A delicious spread at Don Giovanni's restaurant in Juhu

Irrespective of their predilection towards mass executions and sober black gowns, Dons are not people to trifle with. Annoy them and they'll cut you. Don Giovanni is no exception.

Big and burly, Giovanni Federico, the mastermind behind Little Italy and Ai Trulli, is no small potatoes. At Don Giovanni, his newest restaurant at Juhu Tara Road, you get a taste of how dead serious he is about his food.

Authentic is a word I loath to use for food, but after a meal here I am sorely tempted to use it. Instead of the overwrought cheesy pastas and exaggerated, topping-laden pizzas, the cooking draws on the natural flavours and simplicity of technique on which Italian cuisine prides itself.

We were served Caprese, a vegetarian starter consisting of a ring of tomato slices, drizzled with olive oil, topped with oregano and basil, arranged around mozzarella balls. Tomatoes have never tasted better than this, ever. Once again plain and unadorned, yet marvellously tasty was Affettati, comprising a selection of Italian salami and Prosciutto Crudo, the famous air-dried ham from Parma.

As for the pizzas, Giovanni's closest competitors are the speciality five-star Italian restaurants. You're unlikely to get a thin, crispy, perfectly balanced pizza that literally melts.

However, the soups can be skipped. Italian soups can be dangerously heavy and are often a meal in themselves. While the selection of risottos is limited, the options for pasta are quite substantial. Of the variety we sampled, the ravioli was clearly the most exquisite.

Stuffed with spinach, herbs and cottage, and parmesan cheese its velvety texture and balance of sharp and sweet flavours were simply incomparable.

Of the rest, the tomato-based Alla Matriciana, Arrabbiata, and Pollo E Peperoni are all good but the classical Al Pesto made from a sauce of blended basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and pecorino cheese was strictly okay.

Unfortunately the pork chops suffered from an over generous helping of salt and were a disaster.
Cooked to perfection, they were completely inedible.

Desserts are available on a daily basis and is the only non-existent section of the menu. I chose Tira Misu, which instead of being ethereally light was rather dense and heavy. Not one of the better Tira Misus I've had.

They also have an excellent, but somewhat limited wine list which includes a Barolo, Orivieto and the exorbitantly-priced grappa - Sassicaia.

Don Giovanni is not cheap. A three-course meal for two would cost anywhere between Rs 550 to Rs 1,200 excluding taxes. It will however be worth it.

andheri@mid-day.com

The large sign on the entrance doorway perpetuates the stories of his irascibility. It declares that the entry of children is forbidden unless the parents ensure they stay demurely in their chairs and do not scamper about disturbing other customers!

Thanks to that sign also gracing two other ventures of his in Mumbai, (Little Italy is the better known one) Giovanni Federico has been comprehensively demonised. Which has meant a raw deal for his well-cooked food. Which has also imbued a certain piquancy to the name of his new restaurant in Juhu-- Don Giovanni, a stone's s throw from the JW Marriott.

For most the mafioso tenor of the name may sound appropriate, but the portly and straightforward former Benetton honcho (he set up the chain in India and stayed on to pursue his enduring passion as a profession -- food!) prefers to draw allusions to the eponymous operatic character, as it is evident from the black and white prints all over the spartan restaurant. And he is anything but peppery when he gets talking about either food or juicy tidbits from the international rag-trade -- Armani, Valentino, Versace, you name 'em and he has an anecdote!

His menu, predictably, is enormous. In fact most Italian chefs seem to eschew brevity when it comes to listing their culinary repertoire. Giovanni's list runs to some eight pages but is distinguished by a devotion to local produce. His presentation is rustic -- as Italian food is -- but the flavours are robust. Some are downright unusual, like Helen's Crostini, a fiery paste of prawn and red chilli powder! But the true triumphs are his pastas, from homemade fettucine to lasagna and gnocchi.

Ritu Dalmia of Delhi's premier Italian eatery Diva, couldn't get over his ravioli. Neither could I when I tasted it some months after her -- when he opened Don Giovanni after a short hiatus. Stuffed with spinach, herbs and cottage cheese and parmesan, and doused in sage butter (Ritu makes a mean version herself) the raviolis are truly delicious. His range of spaghettis are also worth a try, from Alla Vongole (the classic combo of clams, garlic, white wine and herbs) to Alla Puttanesca (anchovies, tomatoes, garlic, olives and capers). And how could he not include pizzas? Has four choices for that, but I would go for a classic risotto instead.

My favourite from his non-pasta range, though, was Costolette Scottadito -- tender spring lamb chops marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, pepper and parsley and grilled. And there's a good wine list to complement the food, with a young Tuscan -- Santa Cristina -- from Antinori proving to be the taste-and-value-for-money option. As for Giovanni, he was the biggest surprise of all. A man truly devoted to his late-adopted craft. Irascibility notwithstanding!