Going against the grain: La Polentaria
I stumbled across the culinary delight of polenta a couple of years ago, and when word reached me of a restaurant in the heart of Soho with a menu based wholly around this cornmeal, I was excited, if not intrigued. How could an entire menu be made around one, rather plain, product?
The answer is quite wonderfully, and La Polentaria demonstrates how brilliantly versatile this simple ingredient is. With the majority of their Italian-rooted dishes being gluten-free and offering a range of meat, vegetarian and vegan options, there’s something for everyone. After a warm welcome into the cosy, contemporary interior, a tray of small polenta bites is brought out to whet my appetite. Small but perfectly formed, they are topped with either sweet compote and pungent gorgonzola, or red pesto and rosemary. Both so delicious my friend and I devour them at an embarrassing speed.
For mains, there are three options: sandwiches formed from polenta ‘bread’; a range of salads with grilled polenta; and a creamy polenta base in a flan-shape. For all, there are a variety of toppings or fillings ranging from vegetables, chicken, and Italian sausage, to cheeses, goulash and boar. I settle on the creamy polenta base, with a rich tomato sauce, and burrata cheese. Mozzarella-like, the burrata is firm on the outside but soft inside, and as I cut in, the cheese oozes out. My friend chooses a smoked salmon salad, with olives, rocket, artichokes, oranges and grilled polenta slices, and cannot stop raving about how well everything complements each other.
By the time my final wedge of polenta wipes the last slick of sauce from my plate, we are fit to burst. However, the counter of (entirely vegan) polenta-based cakes and muffins we spy are far too tempting to deny. After much deliberation, my companion picks out a chocolate coconut square, which has a light, creamy filling, and myself an almond and marzipan cookie. Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle and with a host of flavours, I can honestly say it is one of the best cookies I have ever eaten.
You’d think that after three courses of polenta I’d be sick of the stuff, but La Polentaria have created such a refined, yet subtly varied and delicious menu, I’m simply counting down the days til I can make my second appearance.
La Polentaria, Old Compton Street, London. Visit www.lapolentaria.com
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