THE CELLAR

Daytona Beach

Ahistoric summer residence of a former president of the United States, President Warren G. Harding. Built in 1907 by his father-in-law Amos H. Kling, the Hardings used the home as a seasonal residence to escape the cold Ohio winters. The building is now on the National Historic Registry and owned by Sam and Lina Moggio. With an interior furnished in the style of the Ticino “Grotto” or the refined and charming restaurants on the Tuscan hills. The fame that surrounds this restaurant is wrapped in the attention to detail. From the tables set with fresh elegance to the wall decor made from wooden cases of fine wine. This is all that will surprise you in Daytona Beach, a town that stands out for its international races or for the famous beaches and annual gatherings motorcyclists who came from the north to warm up.

The acclaimed Cellar Restaurant has been serving upscale Italian cuisine with a fine dining atmosphere in the Historic District of Daytona Beach since 2003.

In the house of the president

Before his nomination, Warren G. Harding declared, “America’s present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration; not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity; not the dramatic, but the dispassionate; not experiment, but equipoise; not submergence in internationality, but sustainment in triumphant nationality….”

The hostess accompanies us with elegance in the “Cellar” of the house. Original decoration and romantic atmosphere, as described by connoisseurs of this restaurant,pleasantly isolated from the rest of the old Daytona Beach landscape. In an area not particularly scic and not very frequented by those who love this kind of restaurant. Personally, I immediately felt at ease and this is no small feat when you enter a restaurant that has never been visited before.

Ambience: 18/20

The menu reminds me of familiar and recognizable dishes in Europe, a little less familiar to my guests who are looking for a staple in the menu that can reassure them. I help them with "maccharonic" explanations.

Writing and drafting the menu: 16/20

A perfect symbiosis of the best. From the great French Bordeux to the Piedmontese Barolos passing among the super Tuscans and others from Central America without forgetting the Californians.

Wine list: 18/20

Harding, born near Marion, Ohio, in 1865, became the publisher of a newspaper. He married a divorcee, Mrs. Florence Kling De Wolfe. He was a trustee of the Trinity Baptist Church, a director of almost every important business, and a leader in fraternal organizations and charitable enterprises.

The waitress at our table explains “compassionate” the details of the chosen dishes, while the sommelier and owner, Lina Moggio, recommends the suitable wine with professionalism and kindness.

Service: 19/20

As for the food, I will only tell you about my choices even though my companions were thrilled with everything.

Appetizer: Just steamed lobster with peach sauce and chantarelles. Freshness and delicacy of the crustacean, combined with the forest scents of mushrooms that ennobled the whole (already noble of its own) and gave the tip of sweetness and acidity with a sauce made from fresh peaches, ginger and lemon.

This appetizer was a special, so off the menu.

My advice: Insert in the ordinary menu. 19/20

Behind the facade, not all of Harding’s Administration was so impressive. Word began to reach the President that some of his friends were using their official positions for their own enrichment. Alarmed, he complained, “My… friends…they’re the ones that keep me walking the floors nights!”

To the appetizer, a “Bucatini alla Carbonara” followed in a reasonable waiting time. But be careful, if you think of the classic Italian dish vandalized by many restaurants around the world, you are wrong. It is a variant of the famous dish that replaces the “guanciale” with a mixture of cold cuts and “pancetta” with a leaf of Parma ham to decorate a magnificent plate of homemade bucatini.

Pasta: 18/20

To finish (perhaps) my choice fell on the Red Snapper with artichokes and saffron sauce. Side dish of “pommes au gratin” (French concession) with mini vegetables. To underline, the freshness of the fish together with the delicacy and sensitivity of the chef owner Sam Moggio who avoided us another version of fried or vulgarly grilled fish. In fact, the fish is cooked in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, before being baked in the oven for a few minutes. A rarity in these latitudes.

Red Snapper: 19/20

I had to face my duty as a taster (with no regrets) and I tried the “Panna Cotta” a dessert that took me back to my childhood places in Italy. The dessert made with fresh cream, is sprinkled with impeccably selected berries. I forgot my diet for one night and threw myself into that handful of memories, flavors and atmospheres that have not even missed a perfect “Lavazza” espresso with “Cantucci Toscani”.

Dessert: 19/20

Known as “The Duchess,” Florence Mabel Kling Harding served as First Lady from 1921 to 1923 as the wife of President Warren G. Harding. Daughter of the richest man in a small town–Amos Kling, a successful businessman–Florence Mabel Kling was born in Marion, Ohio, in 1860, to grow up in a setting of wealth, position, and privilege. Much like her strong-willed father in temperament, she developed a self-reliance rare in girls of that era.

So to summarize: Certainly, a restaurant with the charm of yesteryear, with a professional contribution from the hosts and their not indifferent staff. We add to this the charm of the place that reminds us of colonial echoes of an America that no longer exists but that brings us back to the enchanted atmosphere of our imagination. The Cellar is a place to visit, alone for the dedication that Lina and Sam Moggio have given to this place. A primary condition when you want to reach a certain level of professionalism in this job. The rest is given by the enchanted places of our memory and what they arouse in our soul.

Warren G. Harding had come to Marion when only 16 and, showing a flair for newspaper work, had managed to buy the little Daily Star. When he met Florence a courtship quickly developed. Over Amos Kling’s angry opposition they were married in 1891, in a house that Harding had planned, and this remained their home for the rest of their lives. (They had no children.)