Ristorante "da Ottavio", Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy

I went to this restaurant by following a process of choice that was rather instinctive. It was a hot Sunday in early June 2008 in Rome, after many hours of sightseeing and before goint to the airport to catch a flight. I was wandering around Piazza Navona and had rejected most of the places that were open, until I saw "da Ottavio". It attracted me because it was not full of tourists and was projecting the image of a down to earth place. So I gave it a try, and did not regret it.

The exact address is Corso Rinascimento 17, opposite the Senate. The website address is http://www.ottavioalcorso.com/.

The first positive sign was the fact that they have their own house wine bottled. It shows some respect to the customer and the wine. I tried the white and was not disappointed.

For a starter, I selected the "Antipasto di Mare". It was fresh, juicy and tasty, as it should be. It contained octopus, squid, and small shrimp (gamberetti).

For the main course I selected "Fettuccine Fiori di Zucca, Zafferano e Mazzancolle" (flowers of zucchini, saffron and prawns).

The dish was excellent. The pasta was fresh, the quality of the prawns was top, and the saffron with the flowers of the zucchini gave the dish colour and sweetness. Definitely a dish I will try to cook at home.

Overall, "da Ottavio" is a nice place to have a "honest" meal, at a very reasonable price in the center of Rome.

Crassopoleio, Velvento, Polifitos, Greece

I visited the tavern in late April, during the Easter holiday.

This is a tavern in the central square of the very pleasant small town of Velvento, near Polifitos, in Greece. Its name in Greek means a place where they sell wine. This is not the only thing they do.They also sell food.

The tavern offers standard Greek cuisine dishes prepared with skill and fresh ingredients. This combined with the excellent selection of local bottled wines (we had a "Voyiatzis 2004 Red") makes the meal a very good experience.




Some highlights of the dishes we tasted follows.











Fried green peppers, served with olive oil vinegar and garlic. A standard taste.





The stuffed vine leafs (Sarmades in the local dialect) were hearty, tasty and appetizing. In other parts of Greece they make them a lot smaller, with the emphasis being on the taste of the leafs, whereas here the emphasis is on the filling.



The pork knuckle was the best dish of the meal. Tender, juicy, tasty meat that was melting in your mouth, no knifes needed here!


The lamb was tender and tasty, but overshadowed by the pork. Under different circumstances, it would have been the star.



Overall, a place I will revisit.

Special thanks to Haris, who after two years in California has returned to his hometown and enjoys the life of the tavern.

Dimatis Tavern, Aghios Dimitrios, West of Mount Olympus

I visited the Dimatis tavern in late April 2008, during the Easter Holiday.

This is a tavern owned and operated by the Dimatis family, who own a farm with animals a few kilometers down the road on the western slopes of mount Olympus in Greece.

The tavern is in the center of the small town of Aghios Dimitrios, and unless you know about it, you may pass by without any suspicion that this sleepy rural place can offer you immense gastronomic pleasures.

The first good sign of the quality of the place is that they only serve bottled wine, and they know a lot about the local production. We had a Merlot from Naoussa, Vaeni 2004, which was outstanding.

The next good sign is that you do need a menu to order food. There is a menu on the table, but if you indicate that you are a guest and willing to try whatever the Host serves you, you do not need to say more.

The dishes start arriving and you shortly enter a world of solid earty pleasures.

The eggplants and diced onions were melting in your mouth, with strong background tomato and garlic taste, complemented by grated salty yellow cheese (kefalotiri) that has melted on top of everything else.

The mushrooms were grilled and sprinkled with coarse sea salt, crushed garlic, parlsey, olive oil and lemon juice. Perfectioin in simplicity.



The lightly sauteed lamb offals (kidney, liver, lung, heart, sweetbreads) were sweet and mildly acid, and seasoned with salt and oregano. I could not recall in my gastronomic memory a better lamb dish anywhere in the world.

The deer ribs were grilled on charcoal and presented with a slice of lemon and fried potatoes. The meat was juicy and very light, with aromas of oregano and thyme.

The value for money is outstanding.

Epilogue: Go and visit the Dimatis tavern, you will enjoy it.

Ristorante La Bastiglia, Spello, Umbria, Italia

Introduction: After visiting Assisi, I wanted to go to a place nearby and have a good lunch, away from tourists and the hot sun of Umbria. I found "La Bastiglia" from the Michelin Red Guide and after 20 minutes relaxed ride in the Umbrian countryside, I arrived in Spello.




The resturant is in the hotel with the same name, a renovated building with many levels and nice views. The lunch clients were primarily people staying at the hotel. Although this a one Michelin star restaurant, I was impressed by the "natural" way the staff accomodated some big tables of tourist families with children.

I ordered the menu of the house "Consistenze e contrasti in equilibrio" and did not regret it!



Plenty of breads and sticks in various shapes!



Amuse bouche




Scallop



Foie gras



Frascarelli are a type of Umbrian pasta. Here they were served with Tuna Roe, Sage, Clams and White Beans.



Cannelloni



Pigeon



Souffle



Dolci

Trattoria La Buca, Zibello, Emilia Romagna, Italia

Introduction: I have read about "La Buca" in the eGullet forums, and I am grateful to this wonderful community for all the information and inspiration. You can find a wealth of information about culatello di Zibello in eGullet.



Visit: Lunch, July 2006

Food concept: Traditional local cuisine. In addition to Culatello, which is prepared in house, you can taste divine tortelli di zucca, and eel with peas from the local rivers.


Execution of the menu dishes: Very Good


Divinity factor: The hand made pasta.

Wine: Good local wine list. I asked the hostess for a local red that would acompany the food, and it was quite good. Discrete and subtle.

Service: Friendly


















Clientele: Italians and many many tourists. Miriam became a celebrity after the publication of the book "Heat" by Bill Buford. Miriam told me that she had guests from many countries, as a result of this publication.


Location and ambience: In the village of Zibello, just follow the signs (or your navigator).









Chef/Owner: Miriam is a friendly and lively lady who knows how to treat customers. She told me that the trattoria was opened by her grandmother, who came to Italy from Brasil at the beginning of the 20th century.

Value for money: Very Good.












Appetizer: Culatello di Zibello




First: Tortelli di zucca and tagliatelle




Second: Eel and peas
(Anguilla con piselli)