Le Frise - ARTOGNE

Quando apri la porta ti trovi di fronte a una pentola di polenta che cuoce su una vecchia stufa. Ti senti come un ospite nella casa dei proprietari e da lì capisci che verrai trattato come tale. Il pranzo fisso del menu cambia settimanalmente, con focacce e pane fresco, un tortino di verdure, formaggi di produzione propria (molto buoni), salame della zona, casoncelli rivisitati con ragù d'anatra e una varietà di secondi con agnello arrosto e cotechino (quello vero fatto in casa) con polenta (quella vera fatta con tempo e amore). Un pranzo fantastico, con un gusto autentico di casa. Una nota per coloro che vogliono provare il frisè: la strada per salire alla fattoria è abbastanza stretta. Se avete un'auto grande, se c'è neve o avete paura di guidare meglio lasciarla nel villaggio e camminare su (ne vale la pena).

A challenging exciting road leads to Azienda le Frise, peaceful gardens with fruit trees and vegetables. They produce their own goat cheese and everything served is home made. Just wonderful and delicious and so friendly welcome from the family Martiny who runs the farm and guesthouse. Enquire about options to have dinner or lumch in advance.

We went to brunch with a friend who was local and strongly suggested the restaurant as a fine place for me to study further the farm to table movement I 've worked so hard on in the U.S. to see happen. It was an ideal example of all that eating local and fresh exemplifies, as I got to go in the kitchen and see the foods being made right there. The melding of flavors is incredible, along with a superb artistry of presentation on the plate. Be warned that it took three hours for 4 courses, so don 't be in a hurry. Also, don 't expect to see vegetables, which was surprising considering our visit was in August, but we 've been eating in Lombardy a week and only seen two slivers of sweet pepper in the entire week. Very different from Farm to Table in the U.S., where the gardens literally overflow into the dining room. Also, drink plenty of wine if you 're the passenger riding on the way out, as it was one of the scariest roads I 've ever ridden on! Thank you for such a fabulous meal!