Menu - Cucinaa

Our family was in Terni for the Cantamaggio Festival, and as we were wandering the streets, we came across this corner restaurant on a side street. They were of... read more Our family was in Terni for the Cantamaggio Festival, and as we were wandering the streets, we came across this corner restaurant on a side street. They were offering a special menu for the festival, so we stopped to take a look at it. As our Italian is limited, we did not understand some of the menu items, so the owner (Giorgio) came out to try to explain them to us. He even took us back into the food prep area to show us how the menu items were being prepared. The meal was fabulous. As mentioned in a previous review, this is not your typical Italian fare. Though it was obviously Italian cooking, there was a polished, gourmet flare to it. The food was extremely fresh and well prepared, and the meats and vegetables were seasoned to perfection. The presentation of the food was also top notch. The waitress was very attentive yet not intrusive. We enjoyed the atmosphere in the restaurant as well it was a modern, industrial look with a touch of elegance. We were in Italy for 10 days, and this was at the top of the list for favorite meals.

You have to change or stagnate. Seems simple enough, but many restaurants in Central Italy have not and will not follow this idea as a matter of principle. Cuci... read more You have to change or stagnate. Seems simple enough, but many restaurants in Central Italy have not and will not follow this idea as a matter of principle. Cucina della Momma or better yet Nonna (grandma) is the way to go . Lots of dishes all of the standards constitute the menus in most every place you go (sometimes competently executed, sometimes not so much) That is why Cucinaa is such a joy. You do not have to make the same decisions, you can make brand new ones They have not thrown away the rich tradition of Italian food based on excellent ingredients and trademark preparations, but they have allowed themselves to challenge the convention. Lentil soup is a staple everywhere and can be very good. At Cucinaa, 5 Grain soup including inter alia lentil, barley, spelt and olio nuovo (new olive oil) is a step up and something new but familiar. Just like the bocconcini di Tacchino (lightly fried turkey pieces) served with oven baked potatoes nothing earth shattering but not something on offer elsewhere. Trying to give a run down the items on the menu is a fools errand , because they offer a limited number of things and change constantly. I was advised that dinner was even more ambitious, which makes me a curious future customer. There is a namesake restaurant in Foligno which is in some sort of family squabble with this one (hence no mention of this site on the web site) . I, personally, hope they get together and extend the idea further. All in all, I favor this one if for nothing else, for the lovely converted space inside what was a bel époque theater. The service is also very competent and in keeping with the food, the vibe is very relaxed. number of items that were different and interesting. Probably, they should complement their daily offerings with a standard or t