While one morning at the beginning of June I am absent-mindedly going through the mass of emails on my laptop, I come across the formal and enthusiastic message from Chris Romani – who invites me to visit ‘Poggio Paradiso’, a recently renovated accommodation facility on the hilly spurs overlooking Torrita di Siena, along the road that leads to Pienza and Valdorcia: “Come to us, I would like you to see and touch the care and love that we have put into our project, to which we have completely dedicated ourselves.”
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Vincenzo Bucci, better known as “I’Babbo” is the character you don’t expect: a man full of stories and anecdotes about Chianti. His stories will involve and entertain you so much, that you can’t help but fall in love.
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An undoubtedly romantic and dreamy restaurant, whose atmosphere seems to be set to music by Puccini’s Turandot: housed in the historic ‘belly’ of the Tuscan village in a stately palace of late medieval origin, in the well-known square in front of the Signorelli Theatre, we get to know it with a happy soul and curiosity. We are with Daniela Polezzi, chef from Cortona from ‘inside the city walls’, and Maurizio Menci who – with his third level AIS – is a sommelier of rank, increasingly well-known connoisseur of the world of truffles.
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But let’s get to the tasting that was dedicated to us: we start with the curious, opulent, speciality of the pizzeria, that “Scarpetta” which refers to the same all-Italian custom, made with ‘Authentic Integrated Grinding Flour’ from the famous mill mentioned above .. Our ‘scarpetta’ (small shoe) is with “Pecorino fondue, nduja, crispy bacon and pepper powder” and is an extra-menu, recurring in the restaurant that follows the best of the market. Large and baroque alveolation, it seems that it opens and closes like an accordion, perfectly absorbing the ‘sauce’.
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In fact, history and tradition have been intertwined since the times of the ancient fair promoted by the meritorious Lega del Chianti …
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We meet the Milanese chef – but Tuscan by adoption – Alessandro Chiesa, while he’s baking strictly homemade bread in a wood oven: he has been at the reins of the brigade for a year now… – being in a castle let’s say “at the reins of his kitchen garrison!”
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Here we can taste traditional Tuscan and Chianti dishes and wines, punctually served à la carte; or sit in the back garden for a bucolic, ‘boxed’ picnic, recalling our childhood.
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The atmosphere is familiar and informal, but also extremely elegant: the beautiful veranda on the course of Sansepolcro during the Christmas holidays is adorned with lights, the atmosphere is even warmer, there is the desire to take a break from the working rhythms and enjoy a typical Tuscan appetizer, a good wine, a cut juniper and rosemary… But also a cod and shrimp difficult to find in the other restaurants in the area, because the cook Nicoleta has a great skill in cooking fish and in combining its flavors with those of the Tuscan tradition.
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The format and concept of Casina Kitch is that of a gourmet Hamburger joint: high-level hamburgers starting from a personalized bun recipe, with local low-food-miles products ̶ an effort that Gabriele takes care of personally and daily: “I designed the place without ever thinking of having a freezer”, he tells us as he employs an uncompromising express cooking concept.
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There is a real air of novelty at the Loggia del Chianti: from this year Simone resumes his role in the family business, determined to leave his mark in what has always been his parents’ place.
A professional rugby player, in the past he has dedicated time and love to this family project, but lately he has understood that to take a step forward he had to dedicate all of himself to the restaurant.
The La Chiantina restaurant, a true reference point for many Castellina gourmets, changed management six years ago, with Salvatore D’Alessandro, manager and pizza chef of the restaurant at its head.
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Bruno and Marisella Batinti, after several productive years of hospitality experience with their business “Le Torri di Porsenna” (named for Chiusi’s ancient and powerful Etruscan king) found a new and inspiring site for their country house in Petrignano del Lago, in the Comune of Castiglione del Lago. Overlooking the rolling hills and vineyards near to Lake Trasimeno, the new location for their country house and working vineyard is well named, as it is certainly fit for a king.
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Founded in July of 1937 as a cooperative of fourteen local winemakers who banded together to facilitate both the production and the sales of their wines. Vecchia Cantina bottled its first wine in 1940 during the war. After the difficult war years, in the 1950’s and the reorganization of the lands, the Vecchia Cantina acted as a driving force for wine production in the area, a role that they cover to this day with the over 400 member vineyard owners and over a thousand hectares of vineyards producing around seven million bottles of wine annually.
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And if you’re in the mood for meat, this is where you have to have dinner! The meat menu offers a choice of top quality, with types from all over the world, such as Japanese Kobe and Irish Angus. The room has special refrigerators for maturing, thanks to which cuts are subjected to a process of minimum 30 days before being ready for consumption.
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The history of this restaurant is intertwined with that of Città di Castello, as far back as 1910, in which it opened its doors as a refreshment point for the locals. In 1930 it will be transformed into Osteria da Primo, until the moment of the magical meeting with the spouses Antonio and Lea. It is there, in 1986, that the Trattoria la Lea begins its new course, carried out with professionalism and much commitment by Lea’s sons, Cristiano and Marco.
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The beef is exclusively from the Chianina breed (certified organic) or organic Angus, the pork is exclusively from the Black Pig breed raised in the woods of Aboca (when they say low food miles they mean it!) and it’s certified organic. The prosciutto too is local from the Nebrodi Black Pig, the poultry comes exclusively from organic farms and the other meats and game come only from local farms without the use of GMO feed or from the woods owned by Aboca.
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