October 8 2006 - Spoleto
Easy train ride into Spoleto station, stepping off a little before 1700. The bus ride from the train station rides way up the hill to this small walled city. Once quickly settled in, take a hike up around Rocco Albernozziana, a fortress built by Pope Innocenti VI to defend the then church-state in the area. It is a beautiful view all around, not the least of which is Ponte Delle Torre, an acqueduct built in the 13th century. One this structure's claim to fame is that it has withstood many earthquakes to this day.
It is a beautiful walk around Rocco Albernozziana - many people are strolling around me - teenagers in their cliques, mothers with their kids, the youngest generation in strollers with at least one of their parents, the eldest generation sharing the evening either with themselves and/or their now-grown "kids." I don't understand what they all are saying, but they are all very happy amongst themselves, walking very leisurely around this beautiful history. The sunset beckons, and if there is anything as good timing, I come upon a bar that undoubtedly was established because of these sunsets. I have a seat, and order a capuchino from the server who is a dead ringer for actress Markie Post (from "Night Court..."). My capuchino is wonderful indeed...
After a freshen-up at my hotel and some brief exploration, I randomly find this place called Osteria Del Matto - Osteria of the Madman. Filippo (The Madman) runs the small dining room, and his mother does the cooking in a tiny kitchen, with his sister learning how to cook from Mama. I ask him what they are serving, and he says that he doesn't really know (I know now that this is "marketing" bait...), just that he will serve whatever Mama makes. I take a seat. All around me are Italians. So I know this place should be good.
It was good - really good.
Acqua natural. Wine: Tabarrini Montefalco - a white wine from the Trebbiano grape. This is really good white wine. I expect the typical Italian service style: antipasti, primi, secondi, dolci. Not really... Small portions of all kinds of things emerged from kitchen: simple bruschetta (grilled bread with olive oil), a champignon (button) mushroom filled with cooked spinach, bruschetta with Stracchino cheese, fried ricotta (this is really good!!), potatoes crusted with sesame seeds (this is really good!!). Then there is a salad of thinly sliced mushrooms with valeriana, drizzled only with olive oil and coarsely grated parmesan. A second salad appears, this one with chiffonaded chicory and small white grapes, again dressed with olive oil. Then fried rice, Italian-style, with Porcini mushrooms. Wonderful this all is. But it is merely foreplay. The pasta dish is Rigatoni with some tubular meat-type stuff. I don't ask, I just launch myself into it, and it is really good!! Turns out to be a classic Roman dish: Rigatoni alla Pajata - with milk-fed veal intestines. Dolci is simply a slice of a bundt-type cake with Malvasia, a really awesome sweet wine from Sicily. I need a case of this stuff.
All through dinner I am browsing through a book Filipo introduces everyone to: "An Appetite For Umbria," which showcases the highlight restaurants in Umbria, Filipo's included. Not only do I browse, but I copy recipes as well...
The evening concluded, I go to my room feeling very intoxicated, and it ain't from the wine...
It is a beautiful walk around Rocco Albernozziana - many people are strolling around me - teenagers in their cliques, mothers with their kids, the youngest generation in strollers with at least one of their parents, the eldest generation sharing the evening either with themselves and/or their now-grown "kids." I don't understand what they all are saying, but they are all very happy amongst themselves, walking very leisurely around this beautiful history. The sunset beckons, and if there is anything as good timing, I come upon a bar that undoubtedly was established because of these sunsets. I have a seat, and order a capuchino from the server who is a dead ringer for actress Markie Post (from "Night Court..."). My capuchino is wonderful indeed...
After a freshen-up at my hotel and some brief exploration, I randomly find this place called Osteria Del Matto - Osteria of the Madman. Filippo (The Madman) runs the small dining room, and his mother does the cooking in a tiny kitchen, with his sister learning how to cook from Mama. I ask him what they are serving, and he says that he doesn't really know (I know now that this is "marketing" bait...), just that he will serve whatever Mama makes. I take a seat. All around me are Italians. So I know this place should be good.
It was good - really good.
Acqua natural. Wine: Tabarrini Montefalco - a white wine from the Trebbiano grape. This is really good white wine. I expect the typical Italian service style: antipasti, primi, secondi, dolci. Not really... Small portions of all kinds of things emerged from kitchen: simple bruschetta (grilled bread with olive oil), a champignon (button) mushroom filled with cooked spinach, bruschetta with Stracchino cheese, fried ricotta (this is really good!!), potatoes crusted with sesame seeds (this is really good!!). Then there is a salad of thinly sliced mushrooms with valeriana, drizzled only with olive oil and coarsely grated parmesan. A second salad appears, this one with chiffonaded chicory and small white grapes, again dressed with olive oil. Then fried rice, Italian-style, with Porcini mushrooms. Wonderful this all is. But it is merely foreplay. The pasta dish is Rigatoni with some tubular meat-type stuff. I don't ask, I just launch myself into it, and it is really good!! Turns out to be a classic Roman dish: Rigatoni alla Pajata - with milk-fed veal intestines. Dolci is simply a slice of a bundt-type cake with Malvasia, a really awesome sweet wine from Sicily. I need a case of this stuff.
All through dinner I am browsing through a book Filipo introduces everyone to: "An Appetite For Umbria," which showcases the highlight restaurants in Umbria, Filipo's included. Not only do I browse, but I copy recipes as well...
The evening concluded, I go to my room feeling very intoxicated, and it ain't from the wine...
posted by John Fernandez at 11:03 AM
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