Good Memories of Traditional Italian Cuisine - Part Two

The chef at Osteria La Techie designed this plate which was then hand-painted and boxed as a memory for those who ordered the special menu.

Last week I began writing about my first experience with the Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo – the group of Italian restaurants dedicated to traditional, local, and authentic foods. Each restaurant makes a signature dish that is represented in a unique hand painted plate. Order the dish and the collect a plate as a memory.

After dining at Osteria La Tecchia in Pietrasanta last winter, and taking home my first plate, I knew I had found a new hobby – searching out the Buon Ricordo restaurants and building my plate collection.

Since I was planning a spring-time vacation in Emilia-Romagna and Umbria, I searched for places belonging to the Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo in the cities I planned to visit. From the list of participating places, I chose two to visit on my trip. The first was in Parma (Emilia-Romagna region) and the other in Assisi (Umbria). 

In Parma, traditional ingredients include Proscuitto di Parma (and heaven help the person that calls it simply “prosciutto”) and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Both were featured in the dishes at La Forchetta, an upscale restaurant, where they use classic flavors, sometimes in non-traditional ways.

Earning a take-home plate from La Forchetta required ordering the full Buon Ricordo menu - an antipasto (starter), a primi (first course), a secondo (main dish) and a dolci (dessert). That’s a big meal so my travel companion and I decided (after discussing it with the server) to share the primi. One problem - at the end of the meal we were told that we should have ordered two of them if we wanted to each take home a plate and that since we shared we could only have one plate! Definitely not ok since we specifically requested the Buon Ricordo menu so we’d each earn a plate and it was the server’s suggestion to share the starter. It took a little negotiating, thank goodness I’ve learned to argue in Italian, but in the end, we did each take home a plate (because of course I’ve now hooked my friend on collecting them too). Lesson learned - clarify ahead of time exactly what needs to be ordered to get the plate!

The meal started with an “amuse bouche” (if there is an Italian word for this little pre-meal tease I do not know it). Almost too pretty to eat, it was a small dab of Parmigiano Reggiano mousse on a crisp wafer, served on a chilled stone block (left photo below).  Pretty fancy!

Our shared primi was a rich yet delicate soufflè with a parmigiano-reggiano cream topping. Plenty to share, but good enough to eat the whole thing. This dish was swoon-worthy; I may have to make a trip back to Parma just to taste it again.

Next came the specialty dish, a risotto with radicchio, Prosciutto di Parma dust, and gel di ribes (current jelly) topped with a Parmigiano-Reggiano cream. The flavors were unexpected and each bite was just a little different, savory with the cream, a bit sweet with the currents, slightly bitter with the radicchio. Wonderful! We were given a choice of secondi. I had guanciale di vitello (veal cheek) in a red wine reduction with creamy potatoes. Tender, deeply flavorful, and delicious. My friend opted for lamb chops crusted with pistachio, another great choice. Desert was a classic tiramisu.  Are you getting hungry yet? I am hungry just remembering this meal.

Plate #3 !

A few days later, it was on to Assisi and the Ristorante Buca di San Francesco. This family-run restaurant, set in a Medieval building near the Basilica, has a warm and cozy interior and a charming outdoor patio. The staff were warm, friendly, and helpful in explaining the dishes. Somehow they made it feel like we were dining in their home. Here you only need to order the Buon Ricordo specialty dish (not an entire menu) to earn a take-home plate. The specialty depicted on the plate is a soup typical of this part of Umbria, a type of cucina povera, the food of peasants.

Umbria is known for growing a variety of legumes and grains and this soup brings them all together in a happy chorus of beans, lentils, chickpeas, barley, and spelt. The rich flavor comes from the “holy trinity” of veggies – onion, carrots, celery – along with some garlic, lardo, olive oil, and spices. The soup is called Imbrecciata Umbra (not a typo, it is Umbra not Umbria in this use). On the plate Saint Francis stirs a cauldron of it as a wolf keeps watch. This soup, simple but with complex flavors, was definitely memorable.

