The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Winter Planning Session: Montepulciano
Today is a travel day and there is usually little to report. Margene was feeling better this morning -- not great, but at least good enough to travel.
So we said goodbye to Bruno (Luciana had left early to wrestle with the tax people over something), thanked him for his warm hospitality on a cold day and loaded our gear into a cab for the trip to the main train station where we would pick up our rental car, a little Fiat Panda.
Two hours later we were pulling in to our new digs at the Politian Apartments in Montepulciano, our favorite Tuscan hill town. It was still colder than normal so I may have to resume the search for another layer or two, but it felt good to know that once we unpacked, we wouldn't have to go near the luggage for a week and a half.
Giacomo Stuart and his sister, Maria, have converted two floors of the old family palazzo at the top of town into four comfortable, well-equipped (and reasonably-priced) rental apartments. Ours is a two-bedroom unit on the top floor with a view out over the valley toward Umbria and Lake Trasimeno.
Margene snuggled into bed as soon as we arrived and I wandered around the corner to Osteria Acquacheta, a favorite from the last time we stayed in town back in December 2006. This place keeps up the traditions of the real osterias: generally crowded, noisy, busy (although not so much mid-afternoon on a cold day in the off season), with shared tables, carafe wine, no frills or changes of silverware.
Giacomo tells me it has become one of the most celebrated eateries in central Italy, largely for its gigantic Fiorentina steaks grilled in the display kitchen and served sliced into strips by Giulio, the owner. It also has excellent pastas and regional dishes.
I made my lunch from a hearty serving of pici, a hand-rolled pasta (think thick spaghetti) with a ragu of cinghale (wild boar), half a loaf of crusty house-baked bread and half a liter of the excellent local red. The pici was the best I have ever tasted! My only down moment was when I learned that they will be closing for a week next Monday for a holiday break. That only gives us four more days to soak up the atmosphere of this local treasure. Hopefully Margene will feel more like eating by then.
In typical Italian fashion, lunch turned out to be my main meal of the day. Late afternoon was about grocery shopping and generally getting caught up on the daily diary and finishing up writing my weekly e-letter. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so the jury is still out as to whether we will venture out or just enjoy our new little nest. We can work that out in the morning.
© 2012 Restaurant Doctor
[