"....the Italians love a certain amount of ceremony."
Fodor's Modern Guides. Italy 1957.
day 180
whenever we visit Umbria, we're sure to go back to some of our old favourite places but we also, always discover at least one new gem....
last night, we went up a very steep, dirt road to a new restaurant (ours was at least a road but A., who was travelling in the kid-free co-car, appears to have taken the alternative, mountain-goat-track-route instead.....they all arrived pale and needing a grappa pre-dinner).
like many of our treasured restaurant finds in Umbria, this one squeezes into the same mould....simple (often with all the frills on the curtains and interesting tablecloth designs), rustic, remote, family-run and serves a set menu (based on what is fresh, available and matches the chef's mood that day). the star of this restaurant is the big, open, wood burning oven that commands your full attention when you walk in, next is the chef/owner who wrestles with the heat of the oven to produce incredible flat breads and char-grilled meats...whilst still maintaining a certain boxer-manager style (must be the towel draped around his neck).
so what does a typical Umbrian set-menu look like......we ate (in the order that the platters/plates appeared):
Antipasti
Primi
Secondi
day 180
whenever we visit Umbria, we're sure to go back to some of our old favourite places but we also, always discover at least one new gem....
last night, we went up a very steep, dirt road to a new restaurant (ours was at least a road but A., who was travelling in the kid-free co-car, appears to have taken the alternative, mountain-goat-track-route instead.....they all arrived pale and needing a grappa pre-dinner).
like many of our treasured restaurant finds in Umbria, this one squeezes into the same mould....simple (often with all the frills on the curtains and interesting tablecloth designs), rustic, remote, family-run and serves a set menu (based on what is fresh, available and matches the chef's mood that day). the star of this restaurant is the big, open, wood burning oven that commands your full attention when you walk in, next is the chef/owner who wrestles with the heat of the oven to produce incredible flat breads and char-grilled meats...whilst still maintaining a certain boxer-manager style (must be the towel draped around his neck).
so what does a typical Umbrian set-menu look like......we ate (in the order that the platters/plates appeared):
Antipasti
- cured meats
- different bruschetta (toasted bread with various toppings)
- 3 different hard cheeses
- white beans (delicious)
Primi
- gnocchi
- spaghetti
Secondi
- various char-grilled meats (chops, bistecca, sausages)
- rosemary potatoes
- green salad
Finale
- grappa and caffe
limi doesn't feature much in this post because she slept through most of it...except for a brief moment where the owner insisted that we take the pram through the kitchen and into his bedroom where it was quieter.....very kind, but sadly she prefers the buzz of restaurant noise.
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