A new barbecued meat sign reading FUMU illuminates San Pantaleo, in the quiet jewel of the Costa Smeralda.
The Costa Smeralda is a magical corner of Sardinia, where territory, nature, and sea come together to create a unique landscape, which also becomes a glamorous and worldly destination for tourism exclusivity.
The 2023 summer season sees a new and unique restaurant opening in San Pantaleo, a pearl of the emerald hinterland, an oasis of peace with a bohemian touch and an artistic soul: in fact, FUMU opens, inside the Hotel Arathena, a restaurant specializing in offering the highest quality grilled meat, thanks to a careful selection of cuts and cooking with an ancestral flavor.
Fumu: the embers that set San Pantaleo ablaze with flavor
San Pantaleo is a village of unmissable charm, overlooking the Costa Smeralda perched on the granite massif of Cugnana in lush Gallura. A place that has managed to keep its authenticity intact, a discreet and unshouted charm.Less glamorous and far from the clamor of the nearby coastal resorts, it becomes a destination every year for intellectuals, artists, potters, writers, and worshipers of the silence and quiet of this small village nestled between rocks and greenery, where the sea is not missed. The rarefied atmosphere, the houses carved into the rock, the suggestion of refinement express a concept of luxury declined in a contemporary way.
A perfect place to accommodate the FUMU restaurant project, which was born from the desire to create a catering proposal focused on grilled meat, using excellent quality raw material with an impeccable cooking technique. All this is backed up by an extremely centered and identifiable wine list, capable of accompanying the gustatory journey in all its fullness and variety.
Pino Savoia, Christian Dentis, and Bruno Paschina are the partners behind this new sign. All three of them with important experiences in the world of catering and management in tourism, they aimed to bring to the Costa Smeralda a high-level gastronomic offer that would stand out from an often touristy standard with little attention to quality.
In order to best realize this dream, they relied on the outside advice of Roberto Pintadu, a Sardinian by birth and owner in Turin of the Bifrò sign. He is one of the greatest connoisseurs of the meat universe and of the processes of maturing and grilling.
The restaurant is located inside the Hotel Arathena, a delightful structure with irregular geometry, almost a village, nestled among the rocks and nature of Gallura. Shapes, colors, and materials reflect the location of the hotel, whose construction was entrusted to all local artisans and artists.
Aesthetics and authenticity are the traits that characterize this corner of Sardinian hospitality. There are three very atmospheric restaurant rooms on three different levels starting from the tavern and ending with a splendid outdoor terrace, in total immersion with the environment around.
Some of the best selections served at San Pantaleo derive from close relationships with companies that have become, both in Italy and abroad, benchmarks in terms of consistency with the principles of choice. To name a few: Black Angus of Irish origin bred by the Pantano family, in Veneto, which operates in a very short supply chain, since it breeds, slaughters, and processes the meat directly, as well as maturing the cuts following strict standards; American Black Angus, Danish and Polish cattle, which provide more mature cattle with an important level of infiltration and meat with herbaceous hints, due to grazing.
And then Japanese Wagyu, of the highest quality and sourced not from one prefecture but from one farmer, to ensure traceability and excellence. All cuts from adult animals, not under 3-4 years of age, which have meat with developed muscle and are therefore more flavorful – able to express themselves best in perfectly executed cooking and following proper maturation.
Steak is therefore the queen of the proposal, but the menu also offers the possibility of ranging between appetizers and special treats – such as Wagyu Kobe bresaola, as well as various types of vegetables and vegetables and cheeses at the end of the meal. Also important are cuts of fifth-quarter, heart, diaphragm, sweetbreads, and brains, cooked on the grill as appetizers or clearing dishes.
A wide choice of excellence, among products that guarantee not only an intense and satisfying taste experience, but also extreme quality and safety, values that are fundamental today for those approaching the world of meat.
FUMU: the modern idea of wine selection, between research and personality
The wine list that accompanies the experience at FUMU’s is the result of Pino’s important wealth of experience, which today leads him to have the tools to set up a wide-ranging and elevated proposal. A reasoned choice, thought out in relation to the context, the type of catering, and the target audience – and that does not fail to express the personality of those who build it, as an identity trait.
A good section of the menu is dedicated to bubbles, particularly Champagnes, which can be expressed in interesting pairings with meat as well. The selected still white wines have structure, body, and persistence, excellent accompaniments for appetizers.
The reds derive mainly from the two regions that most in Italy express this: Piedmont and Tuscany. A map that represents Italy in all its territorial identity, made up of about 500 references, including emblazoned labels, which make it possible to give important vintages and give depth to the route, and small realities, able to offer niche bottles and very special gems.
Important space covers Sardinia, a territory that is making great strides in the wine world. The virtuous path of dialectic that many companies have undertaken with “the continent” is fundamental to compare themselves with other realities and make quality.
The great challenge is to be able to produce wines that have a commendable overall balance, with balanced, harmonious organoleptic and alcoholic parts. Intervening in the vineyard is the first step toward this goal, with attention to the agronomic as well as the enological aspect. The choice falls on Sardinian wineries that travel in this direction of openness and modernity, toward the creation of products that represent the territory, pleasant and drinkable, and with an aromatic kit identifiably traceable to the grape variety of origin.
Also interesting are the pairing proposals, in constant evolution, which will offer thematic pairings from time to time, in relation to the dishes and types of wine involved, with verticals or territories compared to broaden the experience of pairing with food.