dal Pescatore Santini (www.dalpescatore.com)

I wandered through the country a bit, being a bit lost from time to time.  Suddenly, rounding a turn I saw a sign for the village of Runate.  The sign was small and I just caught it out of the corner of my eye, so I drove past the turn.  When I could I reversed my course and, eventually found my way to the village.  I drove through the handful of houses yielding no signs of life and was out of the village as soon as I entered.  I must’ve missed something.  I again reversed course and this time saw a small sign for the restaurant.  I drove by slowly and still saw no signs of life.  I continued on to a somewhat larger town down the road.  I parked in the city square, unpacked my I-Pad, and sought to verify my luncheon.  Everything seemed correct but I could not exactly recall how I had discovered this particular restaurant.  I packed up my things and headed back to Runate.  This time, as I more slowly entered the village I noticed two blue helicopters with the name of the restaurant on their side.  Interesting.  As I drove up to the small sign for the restaurant I noticed that the wrought iron gate was now open.  I turned into the gravel parking lot.  I parked next to the only other car in the lot, despite the fact that there was plenty of room, gathered myself and strolled up to the door.  I, bedecked in shorts, slippers and a tee shirt, immediately felt completely out of place.  A young man in a tuxedo opened the door.  I entered, smiled a bit awkwardly and was immediately greeted by a most beautiful and very elegant young lady.  I’m thinking, shorts and tee shirt…will they serve me here?  She smiled, asked if I was Mr. Marquis and escorted me to my table.  There were three other tables of diners in the room in which I was seated.  They all took notice of my arrival.

So, I’m now seemingly going to be served in this extremely elegant and all I can do is smile.  This takes me back to my culinary excesses in Paris and Bordeaux.  I would describe the elegance but you might just like to take a look at the website.  I’m recalling how this is such a well-hidden gem.  You’d never wander in here and, looking at the gardens, the restaurant must consume nearly the entire village.

Well, let’s get down to business.  First, the wine list is the size of an ancient text.  The wines are organized by year, not by type of wine.  I select a 2005 Tignanello of P. Antinori.  A couple of asides are in order here.  First, after I had made my dining selections the sommelier came to me and suggested that my wine might not match my first course and would it be permissible for him to bring me a champagne for that serving.  I responded in the affirmative and leaned back.  Where am I?  Secondly, the owner’s son, who happened to be the person overseeing the service at my table, after lunch took me for a tour of both wine cellars…they must have had…I can’t even guess how many bottles of wine and liquor.

I selected the”Menu d’Autunno”, which included eight courses, but the son came to me and asked if he could include a serving of their signature dish, making the entire session nine courses.  How could I deny him?  At this point in the meal it came to me how I had discovered this lovely place.  This is a Relais-Chateau affiliate.  That recollection really makes me happy and I am suddenly much more at ease, tee shirt and all.

The meal was:

Well, I, of course, began with a Campari and soda.

First was a serving was lightly fried Pecorino Romano cheese served with thinly sliced local salumis…excellent.

Second was a Cream of Pumpkin Soup topped with a swirl of olive oil…very rich and perfectly spiced.

Third was (now I shall switch to Italian) Astice in Gelatina di Champagne, Caviale Oscietra Royal, Anguilla in Carpione…a beautiful presentation of lobster, caviar and sturgeon that was both interesting and delicious.

Fourth was the Tortelli di Lucca (Zucca, Amaretti, Mostarda e Parmigiano Regiano)…pasta filled with squash grown in their gardens…pasta was perfectly done and the filling was perfectly spiced…I held each bite in my mouth for a long time.

Fifth was the Risotto (Vialone nano) con pistilli di Zafferano e Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale…a very excellent saffron risotto

Sixth was the Gnocchi di Patate con Pezzogna marinata al sale, capperi, olive e ristretto al cipollotto…this gnocchi with sea bass was bland looking but was rich and al dente…the capers and the leeks and the crisp celery added perfectly to the taste and texture of each bite.

Seventh was the Gallinella in guazzetto con verdre di stagione, peperoncino e Olio Extravergine Toscano…the fish adorned with fresh garden vegetables was presented in a very rich vegetable based broth…the fish was tender, flaky and the broth had just a bit of spice.

Eighth was the Maialino Selezione delle Macchie (Paoplo Parisi) con Pepe di Sechuan e Ananas Caramellato…this small pig hip was very tender…the potatoes were rich…the pineapple was perfectly ripe…the black pepper sauce was excellent…this combination of tastes and textures was the best of the meal…it seems as though each course was just a bit better than the previous…it was “foodie” heaven.

Ninth was the cheese course which presented three local cheeses of varying textures…each was very good.

Lastly was the Passion Fruit Soufflé and it actually tasted like passion fruit from the farm…I was amazed…soft, rich, mouth watering.

Then, really lastly, came the espresso with a plate of fine cakes of various descriptions.

I sat for as moment and rested, caught my breath…really, before Alberto came to take me for a tour of the wine cellars and the gardens.  It was quite a spectacular lunch and quite a memorable total event.  So, I bid my farewell, waddled to the car and briskly motored my way back to the comfort of the Locanda.

One more aside…before I departed I asked to use the gabinette (toilette) and it was unbelievable…virtually bizarre…everything (and I mean everything) was automatic…the artwork was “art deco”…it was more than just a toilet…it was a gallery from the 22^nd Century.