Casa Don Alfonso now open at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis
The spectacular addition takes the place of both prior restaurants, The Grill and The Restaurant.
Photo by George Mahe
A series of different arches were used to honor the Sorrento coast and pay homage to the city of St. Louis
Internationally inspired restaurants often vow to duplicate the cuisine of the country where the dishes originated. Some even attempt to transport the guest across the globe to replicate a memorable vacation meal, right down to the nuances. In St. Louis, no place does that better than Casa Don Alfonso, tucked inside the lobby level of The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, and no one explains it better than the restaurant’s general manager, Alen Tanovic.
“Engagement of the guest is paramount," says Tanovic. "While food plays a part, just as important is how a guest feels afterward. That’s the part that brings you back.”
Atlanta-based The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry was charged with recreating the Italian flagship in as many ways as possible. To say the design is dramatic is a gross understatement. The kitchen, including a massive copper canopy and Italian hand-painted lavender tile, was designed to evoke the same design elements used in Neapolitan villages, explains Mario Iaccarino, whose family owns Don Alfonso 1890, the two Michelin–starred mothership in Sant’Agata, Italy, along with an adjoining boutique hotel. “There are tiles in the courtyard there that are 300 years old that just get more beautiful with the passage of time,” he says.
Photo by George Mahe
No matter the level of culinary sophistication, observers will appreciate the grandeur of the kitchen at Casa Don Alfonso—the largest open-concept kitchen in the metro area. There are four separate islands (each responsible for producing certain menu items), with the hot line located on the far wall. (In European kitchens, the cooking ranges tend to be placed on islands as well.)
Photo by George Mahe
Photo by R J Hartbeck
A kilometer of quartzite counter defines the kitchen space. The pickup area is heated from above, as well as with induction heaters below, which will make eventual buffet service a consistent, Sterno-free breeze.
On the other end is counter seating that overlooks a fresh pasta extruder, a dough-making machine with mixing blades that mimic human fingers, and a chef stretching delicate doughs to create legit Neapolitan pizzas, a style that demands a trained pizzaiolo. Enter chef Jeff Mondaca, who, according to Iaccarino, learned from “the master pizza chef of Naples” while both were in New York City.
Photo by Don Riddle
In as many ways as possible, Casa Don Alfonso recreates the Italian flagship. Through a separate entrance, steps from the porte cochère, broad archways terminate at the fetching, U-shaped, marble-topped Casa Bar. Behind the bar are two temperature-controlled wine rooms (kept at 45 and 55 degrees), home to 3,024 bottles at present, according to Tanovic.
Photo by R J Hartbeck
First-time visitors can celebrate their discovery with a glass of Prosecco, a negroni, or one of several signature cocktails, such as the Filippo Bianco (with Pinot Grigio, Cappelletti liqueur, orange syrup, and sparkling water) or the Malfy gin-based cocktail, Wisteria Skies, a tribute to the fragrant, purple-blossomed vine witnessed at 1890.
Photo by R J Hartbeck
Photo by George Mahe
Wisteria is represented abstractly throughout the restaurant. (Catching the lavender reflections from the 600 hanging crystal “leaves” alone is worth a visit.) The Casa Lounge surrounds the bar, replete with comfy groupings, curvy loveseats, and an L-shaped blue velour banquette that tucks into a corner, where guests can eat, drink, or just relax.
"Meals can be enjoyed wherever the guest feels comfortable," says Tanovic. ”If it works for you, it works for us.”
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Photo by George Mahe
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Photo by George Mahe
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Photo by R J Hartbeck
In the dining room, quarter-round booths are placed back to back, completing a circle. Natural light bathes a series of oval tables and curved seats. Intimate tables for two with leather chairs further accent the space.
Photo by George Mahe
Mario Iaccarino admiring his favorite painting at Casa Don Alfonso
“It really is one of a kind, from an interior design perspective,” says Tanovic, “The idea is to take guests on a mini vacation to the Sorrento Coast, to bring a little bit of Sant’Agata here.” This aspiration is facilitated by numerous paintings from Anna Russo, a friend of the Iacarrino family, whose works are also part of the décor at 1890. “The paintings reflect the hallmarks of the Sant’Agata region,” Tanovic says. “Wisteria, lavender, olive trees, lemon trees, flowers, water...” In some, Mt. Vesuvius appears subtly in the background; in others, it's the Amalfi Coast and Capri island.
Tanovic explains the vibe by saying “it’s like being in an Italian village. Vibrancy surrounds you. It conveys the experience to you, but your immediate space can be private: at an oval table, huddled in the lounge, or seated at the kitchen counter, in the middle of all the action.”
Photo by George Mahe
An arched corridor leads to the Ritz-Carlton's Cigar Club
At full capacity, the main room seats 86, plus 40 in the bar and 30 on the patio. A private dining space (made so by ribbed-glass sliding doors) seats up to 16. Casa Don Alfonso serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and replaces the hotel’s prior two restaurants, The Restaurant (which served breakfast and lunch) and the Grill (which served dinner). The Cigar Club still exists, but it was remodeled as well.
“We were faced with the pandemic early on in the design process, so we could easily plan for it,” Tanovic says. “Casa Don Alfonso was intended to be spacious even before seating limitations were enacted. The restaurant will open at 50 percent capacity, both inside and on the small patio, so reservations are always recommended.”
The menus are based on dishes rooted in Iacarrino’s childhood, the things that he remembers eating at his grandmother’s house, recreated in a modern and casual atmosphere. “Diners will enjoy a cultural experience from a world that does not exist anymore,” he says. “Some of the recipes have 100-year-old origins.”
