Monza – great experience but not a pit stop….count about 2-3 hours for lunch break.
Via Venti Settembre 3, 41042 Fiorano Modenese Italy T: +39 0536 843910
No website: http://www.ristorantemontana.it/locale.htm and https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1054731-d5814015-Reviews-Ristorante_Montana-Fiorano_Modenese_Province_of_Modena_Emilia_Romagna.html
(Ambivere) near Bergamo – I have wanted to visit Bergamo for a long time. The old town is really worth seeing, including the panoramic view from the top of the hill.
For dinner though, we made a reservation at the Trattoria Visconti. A place I’ve had on my culinary “to do list” for a long time.
We entered the trattoria with a very friendly welcome and were even invited to visit the well-stocked wine cellar with the owner, thanks Daniele :-).
For dinner, we opted for the traditional menu, which included the famous local “casoncelli” here with a recipe by “nonna Ida”. A pasta filled with meat. In the Bergamo area, each family probably has its own recipe for casoncelli alla Bergamasca. Nonna Ida’s pasta came with sage butter and crispy bacon – a treat for the palate. A secret ingredient is hidden for some sweetness. I know what it is, but you have to find out yourself and try 😉 For a starter we had salami nostrano, for main the Guancetta (beek cheek) with polenta and as dessert one of the best apple pies…a very good menu with the best of local ingredients. I’d say the pasta itself is worth the trip to Ambivere, about 15 minutes by car from Bergamo.
Be sure to make a reservation!
Website: https://www.trattoriavisconti.it/
Sorrento, Italy
Sorrento was a revelation for me. A mid-size city directly by the sea, situated on a spectacular cliff, nearby the famous Amalfi coast. A shopping tour before dinner is recommended especially for hand made leather sandals – I bought mine for example at: www.sandalisiniscalchi.it/en/ you can have them made individually with every imaginable leather, coral or crystal…
The region is also known for its delicious lemons, which can be seen in every shop as fresh fruit, cuddly toys, soap, perfume or even decorated cups and household goods. After the shopping you can relax at the big main piazza which is ideal for an nice “Aperitivo” (in Italy pre-dinner drinks are always accompanied by small bites).
The dinner at the Antica Trattoria was spectacular: An interior could hardly be more kitschy and seemed like a scene from an Italian film from the 60s where Sofia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida would enjoy an extended dinner. The waiters wore traditional uniforms and the walls were decorated with painted tiles, framed pictures and plants hung from the ceiling in the cozy pergola.
The food was local and traditional. We shared some starter of Calamari, Fior di Zucca and Melanzane. As main course I had Tagliolini al limone….not just a plate of long noodles with lemon sauce, but homemade fresh pasta with fresh lemon sauce, part of the portion neatly rolled into a hollowed out lemon half. It was simply DELICIOUS! My hubby had the Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. A special thanks to Vincenzo, the mandolin player, who entertained the guests in the restaurant with his passionate play and made our evening even more special: Grazie mille Vincenzo. www.lanticatrattoria.com
Matera
Matera is the European Capital of Culture 2019 and rightly so. We made a stop in Matera on our road trip through Italy and could not stop being amazed. (read more about the history of Matera, 3rd oldest town)
The place is really very special, because the old part consists of caves – so-called Sassi. The people lived there with their animals until the 1950s, when the mayor of Matera had everything cleared for hygiene reasons.
In the 1990s the Sassi were rediscovered and prepared for flats, hotels, restaurants and shops.
Food and recipe project: www.mammamiaaa.it
We stayed in a beautiful cave hotel – the Sextantio – , which was a very nice and extraordinary experience.
It was also astonishing to discover that in this relatively small village there are two restaurants with Michelin stars. But we relied on the recommendation of our hotel – it was worth it.
The restaurant Baccanti with local cuisine is embedded in a cave and although it was still 30 degrees outside, it was pleasantly cool inside.
