48H Pizza and Gnocchi Bar is one of those secret places you don’t want to share with anyone because the food is excellent, but at the same time it’s hard to tell everyone because you have such great food! Historically, I’ve never been a big fan of gnocchi but this place just blows any other gnocchi I’ve ever had out of the water and it’s my #1 item to order when I visit! Located on Malvern Road in South Yarra, it’s become one of those places around me that I always look forward to going to and when they said they were doing one of their themed dinners, I knew it was an event I wanted to go to! The most recent one was a special wine pairing dinner with Award Winning Italian winemaker Fabrizio Ressia who brought along some samples from his private collection all the way from Italy. Wines on offer were Ressia’s famous Barbaresco Ressia and the exclusive dry Moscato, Evien Ressia.
The three course meal was an epic affair with 48H co-owner and Executive Chef, Michele Circhirillo, using the Ressia wines in the specially designed dishes. The incorporation of the wines in the innovative menu was something that helped hone the theme of the evening and draw out some of the beautiful flavours in the Ressia wines.
We began the evening with a tasty of the dry Moscato, Evien Ressia which was a beautifully crisp Moscato without the bubbles. It was something I hadn’t before but it was very more-ish and the sweetness of the Moscato matched perfectly with the sharpness of an aged parmesan.
The first course was a wonderful Barbera Superiore infused pastry with airfreighted buffalo mozzarella, organic tomatoes, organic basil, oregano and prosciutto with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. The dish was accompanied by the Barbaresco Ressia 2012, a perfect red to accompany the freshness of the dish as it was light, full of flavour but not overpowering.
This was followed by Blackberry and juniper infused gnocchi with slow cooked duck, cacao and celery. The dish incorporated the Barbera Superiore 2012 into the polenta and was finished off with Tuscan pecorino. An traditional dish given an interesting twist.
Dessert featured a cleverly made Sorbet of Barbera Superiore Ressia 2013 which was sweet yet rich, with the flavours of the wine infused into the mix. A wonderful final plate of Formaggi featuring three beautiful cheeses, Montasio Veronese accompanied by mustard fruit, Pecorino Romano with prickly pear paste and an 72 month aged Parmigiano with organic manuka was serviced with three vintages of the Barbaresco Ressia.
The interesting dishes at 48H took this wine pairing dinner to another level. Whilst some of these dishes aren’t normally on the menu, their daily specials equally demonstrate the innovative use of fresh and superior ingredients to deliver delicious Italian dishes.
48H will be holding more special dinner events as well as their famous gnocchi masterclasses. Keep updated via their Facebook page or instagram @48HMelbourne
48H Pizza & Gnocci Bar, 373 Malvern Road, South Yarra
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