Photo by R J Hartbeck
Tanovic adds that part of the mission is to start a conversation about how and why food can taste differently than was previously thought, beginning with the Italian environment where produce is grown. And so the tomato product used at Casa Don Alfonso—the passata—is the same used in Sant’Agata. The same goes for the Sicilian olive oil that Iaccarino describes as “dull-bodied and elegant,” as well as the dried pasta that’s made in a small factory near Naples. The lemons used to make the house limoncello are grown on the family farm. “We wanted to bring over all of the products we use,” he explains, “but there’s an import fee on every item, which makes small shipments prohibitive.”
Photo by R J Hartbeck
Grandma's Ziti, with cherry tomatoes and anchovies from the Amalfi coast
Behind every dish is a personal story. The Lasagna Napoletana is the same version that his grandmother served. “In Italy, there’s Bolognese lasagna, with meat chopped fine or with meat sliced into bigger pieces, like it’s served in Naples,” he says. “We add ricotta, mozzarella, and hard-boiled eggs, which might seem unusual. The dish is rich, but not heavy, since it contains no butter or cream.
“A dish that’s common in Italy but not as much over here is pasta with potatoes,” he continues. The fresh pasta cooks inside a fragrant potato stew and gets finished with seamorza cheese. The type of pasta used is the versatile straccetti ("little rags" in Italian), a squarish, twisted noodle. “My dad still eats that dish all the time,” he says.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Photo by R J Hartbeck
The Maccheroni Gratin is baked ziti pasta with cherry tomatoes and béchamel, the same dish that Iaccarino’s grandmother served him once a week. The same tomatoes perk up the Pizza Bread Bruschetta, a sharable appetizer (pictured above).
The Eggplant Parmigiana is made with thin slices of eggplant that have been deep-fried. The Fritto Misto includes arancini and deep-fried mozzarella along with deep-fried vegetables .
The zuppe (here dubbed “anti-aging soups”) are especially indicative of the vegetable-focused Mediterranean diet: no cream, no dairy, no animal fat, and completely made from scratch. The base includes carrots, celery, onions, and the key ingredient. Five different versions are presented in a copper pot atop a handmade Italian tile, along with crostini, herbs, dried tomatoes, and chilis. Garnish according to your own taste. Thickened only with puréed vegetables, “the taste is creamy, but there’s no cream,” says Iaccarino.
Photo by R J Hartbeck
Fresh seafood is served acqua pazza-style, along with tomatoes, anchovies, onions, and brunoise-cut vegetables
The most popular item in Sorrentine restaurants is baked gnocchi, according to Iaccarino. “We don’t use eggs as a binder,” he says. “It’s just potatoes with a little flour.” On the Sorrento Peninsula, seafood is often poached in an herbed broth called aqua pazza (meaning “crazy water”). At Casa Don Alfonso, Chicken Cacciatora, the traditional hunter’s stew, is served with potatoes puréed with olive oil and milk, not butter.
Photo by R J Hartbeck
Iaccarino is especially proud of the Rack of Colorado Lamb, pan-fried and finished in the oven with lemon zest, olive oil, and a little salt but no pepper. (“At Casa Don Alfonso, we use very little pepper,” says Iaccarino.) The chops are transferred to a wooden board and served with roasted potatoes and onions.
A gas-fired, Italian-made Moretti oven turns out half a dozen varieties of Neapolitan pizza, plus house breads and foccacia.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Pizza with 'nduja and soppressata piccante
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Photo by R J Hartbeck
Quattro formaggio
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Photo by R J Hartbeck
House made breads at Casa Don Alfonso
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Foccacia with dried tomatoes
Joining longtime executive chef Melissa Lee in the kitchen is chef de cuisine Sergio Chierego. Originally from Cagliari, Italy, Chierego left Azzurro at The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, to be a part of of the team at Casa Don Alfonso.
Photo by George Mahe
The chefs have drafted different menus for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Worth a mention is the espresso served at the espresso bar, which opens at 6:30 a.m daily. The beans, the same ones used at Don Alfonso 1890, are roasted over oak, olive, orange, and lemon woods.
“When you go to grind the beans, those aromas explode,” says Iaccarino. “That way of roasting is unique in Italy, so I know it’s unique here."
Another don’t-miss: three varieties of cold-pressed juice blends, squeezed and bottled daily. The options include green apple/mint/celery, orange/lemon/carrot/turmeric/ginger, and the most popular, beets/berries/ginger. Also available for grab-and-go, the bottles come with a Casa Don Alfonso bottle opener.
“Casa Don Alfonso is based on the concept that traditional food—the cuisine of my memory—is also the food of the future,” Iaccarino says, referring to both Don Alfonso 1890 and Casa Don Alfonso, the family's first restaurant in the U.S. “Heritage and tradition have disappeared throughout the world, but certain food traditions of the past—like the Mediterranean diet—are a rare diamond that must endure in the future. Eating healthy is the future. You can eat that way every day of your life, and you’ll live longer if you do.”
The wisteria vines bloom in Italy every May. At Casa Don Alfonso, a stylish interpretation can be experienced throughout the year. The latter trip need not be postponed.
Casa Don Alfonso
100 Carondelet Plaza, St Louis, Missouri 63105
Breakfast: daily, 6:30 a.m. -10 a.m.; Lunch: daily, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Tue-Thu 5 p.m.-9 p.m and Fri-Sat 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday Brunch: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Expensive
