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What to do on a Saturday night? It’s a tough call when you have work in the morning and the children to get ready for school.
But sometimes the Arab weekend deserves a playful extension and a trip down memory lane for all those who enjoyed the 1980s the first time round … and others who appreciate a little Old School action.
Add some tasty Italian treats in one of the trendiest restaurants in town, at a reasonable price to match, and you’ve all the ingredients for a perfect end to the week and a boost to help get you through the regular routine ahead.
Perhaps it was apt that the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain launched its ‘Back To The 80s’ weekly event at Primavera, a special themed event taking place every Saturday, on my birthday.
My misspent teenage years may have been at the Winter Gardens discotheque in my Banbury hometown in the late 1970s but my formative years of partying (Aylesbury and Milton Keynes) were destined to begin (and end abruptly with the responsibilities of parenthood) in the 1980s.
Those were the days when with Every Breath You Take you wanted to grasp a new experience and pray the girl who looks like Madonna would Call Me instead of telling me to Beat It.
Tainted Love or not, I Wanna Dance With Somebody … All Night Long.
I certainly haven’t got the energy nowadays, so the top tunes can play pleasantly in the background with foot-tapping finesse as I concentrate on the food. And, there’s plenty to get excited about at this tasteful trattoria with dining areas inside and out.
There’s a cool BD10++ deal offering a couple of beverages and a playful platter of canapés featuring crunchy Buscatta, mini-burgers and perfect potato and cheese croquets.
These are presented with style by Primavera’s passionate Chef Alfonso Ferraioli and his Italian team who can be seen conjuring up their magic in the clear, glassed-off kitchen arena.
Born in the 1980s, perhaps this themed night has been simply set up to celebrate both the decade of his birth and that of pretty Russian DJ Elena Tiptsova who was behind the decks spinning the sounds with style and grace.
Chef Alfonso was born in Napoli in 1984, started his culinary endeavours in Naples Culinary School, performing an apprenticeship in Italy in 2002, before developing himself overseas as a chef de cuisine in Corsica (France), Switzerland, and England.
However, it is back in Italy, and especially in Rome, that Chef Alfonso Ferraioli made his most inspiring encounter, when he joined the kitchen brigade helmed by two Michelin-starred Chef Oliver Glowig, who keeps a watchful eye in Bahrain as part of a partnership with this restaurant.
Three years on after being appointed as the natural and deserving embodiment of Chef Oliver’s cooking philosophy in the signature Italian restaurant, he’s loving every minute of leading the Primavera kitchen. “It provides a chance for me to showcase the traditional hearty Italian cuisine, in all its simplicity.”
Using his mother’s and grandmother’s family recipes, The Back To The 80s night offers a refined menu of majestic dishes should the platter and drinks have simply stimulated the appetite.
The Risotto ai Funghi Porcini is magnificent (BD7.500++), a warming wonder on a plate. This classic dish presses all the right buttons, with intense mushrooms and plump arborio rice.
As a special birthday treat, Chef sprinkled some truffle on top … you’ve got to love the Italians!
Another stand-out dish is the Tagliata di manzo con rucola e Pomodorini (BD15++), rib-eye strips cooked to medium-rare perfection as requested and served with rocket salad and cherry tomato and a touch of Balsamic vinegar, of course.
Great food, marvellous music … Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This.
See Chef Alfonso’s interview with Stan by scanning the QR code or by visiting www.gulfweekly.com or our Facebook page.