Imbrecciata Umbra

The soup was followed by agnello (lamb) scottadito (scotta = burned, dito = finger) for me. Thin, flavorful, and tender they were delicious (though I did use knife and fork rather than burn my fingers).  For my travel companion, another traditional dish, spezzatini di cinghiale  (stewed boar) with polenta.  Both were delicious, but it was hard to top the soup!

Each of my three dining experiences at Buon Ricordo restaurants (so far!) were different, which is really the point.  Every one reflected local ingredients and traditional, regional foods. The atmospheres ranged from simple to cozy to elegant, with the foods matching the setting. I would be hard pressed to name a favorite, but my memory is strongest of that soup !

And now I have 3 colorful plates to remind me of those culinary memories. I will have fun searching for my next “plate” restaurant and adding to my collection.  To find restaurant locations go to the website for the Union deli Ristorante del Buon Ricordo - www.buonricordo.it

The pretty potion at Buca di San Francesco, Assisi

Good Memories of Traditional Italian Cuisine

The flavors, tastes, colors, and the scents of food can make special memories, lingering in our subconscious to be recalled at later times. These memories may be associated with certain people (the scent of the butter my father always added as the last ingredient in pancake batter) or places (the aroma of an espresso on the shores of Lake Como) or events (the smell of mushrooms filling the kitchen in a cooking class at The Olive Press Kitchen).  Specific dishes also evoke memories, often of family or culture specific foods.  We remember where, when, and with whom we shared them. 

This 2025 book lists all of the restaurants in the Union del Buon Ricordo along with information about the specialty dishes.

The best taste memories reflect the traditional ways of preparing foods.  With this in mind, in 1964, a group of restauranteurs in Italy formed an association to recall classic food memories and to work to preserve them. Called the Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo (the Union of Good Memory Restaurants) the group is headquartered in Parma and includes restaurants that feature local, authentic, and traditional dishes. Some of the restaurants are small and simple places while others are more upscale dining spots that use traditional ingredients in new ways. 

In addition to preparing traditional dishes, all have one other special thing in common – a unique ceramic plate that represents the restaurant’s special “buon ricordo” dish. Each plate is created and hand painted by artisans in the town of Vetri sul Mare. Order the dish (or the special Buon Ricordo menu) and you get to take the plate home with you. The plates make wonderful collections. Many of the restaurants display not only their own plate but also plates from other Buon Ricordo places. What a great way to make lasting memories!

Until recently, despite 30 years of travel in Italy, I had never heard of this association. Considering my interest in Italian regional cuisine, I fear that I’ve missed a great many culinary opportunities over the years. Fortunately for me, two friends from Santa Fe, travelers and collectors of plates and memories, introduced me to the idea of these “plate” restaurants. They took me for my first Buon Ricordo experience in Pietrasanta, a small town not far from Lucca. The restaurant, Osteria La Tecchia, was small and charming. The very personable chef and waitress were delighted when we requested the Buon Ricordo menu, which featured local seafood. They were happy to explain the origin of the local, traditional dishes of this part of Tuscany which lies close to the sea.

As an extra regalo (gift), they started us with a plate of fried anchovies – crisp, non-greasy, and delicious. The menu progressed with an antipasto of cozze (mussels) in a tomato broth. These were followed by a primi of Spaghetti with arselle (a tiny clam local to this area, the restaurants specialty dish and the one depicted on their plate). The secondi (second or main course) was a delicate white fish in a flavorful puttanesca broth fragrant with olives, capers and tomatoes. 

Of course, there was a lovely local white wine and a dessert - a warm apple cake topped with gelato.  Each dish was delicious and the portions just the right size to allow us to enjoy them all.

This was a special day, thanks to my visiting friends.  I was happy to take home my very first plate along with a book detailing all of the Buon Ricordo restaurants. And I was hooked on the idea of beginning my own collection of plates.

Since that first experience, I have enjoyed two more Ristorante del Buon Ricordo adventures.  One in Parma and one in Assisi.  Look for more on those in next week’s post!

The start of my collection of plates and Buon Ricordi.

