Alessandro Cartumini has cooked his way from Milan to Scottsdale — with stops in between in Berlin, San Diego and London — and now is executive chef at the new Four Seasons Hotel in East Palo Alto, which opened in February.
Cartumini’s father was a pastry chef, and the son has been cooking since he was 14. The Milan native is a graduate of a five-year hotel-restaurant program in Italy and apprenticed under international superstar chef Sergio Mei.
The affable Cartumini sports red-rimmed glasses, a ready smile and reddish hair. His immaculate white coat appears hand-tailored. His accent is noticeable but not distracting, and his grasp of contemporary English is excellent. “I married a woman from San Diego, so my English improves all the time,” he said.
Walking through the lobby of the Four Seasons is akin to walking through a museum of modern art. Delicately carved wooden bowls, art glass, limestone, subtle textiles and soft wood elements abound. To the right of the lobby is a spacious sweep of wood and glass that leads to the entrance of Quattro.
Architecturally, the restaurant is a series of intersecting glass planes. It is a comfort-controlled conservatory, dazzling both inside and out. By day, fountains and palm trees are visible in the center court of the University Circle complex where the hotel is located. As day fades, dusk softens the mood and ambiance. With warmer weather, patio seating — complete with outdoor fireplace — will nearly double the restaurant’s capacity.
Inside, the showpieces are four ponderous marble sculptures. The carvings, by South Korean artist Yong-Deok Lee, depict ordinary-looking people representing the four seasons of the year. What is extraordinary is that the plaster sculptures are inverted into the marble as opposed to forming a relief. As one walks across the floor, the eyes of the sculptures seemingly follow along.
Kudos to the chef for his tantalizing bruschette Quattro antipasti ($11). Four square cups each contained an exceptionally tasty morsel: chopped heirloom tomatoes with basil and roasted garlic; smoked salmon with goat cheese and chive; brie with pistachio and dried cranberries; peperocino (chili flakes) seared beef tenderloin with arugula and balsamic.
Cartumini said he is still developing local sources for ingredients and is keen on small-farm specialty foods that Northern California has become known for. “I love the Harley Farms Goat Cheese from Pescadero,” he said. “I am always searching for the finest ingredients like this to use.”
Another delicious antipasto was the grilled calamari ($13) tossed with large cannellini beans laced with spicy lemon basil mascarpone. “Seasoning is the secret, a touch of zest to everything,” Cartumini said.
Cartumini and his kitchen staff of 31 provide elegant fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner in addition to catering for private parties of eight to 200. For toppers, room service is available round the clock for hotel guests and the kitchen is staffed and ready to cook. “If we ever get big orders in the middle of the night, the on-duty chef will call me in to help,” he said teasingly.
The gas-fueled pizza oven runs 24 hours per day because it takes three hours to uniformly heat it to the necessary 550 degrees. It needs to be ready at all times, in case the guest in room 555 craves a Castroville artichoke or a Sonoma fennel sausage pizza ($15) at 3 a.m.
Cartumini’s food preparations are complex. There are numerous reductions and the slow simmering of vegetables and meats for stocks. Eight pasta dishes are offered in two sizes, piccolo and grande. The smaller is just over half the size of the grande and is suitable as a first course or an in-between appetizer. Cloud-light gnocchi ($14 and $20) was house-made and tossed with generous chunks of asparagus, smoked prosciutto and Taleggio cheese.
I loved the thick, rich whole wheat pappardelle with braised short ribs ($16 and $22). The slow-cooked shredded meat was imbued with radicchio and brown gravy and topped with just-toasted crunchy hazelnuts.
The penne pasta with olive oil poached duck ($15 and $19) with orange braised endive and shaved Asiago cheese was sublime. Cartumini said his favorite, though, is the lobster and butternut squash risotto with sweet leek sauce ($17 and $25).
Remembering the veal chop Milanese ($34) sends my salivary glands into overdrive. The succulent Niman Ranch chop had been breaded with caramelized onions and rosemary and pan fried in olive oil and butter. The chop was surrounded with fresh steamed spinach and roasted potatoes. A balsamic dipping sauce was served on the side. Oh, sweet pangs of memory.
Equally wonderful was the pork tenderloin, saltimbocca style ($30). Saltimbocca here refers to pan-frying the pork in butter. The fork-tender medallions were set in creamy gorgonzola polenta and topped with Marsala cherry sauce.
Crispy organic King salmon ($27) was melt-in-the-mouth delicious served with the house-made gnocchi and lobster sauce. I adored the truffle and parmesan-crusted chicken scaloppini ($25) with Tuscan kale (long red leaves) and pancetta-sautéed potatoes.
Desserts were an equal triumph. House-made donuts ($10) were fresh fried, rolled in sugar and served warm. The accompanying sauces of coffee and creme anglaise elevated this dessert to majestic status. Blood orange panna cotta ($8) coated with crisp bitter cocoa was light as a butterfly’s wing.
Vanilla creme brulée ($8) with house-made Mission fig ice cream and tiny Italian shortbreads was scrumptious, as was the apple crostata ($8) with house-made walnut ice cream and spiced apples in an amaretto-caramel reduction.
Restaurant manager Felipe Gomez-Kraus runs the stylish dining room with aplomb. As we entered, the hostess guided us to our table, glanced at our dark-colored clothing and immediately substituted the lint-prone white linen napkins for smooth black ones, an unexpected touch of gentility. Service was seamless, prompt and unobtrusive.
The wine list is impressive and ever-expanding. According to Gomez-Kraus, the current list boasts about 285 labels with 30 wines available by the glass but the cellar is continually growing. Prices run the gamut but are fair. The list is about 80 percent Italian and American.
Given that Four Seasons is one of the world’s premier luxury hoteliers, it is not surprising that service, quality and attention to detail are first-rate. Both Cartumini and Gomez-Kraus embody that congenial hospitality. But one need not be a hotel guest to benefit from the superb food and stirring ambiance of Quattro. Despite its newness, it is already one of the finest dining experiences in town.
Quattro at the Four Seasons Hotel
2050 University Ave., East Palo Alto
(650) 470-2889
www.quattrorestaurant.com
Daily hours:
Breakfast: 6:30-11 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Dinner : 5:30-10 p.m.
