This is the ancient town gate—la porta. Our restaurant is tucked just inside the gate, to the left.
Note the abundant capers that have taken root in between the stones. They are in flower now, and their blooms will ripen into caper berries.
We first ate at Osteria La Porta on February 13, 2005, and I ordered the homemade pici cacio e pepe. How do I know that? Because, nerd that I am, I annotated a copy of Osterie d'Italia, the Slow Food restaurant guide we used when we lived here. There is it in Number 2 pencil.
Osterie d'Italia was our Sunday (belly) Bible and it never once disappointed.
We reserved a table outside on the terrace. This was our view over the sunbaked Val d’Orcia.
We must have been distracted by the panorama, because we neglected to photograph our appetizers. Damn! Steve had poached calamari cut into thin tagliatelle-like strips, sitting on a warm confit of carrots, ginger, and mint. I had a coddled egg nestled into a pool of mashed potatoes, generously covered in white truffle shavings. We each had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Banfi, a local producer.
As his entrée, Steve ordered the pork belly, oven roasted so as to render the fat, split open and stuffed with wild herbs, and served with a deck of sliced potatoes roasted in the rendered pork fat. Happy camper!
I ordered the
roasted salmon, coated in a black and white sesame crust, floating in a puddle
of guacamole, and garnished with roasted fennel. We each had a glass of
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, both Riservas but of different vintages and
cantinas. I’d forgotten how much I love
Tuscan reds. They were outstanding.
After lunch, we took a stroll through the old town. Here’s a quick tour.
Then we left town on a road bordered by cypress. That's Monte Amiata in blue in the distance, an extinct (hopefully!) volcano.
But Tuscany isn't all about the landscape, as Montepulciano proves. These Etruscan and Roman funerary stones grace the façade of Palazzo Bucelli. The owner, Pietro Bucelli, was an antiques expert and collector. His nephew convinced him to decorate the exterior of his residence (17th-18th centuries) with these finds, transforming it into an open-air museum.
Nor is everything in Tuscany ancient and rustic. This chic restaurant, for example, caught my eye,
As did this salumeria (delicatessen). Say hello to the nice wild boar at the entrance.
But when all is said and done, nothing says Tuscany--or Italy, for that matter--on a Sunday afternoon right around 5 p.m. like gelato. We ordered ours and were joined outside by this handsome local who was clearly enjoying his weekend dad duty. Three people. Three spoons. Three scoops. Chocolate, strawberry, and salty caramel (I asked). This just might be my favorite photo from this visit!
Keep it real! And wear your damn mask indoors, even if you're fully vaccinated!
Marilyn
Have never been so envious in my life!
ReplyDeleteOh, I think you were even more envious in Palermo!
DeleteThis brings back memories of the three times Meriwether, Mama and I rented a farmhouse just outside Pienza. We shopped for ingredients in Pienza and at day markets and I cooked all the time! Could not go wrong with local ingredients in this area. You could go wrong behind the wheel, however, and we had a wrong-way street experience on a steep hill in Montepulciano when we were in search of Vino Nobile. I love those wines and the Brunellos from Montalcino. Hope to return someday.
ReplyDeleteSteve, your personal chauffeur, is ready and willing to squire you around Tuscany.
Delete