I *thought* I knew Italian food. I thought I had pizza and pasta figured out.\n\nI was wrong.\n\nThanks to my dinner at Scarpetta, my appreciation for the sophistication of Italian cuisine is vastly more than it used to be.\n\nIn other words, Scarpetta gave me an education in fine Italian dining that I'll never forget.\n\nIt all happened on a Sunday night, which was the only night of the week when I could secure a table at Scarpetta -- a restaurant notorious for its difficulty in scoring a reservation. After walking through the narrow entrance hall on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan hotel, I was greeted by a spacious and elegantly appointed dining room. I was lucky enough to have a window seat directly overlooking the Bellagio fountains.\n\nI quickly received a menu from my kind and gracious server, Giampaolo, and found myself drooling over its mouthwatering options. While I waited, Giampaolo brought by a breadbasket with sides of citrus-inflused olive oil, eggplant tapanade, and whipped mascarpone cheese. The breadbasket was superb -- especially the stromboli with cheese and succulent salami baked inside.\n\nI wasn't in the mood for wine, so I started by ordering of their signature cocktails -- a St. Germain/prosecco spritzer. Sweet and refreshing, it was a lovely start to dinner.\n\nFor an appetizer, I had the yellowtail crudo. The raw fish was extremely fresh and beautifully seasoned. I especially enjoyed that little punch of sea salt that hits you after the rest of the fish is gone. (Who said that Japanese restaurants have a monopoly on raw fish?)\n\nThe real show-stopper was the entree -- duck and foie gras ravioli. I don't claim to be a foie gras expert, but this dish was revelatory. The ravioli dough was delicate and flavorful. The duck and foie gras filling could only be described as pure decadence. The sauce drizzled on top provided a beautiful contrast. This was one of the top dishes that I've ordered in any restaurant -- ever.\n\nAfter the ravioli, I was too full to order dessert, but Giampaolo was still kind enough to bring over two complementary petit fours -- a cinnamon biscotti cookie and a chocolate truffle. Both were outstanding.\n\nEverything about Scarpetta is outstanding -- from the service, to the ambiance, to the extraordinary food. \n\nIf I could, I'd get my culinary education here every day.
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