Lunch At: Rosso di Sera, Finally!

  Back in 2010, when I was first looking into Panicale and the surrounding are, one of the restaurants that caught my attention was Rosso di Sera (Red of Evening), on the shores of Lago Trasimeno. 

  Naturally, they specialize in fish, but also offer some contemporary takes on local, regional cuisine. They are part of the ever growing Slow Food movement in Italy, featuring local, heirloom-produce based dishes, and seasonal cooking.

  They are located just past San Feliciano, on the way to Passignano sul Trasimeno.

  Basically this means it's right on the lake, between two great lakeside towns. We were so happy to be here, just a day or two into our trip, on a lovely warm day…when we passed by the restaurant and saw it was open for lunch, it was a must stop. 

We could tell right away that we were in for something a little less traditional….

  

  We popped our heads in, and had a quick chat with the darling owner, who was more than happy to in form us that there were many choices for vegetarians…..too true!

I love a menu with zippo translation, and great prices, to boot!
 Plus, it changes all the time.

  The front area has a small bar and some really cool art work. We chose to sit out on the covered porch, which had open walls with views onto the lake, nearby...

A lovely dining room with old tables, a mix of chairs and fantastic light fixtures..
With a view on the lake, too. We want to come back at night.

  We were a couple of very happy campers, ready for anything…..we felt relaxed and hungry, having just come from a good hike about the old town nearby. The day was warm, fragrant with spring flowers, and tempting us to just go for it!
  We ordered a half carafe of the house white, to start the adventure...

I'm hungry and happy!

I'm just glad to be sitting right here, right now!

  Ok, we have been told that you just shouldn't order things to "share" in Italian restaurants….but we have small appetites, though mighty…..and we always share things at home in the States. For the most part, we will feel the situation out. This is a casual "osteria", and the owner was so helpful with the menu…we knew it would be ok to split a few things.

  This being said, if I knew how totally amazing this onion with pecorino creme crostata was going to be….well I'm going back just for this dish. 

  And I may order two, just for myself.

Half of a slice of the onion tart with a pecorino creme.
Really, one of the best things I've ever tasted. 

  After getting over how great the crostata was, we delved into our next course.

  I had an artichoke "lasagnetta". I assumed this would be thin layers of pasta with some form of artichoke inside. 

  It was a surprise to be served the crispy fried pasta "disks", with a very tasty artichoke puree and melted cheeses between the layers. 

  Not at all what I expected, but really good. The tomato fonduta was just a little sweet, a little spicy…a very fine combo of textures and flavors.

Not your Nonna's lasagna….
And yes, the "shine" is olive oil….

 Fantastic!

  Surprisingly, Johnny ordered soup, which was a cavolo nero (black cabbage) and bean…the bean being black-eyed peas, of all things. Light, subtle and super "clean" tasting, we switched plates half way through our meal.
  I enjoyed the simplicity of this soup. Outstanding flavors, and very typical.

Perfect and uncomplicated.

  We asked about contorni, or veggie side dishes. We were offered a chef's special of that day, roasted eggplant and tomatoes, baked with a little cheese on top. Sounded great to us, so…."Yes"!
  What we were served was a small casserole which was delightfully rich and decadent….not the sliced and roasted veg we are used to here. I would return to have this dish again.

Hot and bubbly, just out of the oven….

With fresh herbs….another perfect dish we shared.

  We finished every bite, and decided on ordering a dessert just because the guys at the table next to us did. It looked so good….We had what they had….

   While waiting, we relaxed and enjoyed the views onto the lake...

Dreamy, right?
 Well, I think so, anyway…feels to me like a different century altogether...

  We happily awaited our espressos and chocolate torta, just letting the soft winds from the lake roll over us.

  When our dessert was served, we were in a state of contentment, full, giddy, and uber-relaxed.

  In reality, I think we may have just been jet-lagged, but what the hell…we were happy.

Not too sweet, and just rich enough to know
you're being indulgent.

Oh, that crust was to die for, I gotta say.

  All in all, I'm sorry we didn't try this place sooner, but we will definitely return.
 For info on Rosso di Sera, the best I could find is their Facebook page, here. It gives you the info you need for your visit, when you are in the Lago Trasimeno area. Go!!