Sunday Lunch in the Tuscan Countryside

One of the many delights of living in Tuscany is having a pranzo di domenica (Sunday lunch) with friends.  Even better when one of those friends is a local chef who knows just where to find a special place in an out of the way little village.  Rule # 1: always let the chef pick the restaurant! I was lucky enough to enjoy such a lunch recently, in the tiny village of Colognora di Compito, a lovely drive of about 6 miles, 15-20 minutes through the countryside from Lucca.

 At first glance the restaurant, La Cantina di Alfredo, seems to have been dropped down in the middle of nowhere.  It sits in tiny village along a pretty stone lined stream.  The unassuming building that houses the restaurant (in business since 1965) barely hints at the lively atmosphere and wonderful flavors to be found within. 

The first thing to reach my senses, before even opening the door, was the smell of the wood ovens.  A very nice welcome and a hint of the flavors to come.

Next, the sound of Italian chatter reached my ears.  Families with children of all ages filled the restaurant, happily interacting and sharing a meal.  Not one cell phone or other device in sight.  Sharing a Sunday lunch with friends, surrounded by a roomful of Italian families, is always a treat.  La Cantina di Alfredo provided the perfect Sunday atmosphere.

There are house specialty antipasti that get the meal off to an abundant start.  I have to admit (with only a pinch of guilt) that between the three of us we shared several of them, almost a meal on its own.  I blame my chef friend, who ordered for us – cancel that – I meant to say that I THANK my chef friend - because each bite was delicious.  First, we shared a board of cured meats including prosciutto, salami, other cured meats, and lardo (a buttery soft cubed pork fat) served with thin wedges of herb-flecked wood fired oven baked focaccia. 

Alongside that came a platter of bruschetta featuring fegato (a liver paté) on bread or squares of fried polenta, “meatballs” made of chopped mushrooms, and a pile of pasta fritta.  Pasta fritta is addictive – small bites of hot, fried, salty dough. How bad could that be?   Topped with a slice of the prosciutto it was delicious.

Having eaten a very big antipasto course, we skipped the primi selections (first courses) and headed straight to the main dishes. 

The house specialties include meats grilled in the wood oven, especially Florentine steaks and other cuts of beef. And the big piles of meats waiting to be cooked in one of their two wood fired ovens looked amazing. 

 In addition to beef, other dishes are prepared on the grill as well, including as fish, pork, and chicken.  And a second, even hotter, wood fired oven is reserved for pizza. Both of my companions ordered the Baccalà alla Brace (alla brace means on the grill) while I opted for the Rosticianna alla Brace (grilled pork ribs). 

Alongside we shared a dish of fagioli al forno (oven roasted beans).  Cooking beans in a wood oven turns them from ordinary into something special.  Creamy on the inside but a touch crisp on the outside, drizzled with good olive oil, they were perfect with both the fish and the pork.

Much too full for a dolce (sweet), we finished our meal with coffee (and a doggie bag for me - those ribs were hefty).  Leaving the restaurant by way of a small stone bridge, it was worth the short detour to see the small church with its unique short bell tower and mosaic decoration.  And then it was back in the car for the short drive back to Lucca.  

Good friends + a drive in the Tuscan countryside + a fabulous lunch = a perfect Sunday in Tuscany.

 La Cantina di Alfredo, Via di Colognora, 32.  Colognora di Compito Capannori

Phone: +39 058 3980192.     Cell phone: +39 331 3876800

Email: info@lacantinadialfredo.it

Closed Monday & Tuesday, open Wednesday – Sunday 12 – 2:30 NS 7 – 11 PM

An Evening in Venice

There are actually people who don’t like Venice.  Go figure! They find lots of things to complain about – the steps, the crowds, “smelly” canals, tour groups, cruise ships, pickpockets, the prices.  I feel bad for those people; they are really missing out.  With a little careful planning, an off-season arrival, and basic street smarts (canal smarts?) Venice is a wonder.      

Venice in mid-October. Lively but not terribly crowded.

