ekscrunchy

Years ago I read about a beach "shack" on the coast in the Maremma. The name was La Pineta.

Any recent reports?

ekscrunchy

..it is a restaurant, in case that was not clear..

zeppole

You first, eks. Where did you eat in Buonconvento?

Centralparkgirl

<< ek and Centralparkgirl, well you could actually take the same plane - NYC Fodorites traveling to Italy together!>>

Too funny especially since we once tried unsuccessfully to meet up at a green market in NYC (ek I was there Sat am & thought of you!).

franco - you have to confess!!!! I can't promise that I will go, but let me just say that I didn't choose a location for a B & B in Chianti three yrs ago until I checked out restaurants first. It had to be strategic for driving back after a great dinner and vino. And at the end of this month, I am spending one night in a town in northern Sonoma ONLY because I must return to a certain restaurant for dinner. My husband has said more than once that I can agonize over a menu as if it's my last meal. My response is, 'Hey, you never know.' So, franco, you just have to confess!

kwren

Hey franco - I'll be in southern Tuscany for a while, so maybe not such a time-consuming excursion for me...care to let me in on the secret?!

franco

Ok ok, I have no problems to confess - I just didn't want to spoil your southern Tuscany holiday, Centralparkgirl, by adding an excursion that will take more than half a day just for lunch... ek, I've never heard of La Pineta, sorry. "My" place is called La Tagliola, www.latagliola.it, in Bagnoli di Arcidosso. Bagnoli is a tiny hamlet with two restaurants, one at the end of the road, one 50 metres before, on the left: La Tagliola is the one on the left. This is deep in the mountains; but Arcidosso, the larger village nearby, is - though in the mountains - a brutally industrialized village and as ugly as any industrialized village can be; it's on the back of beyond, as I said, and near nothing. (Abbadia S. Salvatore is the only sight that you could visit from there, and it's not among southern Tuscany's greatest.) The distance to Val d'Orcia doesn't seem excessive, but remember that Tuscan secondary roads don't allow swift driving, and you'll need almost one hour and a half to get there, from Buonconvento. I stranded there by chance, and it was probably the best "by chance" find of my life. I had tortelloni di ricotta e spinaci con olio d'oliva e castagne, a heavenly dish, strange as the combination of spinach and chestnuts may seem; grilled rumpsteak from a local breed, probably the best piece of beef I've ever had as far as taste (the texture, as with many old breeds, was less tender than we're used to now - anybody of you know "real" chicken, i.e. old breeds?), with a huge pile of incredibly delicious fried wild mushrooms from the surrounding woods, with many but not exclusively porcini; and finally, a panna cotta that involved frutti di bosco (a cream? a mousse? don't remember precisely), which was heavenly, as well, and I'm usually NOT a fan of panna cotta.
Ok - it's you who wanted me to do this!!! Now try and include that with your already-very-busy Val d'Orcia stay!!

zeppole

Well, if one were to head south from Buonconvento, one could stop in the morning in Bagno Vignoni and San Quirico d'Orcia and still make in time for lunch at Franco's find.

Were it me, I would return via the abbey San Galgano near Chuisidino, perhaps stopping at a winery enroute (lots around here). From the restaurant to the Abbey is about 2 hours. From the abbey to Buonconvento is about an hour.

But you'd essentially be driving through the wild Maremma.

kwren

yummmmmmmm! need I say more?

franco

In alternative to zeppole's excellent suggestion, La Tagliola would make a perfect en-route stop if you venture into the Sovana-Pitigliano area. If so, take in Roccalbegna, and climb up to the castle ruins (just 10 minutes, but really steep). You'll only know why you've stopped here as soon as you've done the climb: a street grid much like Manhattan's... well, almost: just SOMEWHAT smaller (the entire village is about 500 x 500 metres) - and from the 13th century. Btw, the Romanesque church there isn't bad either; be sure to have a look at the portal, and smile.

Centralparkgirl

Your meal is still on the menu, franco...sounds very tempting!

zeppole

I just came across this place and I thought I'd include it in this thread as the kind of place I would stay in during a trip in the Maremma. If you wanted one night in the Maremma, it might be fun to pack up your stuff, head down to Franco's lunch restaurant, make your way back up to San Galgano, and then try this place for the night. It's a Slow Food pick and the kind of place I usually adore. (cheap too.)

http://www.locandadibeppeatocchi.it/index.html

macdogmom

I want to know about the restaurant in Northern Sonoma county...

sap

bookmarking

Centralparkgirl

zeppole - did you notice that check in is 6 pm? The place looks lovely. How many hours (days - lol) do you think it would it take from franco's restaurant?

macdogmom - the restaurant is Cyrus in the town of Healdsburg. It was the best meal of my life and I don't say that lightly. I mention it in my TR on my first visit to Ca.

zeppole

I didn't notice the check-in time but it's not unusual for places I stay in. The people who run them need to be out shopping and such during the day. It's really an albergo ristorante, not a farm, so the owners show up in time to cook and let you in!

It would take under two hours to get there from Franco's restaurant, and like I said, I would stop at San Galgano en route. The site does not take long to see, but it is beautiful

http://www.ruraljourney.com/italy_tr...o-san-galgano/

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/...ostalghia1.jpg

I usually don't keep track of destination restaurants in Italy, but there are a few in Tuscany, but I'm not sure if they are convenient to your touring. Here is one that is operated by a Canadian cookbook writer:

http://www.lapetraia.com/index.php

and two Michelin stars

http://www.arnolfo.com/?page_id=133

The restuarant at Poggio Antico in Montalcino used to have a Michelin star, but I think it's down to 3 forks

http://www.poggioantico.com/english/ristorante_e.htm

I've not eaten at these places.

franco

Alternatively, if you go south to Pitigliano, I have another accomodation for you, with the advantage that I've stayed there in person: a tastefully furnished and very nice agriturismo in a REALLY peaceful location (don't be nervous when you drive there, just follow the signs, it's excellently signposted and yes, at the very end of the "road", shortly before you imagine you and your car are going to disappear into the next road hole, there it is. Their olive oil and red wine (they just have one kind of it) are good (if rustic), too, and they're very nice people - with a website, surprisingly: www.melograno.to
That's the Maremma at its very best.

zeppole

That place looks lovely! With a restaurant too. And horses. The recipe page is certainly appealing.

franco

A restaurant, only in high season, unfortunately. That's why I wasn't able to eat there (I went in late spring). But I agree, the recipe page (which is new to their website) is appealing. Next winter (ooohh, winter! what was it like?) I have to try the wild boar with orange.

zeppole

I'm thinking I can make their SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA CON PESTO ALLE OLIVE with what I've got in the cupboard -- which would save me from going out to shop tomorrow!

All I'd need to do is boil water.



I once had a wild boar lasagne in the Maremma that had the thinnest sheets of lasagne I have ever seen. It was astonishing. (It was in a private home or I'd give you the address.)

franco

Since I had rigatoni con pesto di olive (verdi!) today, I will skip that tomorrow. But I, too, took note of that recipe - interesting thanks to the ricotta that goes into the preparation, which could be a nice balance for all that salt (salamoia, capperi, acciughe...).