Giano Laboratorio Gastronomico

I dropped in here for a rather special event — a night of food and beer pairing in conjunction with itinerant brewery Jungle Juice — and I wasn’t disappointed. This review is going to be in part influenced by the great night out I had, but when it comes down to it, the food really was the star of the show. Giano is essentially a gourmet street-​food spot, whose raison d’etre is the creation of top quality, original sandwiches — something they take very seriously. We started the tasting with a tartare of salmon, folded in marinated pineapple and sour cream, paired excellently with the Jellyfish Saison from Jungle Juice. Then we got into serious Giano territory: the Carbonara sandwich, which apparently doesn’t always show up on the menu (but probably should). Containing a thin slice of pecorino and guanciale, topped with an extraordinary egg-​yolk emulsion, the Giano team selected a crusty cob from Panificio Bonci to round out the experience. We then tried a bruschetta made from chestnut flour with pulled pork and barbeque sauce — absolutely exquisite; both of these courses were paired with highly drinkable APAs from Jungle Juice. To finish, a light pannacotta, dressed with cinnamon and peanut butter sauce — slightly sweet for my taste, but beautifully balanced with the Natale di Merda Imperial Stout. Giano is well worth a visit if you take street food seriously and appreciate a good craft beer alongside it.