 I recently spent one day in Venice, visiting from my base in nearby Padova.  Most of the day was spent at the Biennale Art event.  After seeing some of the exhibits, my friends and I took an almost-dusk evening stroll through Venice followed by dinner.

 We did not encounter big crowds other than in two spots.  First, on arrival, at the ticket booths for the vaporetti outside of the train station.  Definitely a spot to watch out for pickpockets.

The Bridge of Sighs

Next, in the early evening, in the area around the Bridge of Sighs and into Piazza San Marco.  The viewpoint near the Bridge of Sighs is where everyone stops for a photo. Other than those two spots, Venice was busy but not jam packed. Even Piazza San Marco, always a busy spot, wasn’t bad.

Piazza San Marco. As Venetian crowds go, this was great!

With my passport and credit cards tucked safely into my money belt, and a minimum of cash and a few other things in a small backpack, one whose zipper sits up against my back making it a not so easy target for thieves, I had no worries about pickpockets. This gave me the freedom to enjoy the views and take photos.

There were no cruise ships to be seen, thanks to the new rules which prohibit the biggest ones from docking in Venice. A great old sailing ship and some Naval vessels near the Arsenale were interesting and didn’t tower over the landscape.

Best of all was an amazing sunset view over the Grand Canal followed by a wander through the maze of back streets just beyond Piazza San Marco. 

 After a full day of art appreciation at the Biennale, and a stroll through Venice, we were hungry.  Luckily, we found Ristorante Central Venice, part wine bar and part restaurant. Located on a little side street, the atmosphere was warm, the staff friendly, the menu enticing (fresh seafood!), and the wine list included a good and moderately priced prosecco.  Perfect. 

 After dinner, it was time for a vaporetto ride back to the now uncrowded train station and a quick 30 minute ride back to Padova.  Our day in Venice was wonderful.  No complaints from me!

An Elegant Caffè in Lucca, Italy

Caffè Santa Zita with a view towards the Basilica of San Frediano

Most of the time grabbing a coffee here in Lucca means a stop at a local bar.  The coffee may be downed quickly standing at the bar or a bit more leisurely at a table. Going out to prendere un caffè (have a coffee) is a common way to socialize informally with friends and an almost daily ritual here for many. 

 But sometimes it is nice to get fancy.  When that impulse strikes, it is time to head to Caffè Santa Zita.  Located in Piazza San Frediano, and named for the Saint for rests forever in the nearby church, the caffè is a spot of elegance and old world refinement in the center of Lucca.

There is a small outdoor seating area in front of the caffè.  It offers great views of the Basilica San Frediano with its unique mosaic topped exterior along with great people watching in the piazza.  But for me the real fun happens inside where the entry leads you past a pastry case full of temptations and into a series of intimate, cozy, fashionable rooms. 

The pastry case is full of delicious treats.

Inside, the paneled and painted walls, classic tile floors, and beautiful furnishings lend warmth to the experience while the display of tea and coffee accoutrements set the stage for an upscale coffee break or teatime. 

Tea comes with a little dish of "miracles"

It is a bit unusual to find an afternoon tea service in Lucca, but the Santa Zita offers an English Teatime with an impressive variety of teas, tisanes, and infusions. 

Don’t miss the chance to taste their little “miracles” – small cookies representing classic Lucchese flavors.  They are named miracles in honor of the many miracles associated with Santa Zita herself. 

Beyond tea, the Santa Zita also offers morning coffee (with pastry of course), brunch, lunch, and an evening aperitivo.

Not an everyday quick stop, it is just the place for a bit of upscale lingering.

This flaky pastry is unique to the Santa Zita.  Called a La Giunchiglia (the daffodil) it comes with a variety of toppings.  My favorite is the pastry cream shown above but it also comes with chocolate, pistachio cream, or whipped cream on top.. 

The back garden is a pretty and welcoming spot for brunch, coffee, tea time or an aperitivo in good weather. 

Caffè Santa Zita is open Monday – Saturday  8 am – 9 pm and  Sunday 9 am – 9 pm 

Closed Wednesdays 

An evening of cocktail and music is a special treat at the Santa Zita Caffè.