I promised to write about our lunch today. It was a doozie. We went with our friends Jane and Christie. This restaurant we have visited twice before a few years ago. It is way out in the countryside south of Gubbio. A beautiful location on a ridge top with views of the very high Sibillini mountains in one side and Monte Acuto and the smaller mountains on the other. The food is innovative and uses much local foraged produce. It also uses a lot of fermented items. So, without further ado….
To begin, we had 3 small “gifts” from the chef. One was a take on sushi with cured pigeon for us meat eaters. Then a caramelized savory crème brûlée and the last was a bottarga covered unknown other but it was delicious. They all were.
I started with a grilled melon with a goat cheese schmear plus other delicious other bits to include fermented arugula.
Luther got the amazing tortelli di cacciagione, tobacco, e stracchino di capra. It was marvelous and weird.
I had the melanzana glassata – eggplant but so, so much more!
Finally we shared a dessert. Carota, mandorla e fava tonka.
We had arrived just when a ferocious thunderstorm arrived. It was very atmospheric. This was kind of a last supper, ok, last pranzo 😊 with our friends who return to the US on Wednesday after around 6 months here. We wanted to take them somewhere different. It was great fun. A delicious meal with good friends.
Buona domenica!
Hi Carlo, Yup. Always the downsize.
Thanks Shawn, always good to hear about innovative restaurants. They can be amazing. Sometime I’ll have to try Osteria Grande.
Good! I hope they get the Michelin Star! But, you know what that means—the prices go up!
Nancy, this looks fantastic. We have found several innovative restaurants in the Valdichiana. Our favorites include: Osteria della Lodola here in Marciano (they walk by you with on the way to the garden and then stop by the table for you to see what they’re bringing in); Le Bindi in Monte san Savino; and our favorite, Osteria Grande on the Piazza Grande in Arezzo. All really interesting and pushing the boundaries of Italian cuisine.
Hi Carlo, yes they really do like to experiment. This place is literally in the middle of nowhere. Yet people travel out there for his food. I bet he’ll get a Michelin star. Our other find here in Umbria got a star last year.
That cuisine is certainly a most unusual combination of ingredients. Sounds a bit like Niko Romito’s Reale in Castel di Sangro.
Nom, nom as they say here Dotti. Yum yum.
Hey Lindsay, yes, I’ll remember it too!
Bellissima! Abbraccio a tutti!
Well, that sounds utterly delicious, a real celebratory feast which I’m sure your friends will remember long after they return home.