Ristorante Scrigno Del Duomo, Trento

Set directly on the Piazza del Duomo, this was a quaint and very busy restaurant.  There were several tables directly on the Piazza for diners who wished to be, literally, in the middle of the action.  Inside a small courtyard directly off of the Piazza was an additional dining area for those who wanted a more relaxed experience.  Inside the building was a small seating area and the kitchen.  I selected the courtyard and was very pleased with the ambiance.   The servers were very friendly and seemed to know nearly everyone who entered the courtyard.  It was a very happy place.

The setting was not elegant but comfortable and it was the same for the food, not gourmet but nicely prepared and presented.  A quaint example of their style was that the bread was brought in a small paper sack that was unfolded at the table and left for you to take the bread you wanted.  Quaint?  Tacky?  No matter, the bread was good.

I assume as a single diner, I was not shown a wine list but they had many selections available by the glass.  I had an Amarone della Valpolicella C L Brigaldara from 2007.  It was smooth, very dry and had a strong black currant taste.  It really didn’t match my dinner selections but it was good and I followed it with lots of tasty bread.

My first serving was “Carpaccio di Tonno con Salsa Soya e Zenzero”.  The fish was very nice and the lettuce base was very fresh, making for a very nice taste/texture combination.  This was the first time I had encountered shoyu in Italy and it tasted very good.  Maybe it is a sign that I am ready to head home.

Next came “Baccala alla Vicentina con Polenta e Cappuccio in Insalata”.   Overcoming an initial fishy smell, I found a delicious taste couched in a very rich broth.  The fish sauce covered a very tasty bed of nicely spiced polenta.  The side cabbage garnished with a nice vinaigrette was an excellent taste addition.  A bit of polenta covered with fish sauce and topped with a bit of cabbage was an excellent taste and texture delight.

It this stage I was about finished.  My final selection was the cheese plate with a final glass of wine.  There were five cheeses, each different and each very good.  The waiter explained that I should eat each selection in succession in a clockwise fashion.  That was good advice.  The cheeses began as mild and soft, then firm and strong, then firm and stronger, then mild and sweet, and finally, Gorgonzola.  I was very happy trotting across the Piazza to my bed.