Dinner at Ristorante del Sonno

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Debra Kolkka

It is excellent to be able to join friends and sit down for dinner at our wonderful restaurants in Bagni di Lucca. Last night a friend and I enjoyed a delicious meal at Ristorante del Sonno in La Villa.
Ilario has made sure there is plenty of distance between tables and there is also outdoor dining. All precautions have been taken to make sure guests are safe.

We began with mussels and bruschetta.

Followed by grilled trout, roast potatoes and, for me, a stracchino and prosciutto pizza.

Let’s support our local businesses!

Circolo dei Forestieri is open

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Debra Kolkka

Circolo dei Forestieri in La Villa is open!

It is great that things are slowly opening here in Bagni di Lucca. I went with friends for dinner at Circolo dei Forestieri for dinner last night. It is so nice to be with friends and to eat something I didn’t have to cook for myself.

I know there was a happy, smiling face under that mask.

The tables are spread out and left unset until guests arrive. There are lots of outdoor tables as well. I hope the lovely terrace over the river will be open too.

We all ordered similar dishes, so I can’t show you variety, but everything was delicious.

Thank you Circolo for a lovely evening. It is great to see things opening up here in Bagni di Lucca. We need to support our local businesses!

I Macelli

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Debra Kolkka

I Macelli is a delightful restaurant in nearby Borgo a Mozzano. It is a bright yellow building behind the town. We visited on an autumn evening.

The decor is traditional. We were early, the first people there, but it soon filled up and by the time we left all tables were full.

The menu is typical of the area. All of our chosen dishes were well presented and delicious.

Antipasti…

A selection of salami and local choices.

Buffalo mozzarella with anchovies.

Secondi…

Bacala with polenta.

Tagliata di cinta sinese with cannellini and borlotti beans.

Grilled veal chop.

Tagliata di manzo with Gorgonzola and radicchio.

We were much too full together try one of the delicious desserts…next time.

I Macelli…Piazza I Macelli, Borgo a Mozzano.

Phone…0583 88700

Aperitivo at Eat Valley

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Debra Kolkka

We discovered a great new place to enjoy aperitivo not far from Bagni di Lucca, in Ghivizzano.

Eat Valley offers an excellent selection of wine and aperitivo delights. Everything was delicious. We decided to eat outside on a warm evening.

There are excellent tasting rooms inside.

There is also a well stocked shop selling a range of local products.

The restaurant specialises in grilled meats.

Thank you Vera and Ronaldo for a delightful evening.

Eat Valley

Viale Nazionale 193

(39) 370 3478099

Buy from the grower

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Debra Kolkka

Just past Fornoli on the road towards Barga is a small garden plot where you can buy produce directly from the grower. It doesn’t come much fresher than that!

I called in recently and bought some zucchini flowers and tropea onions…delicious.

Don’t drive past! Support a local business.

Ristorante Piazzangelio

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Debra Kolkka

One of our favourite restaurants in the area was Cappuccetto Rosso. We were not happy when they told us they were closing. They assured us they would reopen in a new location.

The new restaurant has opened in the historical centre of Barga. It is called Ristorante Piazzangelio, named after the Piazza where it is located.

The interior is elegant and inviting. (Valentina’s photo)

Lovely Valentina looked after us just as well as she did at the previous restaurant.

The food is excellent. We ordered shared plates of prosciutto and mozzarella with a delicious mint sauce.

The fish of the day was Branzino, Sea Bass. They had an enormous one, big enough for our party of 5.

Our desserts were great.

This was the winner.

We wish Valentina and Alfonso and the team the very best for their new venture.

Here is a photo of the official opening. Barga is lucky to have them.

Ristorante Piazzangelio

Phone…(39) 351 870 9224

(39) 0583 392907

Chestnut polenta

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Debra Kolkka

I have revisited Il Totto in Elio Sassi in nearby Garfagnana to enjoy their version of cucina povera again. The restaurant famously served chestnut polenta and ossi salati, which translates as salted bones.

Once most of the meat has been removed pork bones are soaked in brine for a few days then boiled.

There was a large table near us and their polenta was delivered on a board and cut using a special tool.

They serve other things as well. I had ravioli with ragu and fried chicken a rabbit…delicious.

It is a lovely drive up to Elio Sassi. The views are glorious from the village. I highly recommend a visit.

Aperitivo

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Debra Kolkka

A new business has opened in Chifenti. La Tinaia…Enoteca – vino sfuso and spuntineria. Wine shop, wine on tap and snack bar…the perfect place for aperitivo.

We dropped in recently for aperativo and got so much more. We ordered a bottle of Sangiovese, which turned out to be very good. We also ordered taglieri for 5. There was much more than we could eat and it was all delicious. The whole lot cost €10 each, very reasonable.