Ristorante Boscaglia
Author: Mārtiņš Rītiņš2 COMMENTS
When a restaurant is placed smack in the middle of the rolling hills and valleys of Tuscany, you could say its location is a value in itself. The 30 to 40-minute drive from Siena to Ristorante Boscaglia takes you through fabulous masterpieces of nature; there are moments when it is hard to believe that an all but unique gourmet destination is actually hiding somewhere so far from the hustle and bustle of modern life. The restaurant and the small hotel nearby are run by Marilena (Grosso Maria) and her son. The temptation to stay longer after the meal is significant. Ristorante Boscaglia is housed in a centuries-old Tuscany villa steeped in the flavour of history. Everything here takes you back in time: the old walls, wood floorboards and chairs, the chequered tablecloths and the fireplace. Everything is slightly sooty and tattered, just enough to make you feel at home - in an authentic country house. Besides, the 70-year old madam chef herself, lively and outgoing, is quite fond of mingling and chatting with her guests, never forgetting to don her red cook's cap.
The menu of Ristorante Boscaglia is based on the forest. Yes, that's right: on game, mushrooms and berries of such a striking variety of species and sorts that even the most experienced culinary masters would be amazed. The underlying principle of the restaurant's policy is slow food: only the freshest seasonal and natural ingredients are used. The poultry served at the restaurant comes from local chickens of a variety that has been around for some 2000 years; a representative of a rare pig breed roams the territory of the restaurant, going about its porcine business undisturbed. A local farmer is credited as the saviour of this particular ancient variety. Today the lucky porker is free to walk wherever it pleases, eat whatever it desires and live a stress-free life: its only natural enemy around here is the wild boar (it can disrupt the breeding work somewhat by adding to the pedigree gene pool...). Needless to say, the pork that comes from a „happy pig" reared in this fashion is melt-in-the-mouth finger-lickingly delicious. Yummy!
Most of the recipes date back to over 300 years ago. What they serve here is a very traditional fare, natural rather than primitive: fresh game, homemade cheeses and soft freshly baked bread straight from the oven. The adjacent shop in the restaurant hall offers an incredible choice of jams and special relishes and sauces: jar next to jar next to jar next to jar line the shop shelves. The customers are spoilt for choice. Incidentally, the restaurant guests are also offered guided tours of the immediate vicinity - you will be able to walk all the special forest trails and get to know varieties of mushrooms and berries hitherto unknown to you. You can even ask for some of those to be picked and prepared for your evening meal.
Ristorante Boscaglia is an EXTREEEMLY popular restaurant so you would be well advised to book your table for dinner several months in advance.
Podere Porcignano 100, 53030 Radicondoli (SI)
Phone: 0577.793134 / Mobile: 329.4055701
Fax: 0577.792835
E-mail: info@opificiodelbosco.it
www.ristoranteboscaglia.eu
http://opificiodelbosco.it
Your comments
Carlos Boscaglia
Visited: Cachoeiro de Itapemirim-ES, Brasil
visite: http://familiaboscaglia.blogspot.com
Viktorija
Visited: Julijs 2009
diemzel bijam vilusies... izlasot iedvesmojoso Latvijas labaka pavara aprakstu, braucam vairakas stundas uz so restoranu vakarinas.bijam vienigie viesi, iznemot vel kadu italu gimeni. budami toskana jau gandriz nedelu, bijam izcila italu ediena izlutinati, un seit pasniegtais (izvelejamies "menu degustazioni) bija stirpi viduvejs - nebija slikti, bet noteikti ne ari iedvesmojosi:( loti laba bija tikai panna cota ar meza ogu merki.
un vel, mus loti, loti nomocija mushu lerums, kas nepartraukti slika vina glazes:)
patiesam iepriecinaja veikalins, kas ir pie restorana - tur sapirktie labumi vel ilgi laus uzburt toskanas sajutas majas!
ta ka kopsavilkuma, ja esat apkaime - noteikti varat iebraukt, bet musuprat, atseviska brauciena del si vieta nav verta.