Mostly for our daughter Katie - and anyone else interested. Day 1 -
Lunch at Bar il Molo
I had Salmon Gnocchi with cream sauce - very tasty although Bill didn't like it as much as I did. The slice of smoked salmon along with it was excellent. Bill had Risotto with asparagus which he thought was very good - the risotto was perfectly prepared.
Dinner at Ristorante La Vista at our hotel - Albergo Milano in Varenna. Great view of the lake and twinkling lights across in Bellagio and other towns. Hotel owner Egidio is waiter and host after retiring as chef recently. The new chef will obviously keep up the fine reputation as his dishes were excellent. Menu is limited as there are only 5-6 tables. We had sea bass with thinly sliced zucchini - just wonderful. Bill also ordered an appetizer dish - octopus croquettes which was tender, tasty and unusual!
Bill's last course was cheese and that was a pear stuffed with fresh soft goat cheese and carmelized nuts - very yummy!
We met two sets of Americans who are staying at our hotel and had a fun conversation at dinner. There was a group of Italians also and when they arrived it got noisier!
Breakfast was typical European cheeses, prosciutto, breads, muffins, granola, yogurt,coffee.
Lunch was in Bellagio, at a very cool but very small wine bar - Enoteca Cava Turacciolo - I had a salmon marinato con costini - marinated salmon on toast (yes, I love salmon) which I loved although it was very simple. Bill had Lasagna a la Bolognese which was good but different according to Bill - however I noted that he ate every bit. We also got a plate of shaved Parma ham donated by the other table of people in the restaurant - more about them in another post. Of course we had wine - Bill had a kind of sparkling red called Bonarda Marchese Adorno and I had a red called Barbera Vigna del Rei which we liked so much we bought a bottle.
Dinner at il Caminetto in Perleda started with a trip up the mountain - they come and pick you up for a crazy ride full of switchbacks....this is the restaurant that gives cooking lessons but we couldn't do that as they don't offer it on weekends.
We were picked up by Chef Moreno at 7:30 and were driven back at 10:30. We asked for his recommendation and he suggested we order one of his offerings (and he picked forvus) of each course of licsl specialties and share it and that was perfect and kept the cost reasonable.
First was three homemade pates and toast. Then prosciutto and salami - and we were introduced to the people at the next table as "this is the butcher who made the salami and meats". They loved it when we told them as we left that the meats were "molto bene".
They were served with a bit of marinated green tomato, dried red tomato and a small onion all of which I loved.
Next was the primi or pasta course of risotto - not sure how that was prepared (what the flavor was) but very tasty.
last was Rouston Negaa - veal escallopes with sage and white wine, tender and tasty with potatoes and green beans.
We were too full for dessert but he brought us a very refreshing after dinner drink of limoncella.
Oh and wine was another local rossi vino (red wine) and good - Rossi di Valtellina 2007.
So, Katie, no gelato yet and in fact too full for dessert!
Now it is bedtime and tomorrow we leave Lake Como....
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After a two hour layover in Atlanta, where we had some free wine and a snack in the Delta Club
