Review Osteria Del Merlo in Cetona, Italy Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere thanking the stars for an amazing meal. This is how I found myself while dining in Cetona at Osteria Del Merlo. The restaurant is situated in the medieval tower of the Rivellino in Cetona. This is slightly off the main square. When we arrived, we were seated outside and could see a Medieval celebration taking place. The town had converted Garibaldi square into a dining room. Long tables filled with locals eating Medieval fare and a table of “Nobles” dressed in Medieval garb. For a few seconds I regretted sitting down at a restaurant. My regret quickly disappeared as I tasted the food. We asked for a wine recommendation and were brought a bottle of 2007 I Quadri. It was stupendous: silky, luscious yet balanced. It had hints of citrus and I am glad that writing this review has reminded me I must pick up more of this delicious wine. We started with what we thought would be a simple appetizer: Tomato confit Mille-feuille with basil and burrata cheese (9 Euros). It was basically a caprese salad taken to a whole other level. The tomatoes were stewed and incredibly flavored, the cheese surrendered to the tongue and the olive oil tied this dish together. I have yet to have a better tomato/cheese combination. Next came pici with rabbit, a white ragout, julienne vegetables, creamy Pecorino cheese (10 Euros). Obviously freshly made pasta that gave a slight resistance to the teeth and had just the right amount of doughiness. The rabbit was heavenly; succulent, juicy, flavorful. This dish remains one of my favorite dishes of the past two months. The secondi was loin of lamb with cream of endive, pine nuts and raisins (14 Euros). I don’t always like sweetness in my meats. I also have trouble with pine nuts; most places do not utilize them properly. Not the case at Osteria Del Merlo. Perfectly cooked, beautifully flavored. So good you just have to suck on the bones to get all the meat off. This was a wonderful meal in a gorgeous restaurant. The pricing was completely justified for the caliber of food served. If you find yourself in Tuscany I would highly recommend a trip to this lovely restaurant. Osteria Del Merlo is located at Via Sobborgo, 1, 53040 Cetona, Italy 0578238299 – Reservations are recommended. La Grotta in Montepulciano Some of the best meals Antonio and I had during our trip to Italy were in Tuscany. This included Osteria Del Merlo in Certona, Osteria Del Castello (Barone Ricasoli) in Brolio and La Grotta in Montepulciano. If you find yourself in Tuscany; I would recommend building your trip around these amazing restaurants. La Grotta is located across from the church of San Biaggio in Montepulciano. The location is simply stunning. We made reservations for a table in their outdoor area. Definitely the right choice. There was an option for a tasting menu, but I was not prepared for that type of commitment. We opted to order a la carte. Before any of our selections came out, we were presented with a complimentary glass of wine as well as an amouse bouche. It was a baked tomato filled with breadcrumbs and anchovies. It was lovely. Antonio; who is not a fan of anchovies loved this dish. I knew we were in for a great dinner. My “first” dish was a veal tartare with sour vegetables and tomato confit. The plating was lovely. The veal was succulent, clean, light. The vegetables were stupendous. Next came a hand rolled pasta with rabbit sauce and green peas. If you have been reading my posts; then you probably have figured out I have a thing for rabbit and pasta. It would be hard to make this dish a failure. This dish was simply divine. Perfectly cooked pasta, the rabbit sauce was impeccable and the peas added just a little sweetness to offset the rabbit. This was elegant pasta. My next dish was baked quails. They were fragrant of garlic, rosemary and a bit of mint. The meat was succulent and I was quickly reminded of my love and hate for quail. So much flavor, so little meat. Antonio and I had split the primi and the appetizer. His secondi was the pork fillet. It was wrapped in bacon. The crunch, salinity and flavor from the bacon were a perfect match for the pork fillet. I don’t always have dessert. As an avid foodie; I have to watch my weight. So I usually opt for wine instead of sweets. I made an exception at La Grotta. On this particular night; I would indulge in a mascarpone mousse with coffee ice cream. Think of tiramisu. Quite tasty, but I may have skipped dessert and ordered a second appetizer instead. This was a lovely dining experience. Our server was attentive without being intrusive and was incredibly knowledgeable. The setting, food and wine were all of incredible quality. We paid more here than at most places; but the price was completely justified. I would return in a heartbeat. La Grotta is located at Via San Biagio, 15 53045 Montepulciano SI 0578 757 479 Reservations are recommended. Review La Bucca Di San Antonio in Lucca, Italy It is not often one gets to visit a restaurant that has been around since 1782. This was the case during my recent trip to Lucca, Italy. Antonio and I made a stopover in Lucca on our way to Genoa. We spent only one night but had a wonderful time in this lovely town. Lucca is known for its walls, churches, saints (some of which are on display in churches) and also for really good food. We had heard about La Bucca di San Antonio from Chef Jennifer Cole (who gave us some excellent restaurant recommendations for our Europe trip). This was a recommendation she got from a local chef in Lucca. We walked into the restaurant which was pretty full and were led to the basement. It consisted of brick walls, vaulted ceilings and charming collections of copper lids, irons, etc… We were seated by the captain who oversaw the whole dinner. If you go to Italy; I recommend that you go off the menu. Everywhere. You cannot imagine the delight of servers when you ask them if there is something special on the menu or what the chef likes to prepare. When I told the captain that I would have the tripe, he looked at me with surprise. He then continued to ask me “are you sure”, “do you know what tripe is”. He did this with no malice in his voice. It was more with surprise and delight. I explained that I am a huge fan of tripe. He walked in the kitchen with a huge smile. The tripe was delicious. It was made in a tomato based sauce. Light, balanced and delicious. As a good Colombian, I kept thinking how much I needed some rice. While I think the dish needed a carb to counteract the tripe; it was quite a delightful dish. Antonio ordered ravioli. Quite tasty; but it lacked a bit of umami. Not a huge issue; we’d still order this dish again. Overall, this was a positive experience. The restaurant was charming, the food was tasty and the service was superb (something not always found in Italy). I would recommend a visit to La Bucca Di San Antonio if you find yourself in Lucca. La Bucca Di San Antonio is located at Via della Cervia 3 in Lucca – Toscana – Italy 00130680465 Review Caffe Degli Artisti Restaurant in Cortona, Italy I fell in love with Cortona from the moment I stepped out of the taxi in front of Casa Chilenne bed and breakfast (if you go to Cortona, I seriously recommend that you stay there; Jeanette and her husband Lucciano are wonderful hosts). When we arrived in Cortona, Jeannette welcomed us with a glass of prosecco and some fried zucchini flowers which were delectable. We got settled and stepped out to get lunch. We chose Caffe Degli Artisti; it turned out to be a wonderful choice. We sat outside and our server started us off with some complimentary tomato bruschetta. A lovely touch for weary travelers. The bread was lovely, the tomatoes (as most tomatoes in Italy) were delicious and the olive oil they drizzled over this treat tied the dish together. We had been eating very heavy dishes so Antonio and I decided to split a Greek salad. It has a nice combination of greens, lots of tomatoes and definitely not skimpy on the cheese. The best part of this meal was the raviolis we ordered. They came in a tomato and cream sauce. The sauce somehow managed not to be too heavy. The dish was balanced yet indulgent. The raviolis were perfectly cooked and the filling was delicious. For a first, not overly expensive meal; this was great. There are fancier (and better – more expensive meals) to be had in Cortona, but I would seriously recommend this restaurant. The food was priced fairly; and most important; the food was good. And they gave us complimentary sweets. This place is a win. Caffe Degli Artisti is located at Via Nazionale 18, Cortona, Italy (+39) 0575601237
