Alessandra Bartoli Misir has followed in her mother’s footsteps and opened her own restaurant, not in her beloved hometown of Rimini, Italy, where her mother Maria Palumbo helmed La Stiva — but in Kingston’s restaurant capital, Marketplace. She is passionate about what she does. Little surprise really, since her mother’s side of the family boasts generations of culinary excellence. What began as weekend samplings of her lasagna at Gassan Azan’s MegaMart has now become a foodie’s dream realised, an Italian eatery called Caffé da Vinci.

Soft lighting adds to the ambience created by the wooden countertop of the bar and the painted glass panes set in black frames. The décor reflects a palette of orange, black and ivory, with an abundance of wooden surfaces and accents — soft but with a modern feel, or as Alessandra says, “funky classic! That’s me. This is exactly what I wanted. They (the contractors) understood (what I wanted) — it’s not too fancy, but very warm, and very Italian.”

Four months of construction gave way to Alessandra’s concept that was firmly imprinted in her mind. Architect Marcus Keusgen of Lush Image together with consultant Tanya Kay and contractor Dean Kirkland created an intimate space, where families can come together and lovers bond over home-made pasta, fine wine and country-style Italian cuisine. Alessandra’s mum trained the staff and of note too, is that menu items are all made from scratch, from the pasta and the sauces, to the bread and desserts. Misir’s staff complement of 18 includes chef Paolo Avagliano from Italy, Syrian pastry chef Emile Samaan who’s been trained by Paolo and Alessandra to make Italian pizza and desserts, and 16 locals who work everywhere, from the restaurant floor to the kitchen.

A soft launch on August 21, 2010 brought out specially invited family and friends. However, visitors to the Marketplace had other ideas, and the new restaurateur saw numerous diners who wanted to sample the fare of the Courtyard’s newest addition stream in. Misir didn’t need an official opening — passers-by basically ‘opened’ Caffé da Vinci for her.

“So far the response has been positive — thank God. I hope it keeps going this way. People keep coming back and I have (several) regular customers.” And, already diners have marked some of her dishes as favourites; for example, the signature pizza with its thin, crispy crust and the beef tenderloin served atop an arugula salad. “People always ask me what’s my specialty,” Misir laughs, “but everything I put on the menu is my specialty. I can say that patrons love our ravioli with fresh tomato sauce and basil. We also have tagliatelle, a home-made pasta (it’s like a country-side dish) which we do with mushrooms and truffle oil. We also have a lobster salad that is really good. I see a lot people who enjoy it.”

In addition to savoury dishes, the restaurant serves a fine Italian selection of wines provided by 1876 Imports, J Wray & Nephew and Caribbean Producers Jamaica. Alessandra recommends a Sangiovese Cabernet, which is her favourite red wine, and a Trebbiano Chardonnay for diners who prefer white, and boasts that she will soon have in stock one of Italy’s most famous wines, the Brunello di Montalcino.

Caffé da Vinci also offers takeout, pick-up and lunch specials. Come February, there’s the promise of a pastry shop — Pasticceria da Vinci — which will serve a wider variety of Italian sweet treats, as well as afford customers the opportunity to purchase freshly made pasta (like ravioli, tagliatelle, cappelletti) that they can cook at home.

Caffé da Vinci takes your taste buds on a journey to Italy, where one can experience delightful and authentic ‘home-cooking’ — pasta, pizza, salads, and of course, delectable desserts — Thursday Food gives you a taste.

Buon Appetito!

Reservations are recommended for large groups:

Caffé da Vinci

The Courtyard at the Marketplace

67 Constant Spring Road, Kingston 8

Telephone: (876)906 9051

E-mail: info@caffedavincija.com