Gamal Nkrumah ponders what it is to create a Castello di Querceto before getting to the bottom of creativity It had been a slightly faster week than normal in the Fairmont Heliopolis Leonardo Italian restaurant with almost as much time spent in the air as on the ground. The Fairmont Heliopolis, of course, is literally a five-minute drive from the Cairo International Airport, and it hosted a series of events associated with the introduction of the internationally acclaimed Italian Castello di Querceto wine. So if you are flying out of Cairo and your flight happens to leave late at night, have dinner or late lunch at the Fairmont (previously Sheraton) and sample the best of wines from Italy's fabled Chianti region in Tuscany and only 25km away from Florence. Leonardo is as enchanting as the undulating hills of Chianti, as intoxicating as the unsurpassed Castello di Querceto. Fairmont Heliopolis Executive Chef Jean-Claude Plihon is a Frenchman who adores the traditional cuisine of Italy even more than that of his native country, itself famous for its fine food. Chef Plihon obviously understands that five-star hotels with exquisite wines and delectable dishes are invaluable ingredients in the strive for excellence. So is Leonardo seeing an upturn in business in spite of the global financial crisis? In design terms, this eatery alas hardly looks the part. The interior incorporating all sorts of presumably Italian appurtenances doesn't do justice to the Renaissance master. Leonardo seems, on the face of it, to be more about contemporary artists and their relationship with old masters. Still, Leonardo offers one of the best selections of Italian cuisine in Cairo. This restaurant will give you the chance to enjoy a glass of tantalising Italian wine away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Cairo's streets. A beady-eyed waitress, smiling from ear to ear, made it crystal clear that she approved of our choice of restaurant as she warmly welcomed my sons and me. I couldn't help noticing that she was happy to see the back of a disconsolate bunch of inebriated tourists who obviously had a drink too many of the fine wines of the Chianti Classico vineyards. The smirk on the face of the waitress was uncannily reminiscent of the enigmatic Mona Lisa. Florence, or Firenze, is the city of Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci -- Leonardo da Vinci for short, Dante, Machiavelli and Galileo. Learning about Leonardo has been an enriching and fascinating experience. Among the many myths that I have had to repudiate was that Leonardo da Vinci was essentially an artist, sculptor and architect. I explained the he was a polymath -- a new word as far as my sons were concerned -- even though he is known primarily as the painter of the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper". And, his illustration of the "Vitruvian Man" has become a venerable icon. More obviously than any of the big hitters among Renaissance artists, Leonardo's technological ingenuity defies the imagination. He conceptualised a helicopter in an age when people could not fathom what it was to fly. This proficient innovator outlined a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics, but let us, for the moment, focus on the dishes served on our own plates at Leonardo. A Chardonnay with risotto, yet another of the more popular Milanese staples for example? My restless sons hopped from foot to foot. For antipasti (singular anti pasto, meaning "to tease the palate") Youssef preferred bruschetta with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, basil and pargiano-reggiano. Risotto is a Primo, served on its own before the main course. Karim opted for the Venetian seafood risotto with plump prawns and scallops -- prepared with the stout, starchy medium grain Arborio, rather than the long grain Carnardi rice. As the faint winter sun set behind Orouba Avenue leading to the airport, the temperature fell sharply and I wondered if we should try something warming such as Ossobuco alla Milanese. We did, and the braised veal shank in the rich, meaty juices was quite simply divine. For aperatifs or after dinner drinks, Leonardo is perfect. Yet we could not help leaving with the conviction that dessert was best. The Amaretto parfait, doused in the almond--flavoured liqueur had a hint of the indescribable bittersweet. Leonardo Fairmont Heliopolis Orouba Avenue, Cairo Tel: 2267 7730 Lunch for three: LE550
