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Sian Victoria © - San Carlo, Italian restaurant, Birmingham

Indulging in Grana Padano Cheese Specials

Calling all cheese fans, I’ve found the perfect dining experience for you to enjoy an evening of cheese and wine in one of Birmingham’s finest Italian restaurants, but you’ll have to be quick it is only available until 30th November 2017.

San Carlo group have collaborated with Grana Padano cheese to create some unique cheese specials and I was kindly invited to try all three dishes complimentary with a glass of wine perfectly suited to each dish. I had never been to San Carlo before, but have always wondered what it’s like when I’ve walked past it many times down Temple Street, the celebrity guest photos on the wall always grab my attention along with the roaring flame outside.

I arrived at San Carlo at 12pm just as they were opening their doors, the kind waiter showed me to my table and I got to quickly snap some photos of the interior before workgroups, families and couples began to show up. I would recommend making a reservation, as the restaurant looks to be very popular.

Gnocchi al Tartufo Croccante

As I was about to take on three-cheese dishes the waiter advised me on the order of the dishes I should start with and the wines that would best compliment the dish.

So, I took his recommendation and started with the ‘Gnocchi al Tartufo Croccante’ (£7.50) – large crispy gnocchi with a Grana Padano sauce and fresh truffle paired with a glass of prosecco. To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of cheese, but this cheese sauce dish was lovely, the gnocchi is like a soft dumpling, so I loved how crispy it was and the added parmesan cheese was divine, I enjoyed dipping the dumpling into the rich sauce along with a sip of fizz.

Risotto ai Funghi Porcini

The next dish is a home favourite of mine ‘Risotto ai Funghi Porcini’ – mushroom risotto paired with a glass of crisp white wine. This dish is served in a cheese wheel to be shared between a minimum of two people (£24.00).

The risotto was cooked to perfection and I really enjoyed the extra cheese layer it was displayed in, I could have easily eaten more risotto - I’m currently craving it as I type.

Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola sauce

The final dish was a ‘Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola sauce’ (£8.50) – in a Grana Padano cheese basket paired with a glass of red wine. This dish is more suited to hardcore cheese fans, as it’s very cheesy and filling so I did struggle to finish this one as you can imagine I was full at this point.

I should have probably taken a longer gap before beginning this meal, as I did really like it, especially the crispy cheese basket – I was tempted to ask to take my leftovers home, so I could enjoy it later.

Obviously, if you visit to indulge in the cheese specials, you don’t need to have all three, but for this review I did, if you do have all three, I would certainly recommend eating them in this order, going for the lighter dishes first and gradually ending with the heavier dish.

To conclude

Overall, I really enjoyed my first time at San Carlo in Birmingham and all three cheese dishes, my dad is a huge cheese lover, so I’m going to try and find time for us to both visit before the 30th November, so that I can take him in the run-up to Christmas, I know he’ll love it!

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