In Novara, just in the central piazza Martiri della Libertà, where the castle faces, a new Michelin star has arrived: it rewards the Bistrot of Antonino Cannavacciuolo which opened in the Piedmontese city three years ago, entrusting the kitchen management to his young chef Vincenzo Manicone.

We went to see how it is and how it is eaten

The restaurant is on three floors, with some tables outside, on the square, and a nice terrace overlooking the castle, on the second floor. On the ground floor, at the "café" you can stop for an espresso on the fly or opt for a more relaxed breakfast. Many croissants and sweets to choose from, all produced by the "Canavacciuolo Bakery" located not far from the bistro, beyond the square.
The café also offers the opportunity to have lunch with an informal and traditional menu, always on the ground floor. Instead, to follow the gastronomic creations of the chef Vincenzo Manicone, you have to go up to the first and second floor, where the bistro tables are located, in a more intimate and quiet atmosphere.
We had lunch on the second floor, in the inner room, and we chose a 5-course tasting menu.
In addition to the accuracy of the service, we immediately won one of the small welcome morsels, what the chef called Aperitivo all'italiana: it is a creamy peanut, coated with cocoa butter, topped with a small beer jelly. It melts in your mouth, and it's really delicious.

Among others tastings, a pugliese focaccina with tomatoes, a little frisella with sea water and tomato jelly, a bundle of corn with remakes of burrata and escarole gel and, finally, a funny fake tomato: creamed baccalà with cod mayonnaise, black olives and jelly of tomato.

THE'starter It is a raw of amberjack, lying on a "salatino" of papaya, with sesame, salt, mixed salad, shoots.

THE first are mini ravioli del plin with braised veal, composed of bergamot, potato waffles and bergamot, a powder of bergamot oil, with goat's milk sauce and curd (excellent notes of bergamot, combined with the tasty stuffing of meat) and then potato gnocchi (of very particular consistency) with Carmagnola rabbit ragout, vegetable brunoise and cheese and pepper mousse.

Such as second we choose a caplolo pork, with cream of carrots, turnip top gel and crispy turnip tops: crispy and delicious pork rind, in contrast with the meat, very soft and delicate, perfect cooking.

After predessert, the chef Vincenzo Manicone wanted to dedicate ourselves as dessert an off-the-menu experience: the Autumn Grove in Novara. Land of chocolate and caramelized black sesame, mushroom with truffle stalk and white chocolate and 70% chocolate cream cappelluccio, a meringue snail and porcini mushroom quenelle, with dried porcini mushrooms, fresh berries and caviar of parsley. With three compotes: orange, persimmon and tonka bean, porcini mushroom. The experience is completed by the scent of fresh moss that is released from the water poured over at the moment (at the base there is a bit of dry ice: it will rise a mist, typical of a grove in the autumn. the trees while it is raining).

We met chef Vincenzo Manicone at the end of our tasting tour, when it was time to snack, on the ground floor of the restaurant, crowded with people ready to indulge in steaming chocolates and sweets: half Pugliese and half of Campania, but born in Varese, Vincenzo he has been in Canavacciuolo's team for 9 years (he worked with him at Villa Crespi) and for three years at the Bistrot Novara, at the helm of a team of 11 people.