When Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (CMR) announced Valentina’s, an Italian concept coming to Dublin’s Bridge Park, some were taken aback due to the company’s existing Italian concept.
How would Valentina’s be different from Marcella’s? How could a new restaurant stand out among established Bridge Park favorites?
“(Standing out) was the first thing we took on when we got into the kitchen on this project because we have so many Italian brands and this one had to be unique,” says Jamie Kline, corporate chef and operating partner of CMR. “It had to have some different flair, but not change too much from the roots of what makes (our restaurants) great.”
As it often does when working on a new concept, Cameron Mitchell’s team traveled far and wide in search of inspiration, finding it at a winemaker’s home across the pond.
“Valentina was the daughter of the winemakers,” says Executive Chef Todd Kessler. “This family really took (the team) in and showed genuine hospitality.”
Valentina’s, like many Cameron Mitchell projects, wears its influences on its sleeve. A sweet/spicy cocktail featuring vodka and Calabrian chili tincture, “An Ode to Pepe,” was named after a fiery server they met on a research trip.
The restaurant is designed to appeal to Americans who are enamored with the Italian ideal, which makes it no surprise our readers made it the winner of the Best New Restaurant category of the Best of the ’Bus reader poll.
From the Valentina’s-branded red Vespa sitting out front to the marble-tile trim to the Ferrari pictures lining the bathroom walls in the back, Valentina’s was meticulously crafted to feel like you’re not so far from the Mediterranean.
Two dishes served at Valentina’s perfectly demonstrate how it accomplishes its mission: cacio e pepe and pepperoni pizza.
For the cacio e pepe, which translates to “cheese and pepper,” Kessler crafted a traditional buttery sauce, selecting pecorino cheese as the star of the show. Three different kinds of pepper are used to flavor the dish and fulfill its namesake.
Though it has the opportunity to be heavy and make a diner feel bloated, the dish is surprisingly light and very easy to keep eating without needing to pause and take a breath, making it perfect for a picky carb-lover who won’t want to venture much further beyond buttered noodles. The strongest flavor of the dish is its inoffensive cheesy base.
Valentina’s makes its noodles in-house – you can watch the process through the front window – and the smooth and mild sauce of the cacio e pepe really allows them to shine. The pasta is impressively soft, but firm, and does a superb job soaking up the sauce and complementing its flavor.
Speaking of perfection, you would be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with Valentina’s pepperoni pizza. Between its robust sauce, high-quality and low-moisture cheeses, locally crafted cold-cut pepperoni, and soft, firm crust, every element of an excellent slice is brought together.
Fresh herb garnish, pickled peppers, gooey supplemental cheese and puffy-but-not-intrusive air bubbles take this pie a step beyond your favorite greasy hometown slice.
Of course, a trip to Italy couldn’t be complete without some gelato and a coffee, and luckily Valentina’s offers the spumoni sundae, among other desserts, as a sweet cool-down to follow your meal.
The sundae features a scoop each of pistachio and vanilla gelato adorned with cherries and a crisp pizzelle for a variety of textures. The pizzelle is simple and satisfying; it’s not overly sweet and has a distinct anise bite. A fudgy chocolate base complicates the sundae, and lovers of a cake-and-ice-cream combo will devour the whole cup with ease. For those who close out every meal with a cup of coffee, this dessert pairs perfectly with a double shot of espresso.
Given its approachability, welcoming atmosphere and attention to culinary balance and detail, it’s hardly a surprise Valentina’s was such a hit in its first year.
“(Winning Best New Restaurant) is incredibly rewarding. The fact that it’s a readers’ poll … it means the world to us; we’ve put a lot of time into this,” Kessler says. “We have a killer team of about 100 associates here – many of (whom) have been here since day one – so we’re super, super excited for all of them.”
Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
