Cicchetti – some may call this style of eating (Italian tapas) , however I like to call it ‘food to share’, a style of cooking, and eating where diners are able to try a vast variety of small full of flavour and to be honest mouth-watering Italian dishes. The San Carlo group of restaurant began in 1992 with it’s first restaurant opening in Birmingham and now due to the love and passion for this style of Italian cooking they are now based throughout the UK and beyond.

The San Carlo group have welcomed Aldo Zilli – as  a chef and recipe advisor and consultant across the group. Adding Aldo’s flair on all dishes with a deep focus and specialist knowledge on seafood and fish dishes coming through. The San Carlo group have a different ethos on their menus. Each individual chef have an input and are able to carry forward recipes learnt from their own families and dishes that they have been enjoying and eating around their own family tables for years. A style of Italian cooking that has Italians families queuing up at the door, fresh authentic dishes with an Italian twist, just like Nonna makes!! Aldo is keen to keep all of the food on the menu seasonal and constantly changing dishes to keep keen diners satisfied, full and wanting more.

I enjoyed a variation of dishes from arancini on a bed of pomodori, gnocchi with Gorgonzola in a bread basket to veal saltimboca and my favourite lobster tagliolini. I left ‘Cicchetti’, with the wanting to come back ‘Pronto’. As an Italian food writer , cookery teacher and mum of four bambini, I feel inspired to create some new ciccehtti dishes of my own all thanks to the San Carlo group and Aldo Zilli.

Grazie Aldo.

Carmela and Aldo 

Lobster Tagliolini 

Arancini con pomodoro
Carmela x