Tuscany Diary - 12/21/14

The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Motoring to Monticchiello

Continuing our "Favorite Hits" tour of Tuscany, the only thing on the agenda today was a leisurely lunch at Osteria La Porta in the nearby town (village?) of Monticchiello (Monty-key-EL-o). We discovered this gem of a restaurant on our last holiday trip and knew we would be in for a treat. Oh my, were we!

Tucked away among the rolling Tuscan landscape southwest of Montepulciano, Monticciello is in the heart of the Val d’Orcia. Some consider it one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Tuscany. Largely overlooked by tourists, which is a good thing, Monticchiello has managed to retain both its physical and cultural history. I suspect most visitors first come because of the reputation of the Osteria La Porta and discover a hidden gem in the process.

Perched high on a hill overlooking the valley, the entrance to the village from the Porta Sant’Agata (city gate) offers absolutely stunning views across the valley to Pienza. This extraordinarly beautiful region of Tuscany, the Val d'Orcia, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. We originally stumbled onto this Tuscan treasure -- both the town and the restaurant -- not by accident but at the suggestion of our host, Giacomo Stuart. The only thing that keeps Osteria La Porta from being our runaway #1 favorite restaurant in Tuscany is that it's a 20-minute drive from Montepulciano (which could be tricky to navigate at night) and the fact that it's about twice the price of what we'd pay at Osteria Acquacheta around the corner from our apartment. Location, location, location and all that.

Having wandered through the town on our previous trips, we didn't take the tour today, but the pride residents take in their town is obvious as soon as you walk through the city gate. The place is spotless and clearly well-tended. In some ways, I was reminded of Ansouis, the little town in Provence where we spent a month back in 2009. It was a delightful spot to be, but one that could seem confining over time. However, if you've ever thought you'd like to have a small bar in Italy, there's a real small one in Monticchiello!

But we were here for a long lunch at Osteria La Porta. It's safe to say that the soul of La Porta is embodied by its owner, Daria, a warm and welcoming woman who speaks good English, seems to have a kind word for every guest, no matter what language they speak ... and who has, over the years, developed a well-earned reputation as a dining destination.

We arrived about 20 minutes before the kitchen opened and passed the time chatting with Daria as she readied the dining room for lunch. I settled in with a half liter of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the premium local wine that I prefer to the better-known Brunello di Montalcino. We started with a mixed crostini -- toasted bread and olive oil with fresh tomatoes, pecorino cheese and honey, and an interesting blend of cheeses and sausage. After a carb-heavy diet for the past few days, my body was crying out for protein, so I went for the braised cinghale (wild boar) with polenta, rather like a pork pot roast. Margene inhaled the duck ravioli. Add a side of fresh spinach and all was right with the world. But wait! There's more!

Since this would be our only real meal of the day, we opted for espresso and the rice and ricotta cheesecake, which came across rather like a rice pudding with an attitude. What really topped it off, though, was when Daria brought us a glass of Ceraso, a local sangiovese-based dessert wine macerated with cherries and cinnamon. It was definitely none-of-the-above and the sort of surprise that absolutely knocked us out! When we raved about it, she presented us with a bottle of it to take home! Talk about going the extra mile! Hospitality is alive and well at Osteria La Porta ... and it's proving to be very, very good for business.

If you're ever at our home for dinner ... and if we really, really like you ... you may get a small taste of Ceraso. But it doesn't appear to be sold outside the area, so we'll have to come back to La Porta to re-stock. You won't find any resistance from us on that account!

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