L'Osteria Il Gallo nel Pozzo

  This last week we have had some super nice weather, and even warm evenings. On Saturday night, we made a point to have dinner out, so we could really take it in. 

  Last year we had a wonderful lunch at the Osteria Gallo nel Pozzo. This small, lovely eatery is run by Simone and Lorena Gallo. Simone is the son Aldo and Daniela, proprietors of the very popular Bar Gallo , where we enjoy hanging out at some point every day.

  

 We headed over for dinner, so excited to be able to eat outside. Lorena greeted us with a smile and sat us right down. We gave her our usual "siami vegetariani" speech, and were good to go. Lorena made some wonderful suggestions, and sent Simone our way to help with a wine decision. Once all that was settled, we sat back to bask in the golden night glow of the piazza.

  Because we don't order a traditional "Appetizer, Primi, Secondi, style Italian meal, which includes a meat course, we always try to get a couple of appetizers. Johnny, being the supreme cheese lover, ordered a young pecorino cheese, served with a house prepared fig "jam" and walnuts. The addition of a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and spicy arugula made for some perfect bites.

So glad we always share...

  I ordered the carpaccio di carciofi, thin slices of raw artichoke dressed in olive oil and really good aged balsamic. I'm pretty certain it was topped with grated, aged parmesan. Super good combination. I love the raw artichoke salads here.

Carpaccio di Carciofi

  We don't normally order the same pasta, because, of course, we like to trade bites. The pasta this evening was too hard to resist, so we each had the same dish. A traditional "umbricelli" pasta, fresh and made right there. I love this type of pasta noodle. Very dense, but not heavy...just great texture. Thick and chewy, it is made without eggs. On Saturday night, Lorena was serving it with a simple sauce of fave and asparagus, the flavors of Spring.

This picture does not do justice to the vibrancy of this lovely  dish.

   We each ordered a plate of grilled eggplant, a favorite of ours. Served room temperature, and slightly marinated, it was just perfect. Roasty, sweet from the balsamic, and acidic bite from the marinade. Oh, yum.
  We learned earlier this trip, that all the plates and stoneware they use here at this Osteria are made very close by, by a local woman. I remember enjoying this rustic touch last year..

  

  Wonder why I have put on all the pounds I lost before the trip..... ? I don't. Simone let us know that dolci this evening was super fresh cannoli, made to order. I'm sorry, I could not resist. Especially here in the land of super fresh ricotta! Yes, we each had one, thank you. You just can't get them like this at home, no way. Crushed pistachio and bit of candied orange peel was a perfect touch.

  Another fantastic eating experience in beautiful Panicale. 

A picture worth a thousand bites.

The view of the piazza, and fountain, from our table

Osteria Il Gallo Nel Pozzo

For more information on Osteria Il Gallo nel Pozza, and Bar Gallo:
http://www.benvenutidalgallo.it/