Two Meals Out, And Gelato!

  Boy, oh boy...I have been far away from my blog these days.

  Sorry! Blame it on, well, let's see....ummm....I dunno. Just overwhelmed with the holidays, work, family stuff...and a week with the worst back pain ever. 

  I do it to myself, of course. I am trying (honest!) to be better to my own sweet self, but it's always tough.

  So, I figure that one of the very best things I can do for my own sweet self is look back at some tasty moments in Italy. This always makes me happy...and since I just booked our next trip, why not dream about the food for a minute or two, eh?

  We love to have lunch out, when at all possible. It gives us time to walk it off, and enjoy chips and wine later in the afternoon. I can happily go without dinner if we've had a nice mid-day meal. 

  A big bonus: Natural daytime light makes the food photos so much better!

  We spent a week in Venice during our last trip. It was early September, and the weather was sublime. We stayed in a totally different area, which was great, because we had time to discover all sorts of new places to eat, drink and be happy. We spent lots of time viewing art, lots of time walking around the whole city, and lots of time sitting and watching the world go by.

  One day, after walking around all morning, it was time to stop for a bite to eat. I had taken note of this small restaurant, 'Bacarandino', as we passed by several times during our visit. The menu looked good, so we gave it a try. 

    

                                   

  

  We sat outside, and we were in an area that had just enough foot traffic to make for some fun people watching. I love people watching in Venice. I love people watching anywhere in Italy. The weather was September gorgeousness, and life was good. Of course, first things first, wine was ordered:white, half liter. Sparkling water, also. 

  Our first dish was a lovely burrata served with super sweet and perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes and spring greens. It was so pretty on the textured black ceramic plate.

  

  

The slight drizzle of pesto on top was just right.

  The burrata was very good. I love to see a nice 'outer wrap' of the mozzarella, and the creamy insides. I always like a little olive oil, salt and pepper, too.

We dished ourselves, and dove in. 

  Next we enjoyed some yummy pasta... Johnny ordered house made tagliatelle with a garlic cream sauce. It was great. I always love a good garlic cream sauce, and this was done just right.

  I had 'paccheri', a typical stuffed pasta. It was stuffed with ricotta and served with a spicy red sauce. Also very good, but I preferred Johnny's dish. I'm so glad he likes to share!

  Our side dishes were also simple and delicious. Johnny never passes up a chance to enjoy some polenta, and since we were in a region known for it's polenta, well....

Yes, please!

Grilled vegetables are always a must, as far as I'm concerned.

We ate slowly, enjoying and sharing all of our dishes. I have a very fond memory of this afternoon....

I am craving all of this right now.

When I saw the cops coming, I knew it was time to go...Andiamo!!

Uh-oh. Johnny, what have you done now??!?

  

  Can you handle another meal?

  Ok, here goes-

  Back in our neck of the woods, and a few weeks later...we shot across the valley to buy art supplies in Cortona. We usually take a walk and have lunch when we go.

  After a very long and lovely hike around the outskirts of town, we decided to have lunch in a spot we'd never tried, but always wondered about.

  I am so glad we checked it out! 

  Trattoria Etrusca, or "Mario's" has about five or maybe six tables inside, and another several more across the small street, weather permitting. We arrived early, so we were able to snag a table outside. All the outdoor tables filled quickly. 

  There are no menus. Mario, the owner, comes out and let's you know what's available that day. 

There is also a chalkboard just outside the door with a few items written down. We let Mario know that we were vegetarians, and he made several recommendations. We ordered a bottle of local 'grecchetto', a favorite white wine, and settled in.

As we waited, Mr. J just couldn't help himself...
I wish I could remember what he was drawing!

Water and wine soon arrived...

  Mario is delightful. He's so ready to help with your decisions, and his low key attitude is so refreshing. We've already returned, and we will go back again.

  On this visit, I ordered the 'pappa al pomodoro', a local specialty. It's a tomato and bread soup. Here, it is thick and luxurious, with the summer sweetness of ripe tomatoes bursting through in every bite. I love this dish, and order it whenever it's on a menu, but only in season.

Right?

  Johnny ordered a classic bruschetta. We drizzled good, green olive oil on both dishes, and dug in.

  Our pasta dishes were equally wonderful. Again, we had no menu to refer to, so Mario just told us what we should try.

  Johnny ordered one of his favorite dishes, spaghetti 'aglione'. Aglione is a giant, sweet garlic. It's not elephant garlic, I've been told...it's a regional thing. We see it often on menus in Umbria and Tuscany. It's usually served sliced thin into a red sauce.

  Here, it was served in thicker pieces, with big chunks of green and yellow tomatoes. It may sound odd, but it was delicious.

This photo was taken before he doused it with olive oil and a bit of parmesan...

  

I tried the spaghetti with zucchini and garlic. Mmmmmmm. Mmmm. Sigh.

  There is nothing so nice as sitting in the shade on a warm day, absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of the Italian day to day life, while eating a simple plate of delicious pasta.

  Throw in a glass of good local wine, and I am in paradise.

  

  We ended our meal with espresso and biscotti.

  Honestly, I can't wait to go back and see what Mario is dishing up in the springtime!

  

  Well, what can I say. After we walked around a little more that day, we stopped later and did a very rare thing...we got ourselves some gelato! We never do this...I just don't like gelato much, but I was happy we went for it.

  It was a good day.