Massive late-season truffle highlights special Spago menu

While the season for this prized ingredient varies a bit from year to year, it’s usually winding down by mid-December. So this is the time when many chefs are stocking up for one last blowout on their holiday menus. But Spago’s Mark Andelbradt isn’t feeling any pinch this year, thanks in part to a massive 935-gram specimen unearthed in Northern Italy last week. (That’s just over 2 pounds, for those who don’t want to do the math.)

“Last Thursday I got a call from our truffle broker,” Andelbradt says. “And the offer came through for a 2-pounder. I didn’t believe it at first. So following that comes a picture of the truffle on a scale to prove its weight. And I said ‘OK, wow! Let me make some phone calls. Let’s see if we can get this deal done.’ ”

The chef won’t reveal what he paid for the truffle, which is the largest he’s seen in the U.S. this season. But he hints it may have been a bit less than the going market rate, which is about $7,500 per pound. He says the story behind how this particular truffle was found was an important factor in his decision to make such a large purchase.

“I wanted the story behind it. Because the story of the food is just as important as the food itself.”

Andelbradt shares the story of a truffle hunter who thought his season had run its course, and his young son, in this video.

The chef plans to start shaving his prize tuber on Thursday, and he’s doing it in style. To celebrate the hefty acquisition, he’s rolling out a limited-time, six-course tasting menu. Priced at $295 (plus $85 for an optional wine pairing), it will feature dishes accented with both white and black truffles. He’ll shave his massive purchase tableside for at least one course. So the earlier you go in to try it, the more of it you’ll get to see. And once it’s gone, so is the tasting menu.

For those interested, the meal will include:

• Snake River Farms American wagyu beef tartar, quail egg, truffle aioli, shaved white truffle

• Celery root soup, truffle crème fraiche, tarragon, black winter truffle

• Uni spaghettini, shaved white truffle

• Spinach raviolo, hen egg, shaved white truffle

• Roasted California squab breast and braised leg, parsnip puree, Brussels sprout leaves, shaved black winter truffle

• Bittersweet chocolate souffle, gold leaf, salted caramel ice cream, chocolate ganache.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter and Instagram.