York ham, egg and kalamata olives. This is Isabella's Portuguese pizza
Six ingredients, tomato, onion, mozzarella, York ham, egg and kalamata olive, make up the Portuguese pizza, one of the most consumed in Brazil and a star among Isabella's clientele, that Italian restaurant that was born from homesickness that the marriage formed by Valter Sambrana and Ana Navarro they felt when they remembered the pizzas they ate in their native São Paulo. They missed them. So much so that, not finding them in Madrid, they decided to find a solution.
“We combine this will to eat a pizza like the ones we are used to with that of opening a restaurant”, They tell Traveler.es Valter and Ana, those responsible for us being able to try Brazilian pizzas in Madrid.
Their Gnocchi Dorato are essential
“The difference is simple: the Neapolitan is a bit softer because it is roasted for one minute at 500 degrees. Ours is roasted a little more. At 360 degrees for three minutes. Also, the Neapolitans have a lot of tomato sauce and little filling; those from Brazil have more ingredients”, they explain.
Proof of this feast of the ingredient is a letter in which we can find, among many others, the aforementioned Portuguesa; the Caprese, based on tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, tapenade and basil; either the Serrano , with mozzarella, arugula, serrano ham, parmesan, garlic and cherry tomato.
And while it is true that it all started with that pizza that has been part of their gastronomic culture since the migratory phenomenon that Brazil experienced at the beginning of the last century, they soon realized that Isabella could not limit herself to it. “At first, it was going to be a pizzeria; but because of the size and everything we decided to contribute more things”.
Antipasti, salads, meats and, of course, pasta. Fresh pasta. “We do it here. We have a kitchen, which we call The Laboratory, where we make the pizza dough and fresh pasta. Everything daily”, they explain. They even have a Milanese pizzaiolo in front of a Neapolitan oven.
Parpadelle with pesto
In front of the kitchen, on the other hand, is chef Carlos Eduardo Gasparini. Of Italian descent, after studying at a university in his native São Paulo, he traveled to the Alma International School of Italian Cuisine and he ended up in some of the most prestigious kitchens in Piedmont to end up arriving at number 114 of Claudio Coello street.
In Isabella, together with Valter, he has shaped a letter in which he flees from doing more of the same, seeks differentiate itself by offering a contemporary vision of Italian cuisine and commitment to tasty dishes, but not heavy.
A clear example of that lightness and that innovation are **its essential Gnocchi Dorato. **
“We make the potatoes in the oven, not cooked in water, so that they stay dry and we can put a smaller amount of flour. In this way, they are lighter. We put Manchego cheese to give it depth of flavor, butter and nutmeg. At the end, we cook it in water like a normal gnocchi, we cool it very quickly and then Brown it in a frying pan with very hot oil. This way it has even more flavor. We add fresh tomato, arugula and oil, and, on top, the cured salty ricotta”, lists Cadu.
Parpadelle ragu 12 hours
Thus, the menu is a dance of flavors ranging from antipasti, such as churro stuffed with parmesan cheese; to the famous pizzas, passing through pasta whose lightness is achieved by using fewer yolks than the 40 that are normally used in Piedmont and which result in dishes such as Pappardelle Ragu 12 hours (yes, the meat is worked for half a day); and arriving at some desserts, what desserts.
a tiramisu like the one mom used to make. Not ours, but Cadu's. “It is a very traditional recipe, but I really like the proportions because it is not very sweet” . And a bonet , which “is made like a flan, with eggs, milk, cream and cocoa. The difference is given by the amaretto cookies, made with almond flour, and the rum” , says Cadu.
All this with quality ingredients, some of which come from Italy, although “normally we buy them here and we are trying to do it more and more. We want to look for closer suppliers, small people, close to Madrid, who produce things for us”, Valter and Ana explain.
WHY GO
Because with their fixation for not offering the same as other restaurants, for going one step further in their creations, **they manage to place the diner before proposals that cannot be tasted in any other Italian restaurant in Madrid. **
Chef Cadu prepares this tiramisu following his mother's recipe
Proof of this, are their golden gnocchi and the intensity of flavor that characterizes them; or your bonet , a Piedmontese version of egg flan with an addictive final bitter touch.
EXTRA
They are working on a new letter that will change periodically. Smaller than the current its star dishes will coexist in it (see the Tonnarelli Carbonara, Parppadelle Ragú 12 hours, the Gnocchi Dorato or the Portuguese, Caprese, Serrano and truffled Mortadella pizzas) that will remain permanently, with others that will be arriving new. Thus, each visit to Isabella will be a guarantee of new flavors.
Bonet, like our flan but with a touch of cocoa
Address: Calle Claudio Coello, 114 See map
Telephone: 91.578.92.47
Schedule: From Tuesday to Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. (Sundays and Mondays closed).
Half price: €20-30 per person