted mackerel marinated in miso, fried eggplant, lime purée, orange peel sauce.
A dish from 2014, when he did the “Susci Letterario” themed menu about different writers from Marchesan literature such as the poet Leopardi but also international ones like Hemingway or, in this case, the Japanese Murakami, who often speaks of mackerel in his works.
The dish consists of a mackerel fillet marinated with red miso, mirin, and white wine vinegar (vacuum-packed for 24 hours in the refrigerator), and then, once drained, cooked on the skin side in a pan. Served cut in two, and below, along the fillet, 3 preparations: to the right, a purée of fried eggplant; to the left, a potato and lime purée; in the center, elderflower vinegar. To the right of the plate, some slices of blanched carrot, and on top, an orange peel sauce. A well-flavored and well-cooked mackerel, not dry at all. The lime purée was delicious, such citrus! They must be from Garda or Sicily.
DESSERTS
Marilyn – Susci’50. Gelato ace (orange, carrot, and lemon) and white rum, peanut milkshake, carrots, and caviar.
A dish from 2015, a dessert that is said to be made with Marilyn Monroe’s favorite ingredients. At the base, a cashew shake, some carrot sticks, and coffee powder. In the center, a scoop of orange, carrot, and lemon ice cream with white rum; topped with caviar. Both the rum in the ice cream and the cashews in the shake were almost imperceptible, as was the insignificant caviar of poor quality. The desserts were very enjoyable for their creaminess and freshness, but the most flavorful part was the coffee powder.
Parrozzo alla carota con un gelato alla mandorla.
A dessert also served on this year’s 2023 Eros & Susci menu, a menu dedicated to the god of love in Greek mythology. A parrozzo (a typical dessert from Abruzzo), an almond and carrot sponge cake; accompanied by almond ice cream; a sesame mayonnaise; almond pieces; a slightly spicy oxalis (wood sorrel) broth; apple pieces; and leaves. The sponge cake was good, with almond pieces. The ice cream tasted of raw almond, which is said to resemble cyanide. The overall combination was very good.
TO DRINK:
3 glasses of Verdicchio, 2 from Matelica and 1 from Castelli di Jesi:
On paper and in a very simplified manner, Verdicchio di Matelica, coming from the hills of Matelica in the province of Macerata, has a mineral and fresh character, with an aromatic profile of white fruit and flowers. It has high acidity and a long taste persistence. It is fresher and more mineral. On the other hand, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, coming from the hills of Castelli di Jesi in the province of Ancona, has a rounder and more structured character, with an aromatic profile of ripe white fruit and spices. It has moderate acidity and a long taste persistence. It is more structured and fruity.
The valley of Matelica and the production area of Jesi are divided by the San Vicino massif, a natural barrier that determines the climatic difference between the two valleys, making Matelica more continental and colder, and Jesi more Mediterranean. Thus, in Jesi, the harvest is earlier (September) than in Matelica (October).
Moreover, Matelica is a much smaller area than Jesi. With a north to south orientation, Matelica has few producers but very varied wines.
Verdicchio di Matelica DOP 2021 from Azienda Agricola La Monacesca, a winery located in the Monacesca district of the village of Matelica, in the province of Macerata (Le Marche).
A Verdicchio from the Upper Esino Valley, the only one of the Apennine valleys with a north-south orientation (meaning, with vineyards), from a vineyard at 400 meters above sea level with vines between 10 and 30 years old. A white wine with an intense but not well-defined aroma, what laypeople would call a fresh wine.
Casa Lucciola, Verdicchio di Matelica DOP 2019 from Azienda Agricola Casa Lucciola of the Cruciani Luca family.
A Verdicchio from the Matelica valley, at 430 meters above sea level, from a family winery with only 4 hectares of vineyards and working exclusively with this variety, organically since 1995 and biodynamically since 2014. A white that has spent 6 months in stainless steel vats with frequent bâtonnage to keep the lees in suspension and limit the use of sulfur, plus 3 months in the bottle. More complex than the previous but with a very similar profile.
Vigneto di Tobia 2021, a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore from Col di Corte winery.
A Verdicchio from the Vigneto di Tobia (named after an ampelographer who worked in the region around 1850), a vineyard at 200 meters above sea level, northeast-facing, with vines about 45 years old (the oldest in the winery) and located in the most clayey (and therefore less calcareous) part of the property. A white fermented and aged in stainless steel from a small winery that has been organic since 2012 and biodynamic since 2016. The most complex of the three Verdicchios, especially in terms of mouthfeel.
2 Beers:
La Mosca Blanche from Brewfist brewery in Codogno, in the province of Lodi (Lombardy).
A beer made from barley malt, wheat flakes, oat malt, hops, orange peel, and coriander. A classic Weissbier, unpasteurized, with 5.2% ABV, creamy, lightly carbonated, and refreshing.
Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien 2018 from Brasserie BFM in Jura (Saignelégier, Switzerland).
A sour ale, a mixed fermentation beer (part is spontaneous with native yeasts and part with selected yeasts) and aged in wine barrels for a year. A cellar-aged beer, with 11% ABV. A beer that did not taste like beer, with a wide range of surprising flavors, vinous, complex, seemingly sweet, very dense, gas-free; it was bitter, sour, and quite refreshing.
CONCLUSIONS
High-quality products: fish, tomatoes, fresh herbs…
Everything exudes aroma and freshness. The freshness of all the products is very notable.
Excellent service with very professional, knowledgeable, and friendly waiters.
Although it was a bit too hot in the middle of August, the venue and location are privileged.
And, all this while contemplating the wonderful Riviera del Conero.
