mmh

Has anyone eaten lunch at one of these restaurants lately? La Chiusa has been highly recommended; but, Poggio Antica sounds great too.

jo

We ate at La Chiusa about 4 years ago. The food was wonderful but expensive.

dean

have eaten at both. absolutely loved la chiusa, one of the most perfect dining experiences I have ever had. Superb food, wonderful service. Expensive yes but worth it. Poggio Antico was totally forgettable and over rated. Tired food, stuffy service, unattractive room , expensive and totally not worth it. We went to Poggio Antico with friends we met with in Italy looking for a fun time of great wines and good food so we were in the mood to enjoy. WHat a waste.<BR><BR>La Chiusa offeres a tasting menu of 7 courses. My wife and I had it and only one dish was served to us both. We had a total of 13 dishes and 12 were absolutely perfection. The pasta were the lease interesting, the antipasti and the game entrees the most interesting if you should decide to go the ala carte route. I remember a goose "carpaccio" (goose breast boiled quickly, very rare in the center, flavored with an herb sauce), lamb, duck with fennel, a sformata of parmigiano with local truffles, an eggplant flan with a tomato sauce all wonderful. We drank Innocenti Vino Nobile which turned out to be the wine of the village where the restaurant was located. They arranged a quick visit to the winery for us!

mmh

Thanks, Dean, that info really helps. Now I just hope I can get reservations.

A local

For me they are both good places but definetely not Tuscan!! Nouvelle cuisine, absolutely nothing to do with Tuscany.....

dean

La Chiusa prides itself on using foods grown very locally so I don't see how ist cannot be Tuscan. The dishes are fairly traditional in concept with a modern technique. It is classic, rustic Tuscan? No. But it is very rooted in the local culture.