Several days in Verona - where *must* we eat???
Hey there, Chow community - we leave next week for Italy and are spending 5 days around Verona (including day trips to Lake Garda, Parma and Bologne) - are there any incredible places to eat (that won't drain our wallet more than the 3 days in Venice already have???) Thanks in advance - I know I can count on you!
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Joe H
May 14, 2009 07:47 PM
Venice: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/605395 Having said this I like Osteria La Fontanina, the Michelin starred temple to wine in Verona, more than any of the restaurants I wrote about in Venice. I sincerely believe it is the most romantic restaurant in all of Italy and also better than the two star Il Desco. If you only have one meal to budget for in your entire trip this should be it-I prefer it over Il Ridotto and Alle Testiere.
The candle lit ambience is absolutely incredible! http://www.ristorantelafontanina.com/
On the webpage which shows photographs you will see nine of them. The table shown in the last photograph on the lower right really captures the feeling of the restaurant. This is where Romeo would have taken Juliet for their wedding dinner. -
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re: erica
GretchenS
May 14, 2009 09:03 AM
Ditto Al Pompiere, especially their housemade salumi. The other place we still talk about is Ristorante Antico Tripoli. I am pasting my previous reviews below.
Trattoria Al Pompiere, viccolo Regina d’Ungheria 5, tel 045/8030537, closed Monday lunch and all day Sunday. The big deal here is their incredible selection of salumi (cured meats). A corner of the small restaurant is devoted to shelves of the stuff, together with a gleaming slicer, all presided over by the boss of the restaurant (we dubbed him the slicing chef) who also seemed to be the father of the main waiter. We asked for a selection of the salumi for a starter – the waiter asked if we wanted ham only or everything – everything we said. (Turns out “ham” in this case meant what we Americans think of as prosciutto and what Italians call prosciutto crudo. You are going to get pork of some sort when you order salumi.) The first time we got lardo, sopressa, porchetta, and prosciutto – the slicing chef delivered them and told us where each was from. Each was the best of its kind we’d ever had – the sopressa was particularly amazing – melt-in-your mouth tender – we flagged him down and asked him to repeat where it was from. “Di nuoi” he said, jabbing his finger at his chest. Wow. Ravioli filled with caramelized onion and tagliatta (sliced beef) with potatoes and baby salad were also excellent. Second time there we asked for a selection but please include the sopressa di vuoi. The slicing chef showed up this time with his sopressa (another poke in his chest) plus a “flight” of Parma hams: crudo, cotto and pancetta – excellent again. They also have an amazing cheese selection which we did not explore, but similarly the cheese waiter will put together a selection for you and discuss it at great length when he delivers it. This is a small place and packed at lunchtime – reservations are essential. Moderate to moderate plus. http://www.alpompiere.com/
Ristorante Antico Tripoli, Via Spagna 2, Verona, tel. 045/803.5756 (no note of closing day) (very near Basilica di San Zeno). This is a very attractive restaurant in a renovated stable – large space nicely broken up with gauzy white curtains here and there. It stars a huge open hearth where most of the cooking occurs over wood coals – ask to be seated near the fire unless you are there in very hot weather. I had an amazing fish carpaccio (three kinds of fish, each marinated in a different dressing to achieve a sort of ceviche effect) followed by revelatory baby lamb chops cooked to perfection over those coals and accompanied by roasted potatoes and an eggplant caponata that was both fresh-tasting and incredibly rich and luscious. Lovely service. Would go back in a heartbeat. Fairly expensive. http://www.anticotripoli.com/
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