Menu - Il Tortello

Nestled on a quaint village square il Tortello is an institution and deservedly so. It brimmed and bustled with locals savoring a rustic Tuscan cuisine of yore.... read more Nestled on a quaint village square il Tortello is an institution and deservedly so. It brimmed and bustled with locals savoring a rustic Tuscan cuisine of yore. Simple to a T, paper covers tables, wine is from a barrel and hearty dishes are served brusquely. It is a happy place. My partner knew il tortello of old. It's sole and star dish back then was its truly great tortellini which I tried with a delicious sugo of wild boar. It's menu has diversified substantially over the intervening years. My partner tried the Picci with ricotta and courgette. Both pastas were delicious if a tad cold forgivable on a hot August night. Our overly charred spare pork ribs disappointed. Bitter boiled chicory was good. A shared portion of a local historic creamy cake/trifle to finish our meal hit a guilty good spot. Our only gripe was the lamentably slow and slapdash service. One can see that they have become quite overrun by their own success and have less hands at the wheel than needed. We took to fetching our own cutlery, Parmesan and other condiments ourselves. Some may have bought a house in less time than it took us to pay! Our carafe of white wine was certainly very corked and on finally corralling a waitress and informing her of this she blithely agreed that it was possibly the case! The fusty tainted wine remained undrunk on the table and our bill. The most disappointing requested item, lost somewhere in the establishment, was a much needed bottle of mosquito repellant! Those blood suckers were being served at our ankles far faster than us. We will certainly return but on a quiet winter's eve.

We arrived early to visit the nearby sculpture park, the Giardino dei Tarocchi. The restaurant was quite hard to find, tucked at the back of an inner courtyard... read more We arrived early to visit the nearby sculpture park, the Giardino dei Tarocchi. The restaurant was quite hard to find, tucked at the back of an inner courtyard parking lot and not well signed. It was not open for service when we arrived. Never the less we were seated and served coffee and chilled mineral water, and as soon as the kitchen was ready, our orders were taken, about 40 minutes before the scheduled opening at 1245 hrs. The menu was quite extensive, (with a convenient English language version) with the traditional central Italian cuisine and featuring wild boar (cinghiale) in a variety of dishes. We sampled the olive all 'ascolana (olives stuffed with meat, coated with bread crumbs and deep fried), a regional specialty. I had grilled young pork, (the crackling was perfect) and my wife had a very flavorsome and generous dish of grilled chicken. We added a dish of traditional Italian grilled vegetables (egg plant, peppers and zucchini) and some delightful French fries (cooked in very clean and sweet oil) for a very satisfying and tasty lunch. Finally we were tempted by Crema Catalana , the Catalan version of creme brulee. The flan mix was covered with a generous layer of raw sugar, doused with a liquor I didn 't identify, then set on fire at our table, where it happily burned for about five minutes, caramelizing the sugar topping. The single serving was more than enough for two! Altogether a delightful experience. This is the type of restaurant I always seek, but so often I am disappointed to end up in a crass ersatz tourist trap. Not this time. The service was polite and prompt. Everything was very tasty. The variety was impressive, the components fresh and appealing, the presentation unpretentious. This is the real thing, you feel you are eating in Momma 's farm kitchen. Not fine dining, but the best of country cuisine in an homely setting. Select your meal carefully and take your time. I wish I had an excuse to go back there.