When popular Las Olas Italian restaurant Timpano reopened in August after a substantial remodel, the people behind it hoped it would bring in some new patrons – and offer returning ones all the things they loved before.
It’s an interesting line to walk, says Michael Ferraro, chef and vice president of food and beverage for Tavistock Restaurant Collection, the Orlando-based company that owns Timpano. “Our tagline for this is ‘the reimagined Timpano,’” he says. “We have things that are very familiar and a few things that are from the imagination when it comes to Italian cooking.”
Some things are good old-fashioned Italian comfort food. The restaurant’s famous mussels remain on the menu, the pastas are all made in-house and the meatballs are personal for Ferraro. “It’s my father’s meatball recipe; he’s been making it for 60 years,” he says. “Actually more – he’s 84.”
In other areas, they have fun and get creative. The, ahem, Parm to Table Experience involves uni alfredo with fettucine, pecorino romano and butter of Parma, prepared tableside. Tableside prep for a dish that involves sea urchins might not be your typical Italian-American restaurant experience; Ferraro says it’s fun to experience, and the culinary payoff is worth it.
It all happens in a place that’s meant to exude a kind of stylish, city vibe. (There are two Timpanos; the one in the Hyde Park area of Tampa has a more rustic feel, Ferraro says.)
“It’s modern, kind of chic,” Ferraro says of the Las Olas locale. “It has that elegant class to it, but it has some spice. The dining room is absolutely gorgeous.”
There are other flourishes. That Parm to Table dish? Served on a Versace plate. “I wouldn’t really serve a dish on Versace in New York, but we’re in South Florida,” Ferraro says.
Creating the new menu, which also includes Marsala-style wagyu hanger steak, rock shrimp risotto and snapper piccata, involved a lot of experimenting and sampling for the Tavistock team. Basically, lots of eating. A tough life.
“My gym routine is barely hanging on here,” Ferraro says.
”We wanted to make sure that our vision is something creative and fun but that the people of South Florida appreciate. As the years go on in your career, you kind of go back around to things that are familiar and that you love.”
At Timpano, he wants to mix that great familiar comfort food with experiences and a bit of wow factor. Restaurants in Italy are excellent for that, he says. They do a great fine dining job of delivering a spectacular experience. You dress up, it’s a night out, but you can also go to the bar and have something simple. It’s date night, “red sauce Sunday” and everything in between. It’s a night out, but it’s for everybody.
“We really wanted to have fun with the project,” Ferraro says. “We want it to be approachable for both new and old clientele.”
The Dish: Tuna Saltimboca
Ingredients
(Serves 2 to 3)
- 2 to 6 oz pieces fresh tuna
- 4 large fresh sage leaves
- 4 to 6 large thinly sliced pieces prosciutto
- 2 oz unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- .25 tsp fresh sage, chopped
- .5 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- Chives, fresh, cut into 1.25″ sticks, 16 pieces
Method
Tuna prep:
Lay 2 to 3 slices of prosciutto lengthwise across the top of plastic wrap (times 2). Place a sprig of sage on the top and bottom of the tuna and wrap with prosciutto firmly.
For the brown butter vinaigrette:
In a small pot over medium to high heat, brown butter until milk solids brown and are aromatic (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from stove top and add remaining ingredients while whisking. Set aside.
Cooking and plating:
In a very hot sauté pan, add 1 tbsp of canola oil. Season both pieces of tuna with salt and pepper and gently place in hot sauté pan. Cook for 30 seconds on each of the four sides. Remove and allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes on a wire rack. Slice across grain into 3 pieces and plate on decorative china arranging from 12 to 6 o’clock, shingling the tuna. Top with well mixed brown butter vinaigrette and garnish with 8 chive sticks.
