Lunch In Citta' Della Pieve: Il Capriccio

 In an earlier post, I wrote about a fantastic art destination Il Giardino die Lauri,  just outside of the lovely Umbrian hill town Citta della Pieve. We went twice in 2013, and I imagine we will return this year…. not only for the outstanding private collection of contemporary art to be found here, but also to enjoy lunch again at Il Capiccio, located just across the street from the museum. 

  Nice and convenient.

Il Capriccio from the parking area across the main road into Citta della Pieve.

 So glad we made this choice. The hostess and chef were happy to accommodate our requests for something vegetarian…there were a few tasty sounding options on the menu, but really the specialty is fish. No problem, especially on a rather chilly and wet day. We were the only guests for lunch, and they were happy to have some fun with us.

  The dining room is cozy and bright, and there is also an outdoor terrace with an amazing view across the valley towards Lago Trasimeno. It was too early in the season, though, and way too wet for lunch outside. I'm hoping for a warm, sunny day next time. But hey, inside was just perfect...

The main dining room.

  While we waited for our wine, a nice local grechetto, we looked over the menu and chose an appetizer to share. The waitress told us we would love it, and we did. 

  I find these tasty "flan" type treats often on menus here. Savory, custardy and always good. I order them whenever I see them. In this case, the flan was made with wild mushrooms and pecorino. Hey, it's  a combination that works every time…. in pasta dishes, risotto, raw salads, roasted and melted…perfect! 

  

OK, I'll admit it. We didn't share.
We each ordered a plate of two…sigh. They were good. 

  The flan was served with a very flavorful, nutty tasting cream sauce. It may have been hazelnuts…?

See? These were too yummy to share, right?

  We both ordered pasta for our main course.

  Mine was a tagliatelle with super thin slices of pan roasted artichokes. It was very buttery, in a good way. Browned butter nuttiness added to the roasted flavor. Mmmmm. Of course, the pasta itself was perfectly al dente, and made in house.

A little browned butter, a little good olive oil….touch of salt…I could go for some right now.

  Johnny is all about a good red sauce. He loves the "tradizionale"- simple and beautiful. The pasta was a very fun shape, known as "gigli" or lilies. Like the flowers. 

  On a cold, grey and wet day….a plate of warm pasta in a red sauce like my Grandma made... life is good. Add some of the best parmesan cheese in the world… 

  You will cry tears of joy, my friends.

Sigh.

  We did share a gorgeous plate of grilled zucchini, dressed with good Umbrian olive oil. We never pass up a plate of whatever grilled veggies on offer. You know that by now! These were especially good. They still had a crispiness to them, but with that nice "char" flavor.

Honestly, I could just eat these day in and day out.

    I can't help having just one more quick look at the pasta dishes…up close. 

 (Johnny….what's for dinner tonight?)

It's all about the texture, man. Would you look at that tagliatelle? Yum.

Johnny showing us his lily flower pasta. Pretty sweet.

  We passed on desserts, and each enjoyed a macchiatto, while chatting with the delightful owners and chef. They were thrilled to have some Californians there on such a dreary day, and asked how we came to be there, where we were staying, etc. It was nice to just relax and hang out with them. As I mentioned, we were the only customers, so it felt as though we were in the family home. Especially with a toddler in the mix, being carefully watched by Dad.
  A nice afternoon.

A perfect end to a leisurely lunch.

  We are now down to counting the few weeks until we go back to Umbria for this year's new adventures, so I have a feeling I'll be writing more often. I just need to get so much done before we go..but it seems like instead of doing what I should, I just want to go back and look at my photos from last year, and write… and get excited.
  I can't wait.