AN AWARD-WINNING CHEF.
If you’re a fan of the GaultMillau guide, you’ll certainly know Federico Palladino. In fact, he’s won a string of awards: “Discovery of the Year” 2022, “Promoted Chef of the Year” 2024. These distinctions are well deserved, since the chef, who lives in a small village in the Mendrisiotto region, is one of the great hopefuls of Ticino cuisine, and his Cuntitt is undoubtedly an address to stop at when you’re out and about in Italian-speaking Switzerland. And we’re not the only ones to say so, since the chef has also been honored by Krug, the famous champagne brand. The fruit of this collaboration is an exceptional dish, an organic Mancini spaghettone, coated in smoked Gotthard butter, enhanced by a few drops of lemon and a sashimi di orata rosa (sea bream), all accompanied by a glass of Krug Edition 171.
CARBONARA IN AN EGG!
To get to Federico Palladino’s, you first have to lose yourself in the narrow streets of Castel San Pietro, until you reach the church of Sant’Eusebio, a beautiful 17th-century building. Thanks to special permission from the village priest, restaurant guests can park near the church square. The welcome is warm. The chef, a member of the Grandes Tables de Suisse, begins with variations on corn, creamy and crunchy, followed by a tartlet with a powerful taste, spiced up with “alici in soar” (anchovies), a foccacina with juniper and pata negra and, a little masterpiece, an astonishing egg. Inside the shell, you’ll find all the components of a carbonara, from guanciale to sbrinz mousse. Grandiose! What’s more, the egg was laid by a happy hen, cackling in the vineyards.
THE PLACE TO B.
In a nutshell, the Cuntitt offers a warm welcome, wooden tables and an enchanting inner courtyard, but this inn-like atmosphere doesn’t really suggest that this is a bastion of haute gastronomy. As demonstrated, for example, by the Kampachi: a crudo di ricciola (yellowtail), served with a good dose of jalapeño, shiso and cucumber, combined with a refreshing green tomato juice. Another example is the Astice: Breton lobster is perfectly roasted, served with asparagus from the Magadino plain and morels. The claws are served separately, under an airy asparagus mousse. But you can also opt for more substantial dishes, such as this crispy Ticinese pork shoulder, accompanied by celery sticks and lovage and enhanced by an intensely flavored, well-reduced Madeira sauce. As for the wine, it’s “kilometer zero”. In fact, the menu features all the best Mendrisiotto winemakers. GaultMillau rating: 16/20.
Text: Urs Heller
