Dinner: Il Gallo Nel Pozzo...Again!

We don't eat out for a formal dinner as much as we did when we were first coming to Italy. Sure, we'll go for pizza or a quick lunch...but we enjoy cooking at home these days.

That being said, we really wanted to revisit a favorite spot in the village...Il Pozzo Nel Gallo. We've eaten here many times, but not recently, so we made it a priority to dine here as soon as possible on this trip. 

We really adore Simone and Lorena, the owners, and it's always a treat to be in their care. Simone is a perfect "front of the house" fellow, and Lorena does her own magic in the kitchen. We were not disappointed...They know we are vegetarians, and they take time to point out dished suited to us. In fact, they are willing to make changes to help us navigate the wonderful menu.

The first course on this evening was an interesting one...an artichoke that had been cooked fully and stuffed with a perfectly poached egg, served with a cream of Jerusalem artichoke and also super crispy chips of Jerusalem artichoke...This was a flavorful delight, and the mixed textures were just wonderful...The poached egg was done just right and the artichoke itself was cooked to a perfect point. It all came together beautifully...The choke was the edible 'bowl' for the egg! Fun and tasty!

The presentation was amazing!

Simone let us know that the gnocchetti dish of the evening was normally served with duck, but they were fine serving it without. Johnny was all in, as the gnocchetti were served in a 'cacio e pepe' sauce. Basically, a  cheese and black pepper sauce. Creamy and spicy, with little clouds of potato dumplings... I mean, come ON! It was a very good dish.

We kind of fought over bites...

My dish was a typical "umbrichelli", a regional hand rolled pasta made from just flour and water. The menu just said it would be served with a variation of tomato sauce. On this evening, the sauce was sweet and deep with flavor from oven roasted cherry tomatoes and what I would find out was "tomato dust". Dried and pulverized tomato wonderfulness! Honestly, it was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever eaten.

I have never come so close to licking a plate in public. That dust was everything. And the pasta was perfectly al dente.

I'm thinking my date was pretty happy!
A bit jet lagged still, but happy!

We asked about "contorni" or  vegetable side dishes, and Simone told us they had a mixed veg dish we might enjoy, so we each ordered one as our last course. I am so glad we did. 

This dish was a total surprise. We expected the usual grilled mixed veg, or something like that. What we had was so different and so good...

Four elements... Marinated purple cabbage, sauteed chickory, broccoli and porcini mushrooms.

Where do I start? The broccoli (far left)  was cooked to creaminess and melted in our mouths. I believe the chickory (far right) was pan braised, maybe with some garlic and lemon...typical and very good. The purple cabbage was marinated, I'm thinking. It was great...just perfectly crunchy and fresh. 

But those porcini...in the middle...I'm destined to recreate this for Johnny and myself. I must. Thinly sliced...maybe marinated in olive oil with a bit of salt and a bit of garlic...or not? They were almost like jerky...mushroom jerky. Not so chewy, but a texture I loved at first bite. For vegetarians, texture can be everything, and these mushrooms were everything.

I'm not sure if it's just that the products here are so fresh and good, or the kitchen is just so inventive, or it's the Italian vibe...Whatever. This was a perfect meal on a perfect evening.

We had to pop our heads into the kitchen to thank Lorena, and met the two new chefs, Karina and Matteo. It's always a joy to give thanks to those who have prepared your meal. Thanks, Again! You all rocked our world last night!

We also were happy to see a painting again that Johnny had given Simone's parents some time ago, now here in the restaurant. Johnny has always loved this piece, and we actually sat right under it! So fun to see this painting of the village in such a nice spot!

 

Thanks again to the folks here at Il Gallo Nel Pozzo.

If you find yourself in Panicale, Umbria, make a reservation! You won't regret it.

We look forward to another visit soon!