In an 18th century complex, Tommaso Chizzolini’s cuisine focuses on dry aging
The catering within the golf courses neither sparkles nor has ever sparkled, with a few praiseworthy
exceptions. Among these, we discovered one that literally thrilled us, first of all for the passion of those
who started this activity at the beginning of 2020 (in reality, thanks to the closures linked to Covid, it has
only been running at full speed for a few months).
The Arzaga Bistrot looks good, immersed as it is in the green of Palazzo Arzaga, in Calvagese della Riviera, a few kilometers from Brescia and a handful from Salò: once you enter the large room, literally surrounded by greenery, you are immediately greeted by the smile and the friendliness of the staff, young and very well prepared.
The feeling is of being inside an exclusive club where nothing is left to chance: a cellar with 400 labels, four
refrigerated display cases with precious bubbles in full view that speak mainly French (Krug, Dom Perignon,
La Belle Epoque by Perrier Jouet, Jacquesson and other labels, including Franciacorta, in homage to the
territory which is only half an hour away from here).
The large bar counter, with comfortable seats in front of it, puts the guest at ease and invites him to sip a cocktail and linger his gaze, a few meters away, towards the “dry aging” area, where large cuts of meat from all over the world undergoes their maturation and maturation phase at a controlled temperature, before being destined for an audience of meat-lovers.
But don’t believe that meats are the only protagonists of the offer of this Restaurant bistro whose menu amazes for the variety of proposals and for the extreme quality of the ingredients and raw materials used (tested in early November last by So Wine So Food during an obviously unscheduled visit, as it should always be).
The system, if we can define it in this way, on which the Arzaga Bistrot rests, can be traced back to the entrepreneurial spirit of Tommaso.
Born in 1985, his Austrian origin (from his mother) gave him an out of the ordinary pragmatism which, thanks also to his father’s Veronese ancestry, was accompanied by a lucid desire to seek the best in the food and wine sector. but not only.
His love for cooking dates back to childhood which saw him, as a boy, struggling with attempts (later very successful) to make traditional Veronese recipes: it is no coincidence that Tommaso arrived at the age of only 19 to take over a nearby restaurant and make it a reference in the area.
Tommaso is a true force of nature: a curious selector of raw materials, a hunter of ingredients in the Garda, Brescia and Veronese but also Trentino areas, he has created a team of professionals active in a place that deserves recognition (or at least a dutiful report by of the many gastronomic guides often “dormant” or concentrated only on the usual starred ones.
The kitchen line, excellently created by chef Luca Miglior, from Gussago (Bs), eclectic and “primist”, focuses
on dishes that stimulate curiosity and which have now become iconic, such as Spaghetto Felicetti, alpine
butter, caviar or the Linguine calamari peppers crumble of olives, smoky aroma.
Particular mention should be made of the fresh pasta Tagliatelle made by the brigade, proposed with “dry aged” ragù with Barbina breed meat (from Valtenesi or Franciacorta): a round and full dish, which leaves no room for doubt about its greediness.
The matured meats, dry aged precisely, with different maturation periods (minimum 40 days, maximum 100) are stored in cells at controlled temperatures, displayed like a totem in the large room of the Bistrot.
The breeds are mostly indigenous and are selected by Tommaso Chizzolini himself from local breeders: barbina, moraine friesian, Bavarian scottona, but also Baltic black, Scottish Celtic angus, Galician
vaqua vieja.
Other breeds are on the way, such as the Polish Masuria, “but the clientele prefers the Franciacortina barbina”, underlines Tiziano Passarella, room manager, Tommaso’s faithful right hand man.
A passion, that for taste and flavors, sometimes even extreme, that characterizes this Arzaga Bistrot: an
informal but unconventional restaurant, decidedly counter-current and loved by gourmet customers.
To the point that, despite the bistro being inside a prestigious club house, over 50% of customers come from
outside the golf course, confirming the fact that cooking well and doing business with seriousness and passion always gives great satisfaction.
