By Jim Duncan CVFDude@aol.com
Café di Scala sinks its roots
The opening of Café di Scala in 2005 marked a return of focus in Des Moines’ food scene to its Italian roots. Since then national accolades have piled up for Scala and for two other Italian restaurants that opened a year before and a year afterwards — Centro and Lucca respectively.
Together with Mezzodi’s, they introduced a new dynamic within Italian — Des Moines cuisine. All are respected local traditions, but have also pushed Old World recipes and fresh, local ingredients. Before those places opened, Italian-American restaurants here had evolved, becoming more American and less Italian as their customer base widened.
Of all these new places, Café di Scala is the most deeply rooted in Old World traditions. It’s named for owner Tony Lemmo’s mother’s family town in Calabria (she’s a Lacona, as in Noah’s, Mama’s, etc. Tony’s paternal grandparents owned Lemmo’s on Indianola Avenue). It’s housed in a magnificent Victorian with a wrap around porch, from the era of Italian immigration to America. The menu and the wine list are all Italian. The latter includes rare brands and up-and-coming varietals like Montepuliciano from Abruzzo, Lagre from Trentino, Negroamaro from Apulia, and Gaglioppo from Calabriaalso. Lemmo makes food and wine pilgrimages to Italy to keep it current. That’s why he keeps winning top restaurant awards from both Wine Enthusiast magazine and Wine Spectator magazine. Inexpensive wine flights are sold to help guests appreciate regional subtleties.
Lemmo attracts top head chefs to his kitchen. Hal Jasa (Phat Chef’s) is a graduate, Phil Shires (La Mie) is the current chef and Sam Auen (Zen) works the line. They are given a free hand with specials. A recent one of braised pork belly in a red wine demiglace, with watercress on gnocchi, was spectacular. Lemmo revived the 100 percent scratch pasta tradition that was standard here 50 years ago. He learned whole egg pasta making from his mother, and some of his variations can take your breath away. Carrot tagliatelli did that to me recently. They were served with seared scallops, smoked tomatoes, spinach and grilled fennel. Duck mousse ravioli with wild mushrooms and a Port reduction replaced them a week later, with similar results. On an earlier visit, the ravioli were stuffed with grass fed beef.
Cavatelli are Lemmo’s signature pasta. They were the traditional Sunday dinner of Italian Des Moines and of pre World War II Italy. John Dickey dedicated an entire chapter to their significance in his history of Italian food. Shire tossed them recently with marinara, Pecorino Romano, Graziano’s sausage and fresh basil. Cappellacci con la zucca are a customer favorite; fresh shells were stuffed with roast butternut squash and served with Pecorino Romano and sage butter. In Calabrese lore, braciola is the carnal equivalence of cavatelli, and Lemmo usually serves a version. Recently the braised meat was a huge pork chop with garlic sausage, stuffing and wild mushroom sauce. On an earlier visit, the dish was made with tenderloin, pesto and fresh grapes. Manzo con rosmarino was an Italian swipe at steak de burgo, which is strictly a Des Moines dish. A T-bone steak was served with red wine and prosciutto butter and rosemary polenta.
Cakes of zucchini alla griglia were stuffed with fresh slivers of squash and served with roast garlic (or lemon) aioli and marinara. Romano di melanazane was a southern take on eggplant Parmesan. Steamed mussels in cream sauce, rack of lamb and prosciutto stuffed chicken breast on risotto filled out the entrees on the recent version of the seasonal menu.
Desserts vary but usually include a family recipe cannoli (with almond chocolate and ricotta cream) and a panna cotta served expertly outside its mold, with berry reduction.
Side Dishes
Look for two new pizzerias to open by summer. Both Steve Logsdon (Lucca) and Tony Lemmo are working on such… Two Kansas City chefs will compete with George Formaro (Centro), Hal Jasa and defending champion Matt Steigerwald (Lincoln Café) in next Saturday’s Cochon 555. CV
Caption: Carrot Tagliatelli with seared scallops at Cafe di Scala,
644 18th St., 244-1353. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.