As starter I had animelle (sweetbread on artichoke cream, hazelnuts and black truffle), my hubby chose the “probably” best cheese flan in the world (Podolico cheese flan with pork sausage) and as main course I went for calzoncelli (filled pasta) with black garlic and tomatoes. Of course our stomachs were already full but we still had to try the Tiramisu and the Ricotta dessert. Everything was excellent and I can warmly recommend the restaurant. Reading the menu back home now, I am dreaming of going back to the Baccanti for a great dinner tonight.
Torino – In 2013 I was already in the Osteria Antiche Sere and I still remembered the great food.
That is why I wanted to include this Osteria in our Italy culinary road trip. I was not disappointed and the diversion via Torino back home was worth it. Actually, I shouldn’t write about it here, because I think it is still an insider tip among the people of Torino 😉
The crew welcomed us extremely friendly and patiently explained the food and wine list. We decided on a Vitello Tonnato – excellent – as a starter. As primi I chose homemade taglierini with porcini mushrooms. As main course I absolutely wanted to try the guinea fowl with grapes. Everything was incredibly good. I can’t wait to come back to Turin to dine there again.
https://osteria-antiche-sere.eatbu.com/
Via Cenischia 9
Tel: +39 011 385 43 47
Olevano Romano – Have you ever heard of Olevano Romano? Me neither – before I visited this lovely town in the heart of Italy.
This year, we finally did our road trip through Italy. The way was the goal and in order to plan this trip in a culinary optimal way, we also kept to the list of the awarded “Trattorie” in Italy: https://premiatetrattorieitaliane.eu/ I made it already to 6 of the 13 locations.
I would really like to emphasize the Trattoria “Sora Maria e Arcangelo” in Olevano Romano. Our expectations were exceeded. The restaurant is homely and the service very friendly and helpful in choosing the dishes and wines. Unfortunately, this also led to the fact that we totally overeaten ourselves, especially with 2 (!) desserts. Luckily we were there for lunch, so we could digest in the afternoon and evening with a walk through the beautifully decorated village.
As a greeting from the kitchen came a fried piece of mozzarella, very tasty. Then we chose fried stuffed courgette flowers (fior di zucca), which is very typical for this region. A plate of raw ham Prosciutto di Bassiano (http://www.prosciuttodibassiano.it/prosciutto-di-bassiano/prosciuttodibassianoriserva), figs and Falia di Pupillo (bread between pizza and normal bread). Simply delicious!
For primi, I chose the house specialty Cannelloni and my hubby the pasta with mushrooms, mountain mint (mentuccia) and parmesan. I think one of the best pasta dishes I ever tasted. It sounds very simple, but sometimes the simple things are the most difficult.
Be sure to reserve a table early enough in this wonderful restaurant. I would love to go there again today.
Meran Südtirol– The name of the restaurant sounded a bit like a tourist trap at first. But I was taught a lesson.
The restaurant is situated in a historic building, tables are topped with white blankets and traditional silver cutlery. The staff and especially the chef Andrea Fenoglio were very welcoming and helped with the choice of our menu.
Have a look at the gallery with the traditional dishes, newly interpreted. Pizza margherita in the glass and vitello tonnato – not flat on the plate but small turrets – mouthwatering!
The chef also runs a pizzeria in Meran, called “357 tre, cinque, sette” which I will for sure visit during our next trip to Meran: http://trecinquesette.it/
http://www.sissi.andreafenoglio.com/DE/
Sicily (Donnalucata) – What a great recommendation in this tiny Sicilian town. We were 10 people and sat on the beautiful terrace outside. The food was delicious, staff very friendly and helpful finding the right dish for everyone. The food is all regional products from farmers.
Before lunch we walked through the town and found the (tiny as well) fish market, consisting of about 4 stalls. But here counts quality and not quantity obviously.
We also tried the dessert the “Cannolo” pastry with ricotta filling which was also featured in the Washington Post and voted one of the best in Sicily.
sybillesbeenthere 