Panicale Lunch 2

  In a previous post (Panicale Lunch 1), I mentioned that there are some great places to eat in Panicale. We felt so lucky to have these options available without having to drive off anywhere.

  One Wednesday we woke to an overcast day, so it was a "stay in town" day for us. It was a pleasure to have a little fire in the fireplace, take it nice and slow through the morning, do some laundry, and look forward to a lovely lunch in town. I believe this was the day Johnny had his hair cut... but that's for another post!

  Albergo Restorante Masolino at Via Filatoio #4, just off the main piazza is classic Umbrian. The menu features local, traditional dishes, changing with the seasons. The wine menu is reasonable, with good regional choices... we hear the house wine is a very good option, as well. The house wines are always a good bet. The restaurant is family owned, multi-generational, and has been around for years. Inside, the dining rooms are comfy, and in good weather there is a terrace with killer views. 

  When we arrived, we had the pick of tables. Sweet, traveling off season! People did filter in as we ate our lunch, of course. Andrea, our waiter was so helpful with us... he made great suggestions for vegetarian choices, and also with the wine list. We decided to splurge on the wine. We had our usual starter... a mixed bruschetta plate. I know, we always order this... but each restaurant has it's own take on even the simplest bruschetta. The bread can be different, or the tomatoes may have some great herbs mixed in... we love to try them all. Here, we were served 3 types: olive oil and garlic, tomato, and chick pea puree. I can't get enough of the chickpea puree...

Enjoying our bruschetta with a wonderful red.

  For our main courses, I had the local "umbricchelli" pasta. This is a regional pasta made in house. This pasta is just made with water and flour..no eggs. I love the texture. It was served with creamy radicchio and walnuts...a classic combo in these parts. Johnny had ravioli stuffed with artichoke and ricotta, in a cream sauce... there was an herb in there, but I couldn't figure it out. Sadly, I did not ask... next time!

My umbricchelli dish.

Artichoke and ricotta ravioli.

  We also ordered side "contorni" dishes... grilled eggplant and a wonderful mix of roasted veggies. Andrea recommended this, and we were so glad he did. It was so tasty and warm. Roasted and seasoned perfectly. Wonderful.

Contorni...beautiful!

We chose to share a creme brulee for dessert, which came to the table in all it's flaming glory. The photo didn't come out, sadly. It was crusty, creamy goodness. There were, as always, several items to try on the menu, so we will be back to enjoy Albergo Restorante Masolino as soon as we can. If you find yourself in striking distance of Panicale, you have to plan to visit one or all of it's great restaurants, with a stroll around the walls afterwards.