To celebrate 20 years of selling homemade and hand-picked artisanal Italian produce, Valentina Fine Foods have launched a chic spuntino bar at the Taste Lab in the heart of Harvey Nichols food market. The bijou snack bar seats just ten diners and serves a mix of affetati (hams and salami) with Sardinian bread and formaggi (cheeses) with honey, walnuts and Pavessi crackers, as well as vegetable and seafood antipasti.
Diners can pick and choose from a range of small plates, putting together their selections which are then presented on olive wood boards. The affetati menu includes porky treats like Mortadella and hand-carved Prosciuttio di Parma Riserva, as well as bresaola and salamis from Naples, Tuscany and beyond. Cheese fans can tuck into creamy Taleggio, Provolone Dolce, buffalo mozzarella and 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Finally, select a few antipasti – maybe stuffed chillies with tuna, grilled vegetables or a rocket and pear salad. Each serving is priced at £3.55.
The hand-picked platters are best enjoyed with a glass of wine, some homemade Sicilian lemonade, or Prosecco served with a slice of peach as they do in Southern Italy. Sorbifacile Caffe and Sorbifacile Limone (drinkable coffee and sharp lemon sorbets) are available as a digestivo (£1.95). For dessert, save room for chocolate, vanilla or lemon Sfoglatina (pastries); chocolate or vanilla Cannolini; or a slice of the unusual but delicious chocolate salami.
Diners can also buy Valentina’s jars of antipasti, jams and honey; durum wheat pasta; pasta sauces; and olive wood gifts. Olive oil from the family’s own farms in Sant’Elia Fiumerapido will also be available to buy.
The spuntino bar at Harvey Nichols is open until May 22nd so don't miss out - head for the fifth floor for a post-shopping feast. (After that, you can visit their deli-restaurants in Sheen, Putney and Sevenoaks).
One cannot eat one’s cake and have it.
Posted by: Asics Tiger | March 27, 2013 at 03:44 AM