panciuto & scratch

We just got back from an incredible dinner at Panciuto in Hillsborough. It was a "community dinner," everyone sat around one long table and the food was passed down the table on platters. Panciuto's regular chef was joined by Phoebe Lawless of Scratch (the pie lady from the Durham farmer's market). I think this was one of the best Italian meals I've eaten. Here's the menu:

Starter: Spicy Scilian Rusks and prosciutto (this was kind of a crispy thick cracker with a peppery/anise flavor, topped with a thin slice of prosciutto)

Breads:

• Sardinian parchment bread (very thin flatbread)
• Farinata (triangles made of farina)
• Foccacine al griglia (don't know what that means, it was a grilled bread much like naan)
• the breads were served with a fresh tomato spread

Dinner:

• Torta di zucca e riso (a savory crust filled with rice and shredded zucchini. Had a lemony flavor. Maybe the best thing all night.)
• Cheese with gooseberry jam (this is the one thing we didn't get, the platter was empty by the time it got to where we were sitting. I saw it on someone else's plate, it was that Italian cheese with whole peppercorns in it, which I love, but there was so much other wonderful food that I don't mind missing it. We can get that cheese at Whole Foods.)
• Seared Cobia scallopine with cipollata, Sungold tomatoes and oregano vinaigrette (fish, perfectly cooked)
• Ditalini (homemade pasta) with eggplant, tomatoes, basil, guanciale, breadcrumbs and ricotta salata (rivaled the torta for the best dish of the night)
• Salad greens with tomatoes, watermelon, mozzarella and basil
• Pattypan squash (the salad and squash sound plain compared to everything else, but they were wonderful)

Dessert:

• Toasted corn gelato
• Grappa infused peaches and blackberries
• Zabaglione
• Semolina-olive oil cake