Looking Out a Window on Assisi

It's hard to believe (from the sunny-ness) that this picture was taken in December, when we (along with Nat’s mom Carolyn and sister Christie--hey, happy birthday to Carolyn today by the way) were eating lunch at ai Frantoio. It was extra chilly outside, due to a wind that seemed to come from St. Francis’ desire to clear the earth of the un-worthy or something. Assisi was still lovely, naturally, but we were certainly glad to be inside for a long lunching:

*Note: We were on pre-tirement, and now we’re back. Want the full story? Start the pre-tirement journey here. Want to go backwards? Read the last pre-tired post here and scroll back. Or, just keep coming back for pretty Italy pictures.

Amuse-Bouche, Italian Style

Looking at the chilly day in Assisi pic below reminded me that to get out of the cold (and because it was lunching time) we wandered into a restaurant called al Frantoio (which we tried to go to twice more on other Assisi visits, but it was closed each time, darn it it all). The full al Frantoio experience is detailed here, but I forgot when writing it up the first time about the lovely plate of sun-dried tomatoes and olives they brought to us right when we sat down (along with a little bread-cracker basket):

Nat even enjoyed eating the olives, which isn’t a food she usually munches. But wow, I thought the sun-dried tomatoes were the tops—tangy, sweet, and olive-oil-y. Yummy.

*See all Italian restaurants

*Note: We were on pre-tirement, and now we’re back. Want the full story? Start the pre-tirement journey here. Want to go backwards? Read the last pre-tired post here and scroll back. Or, just keep coming back for pretty Italy pictures.

A Chilly Day in Assisi

I realize I’ve been giving Seattle weather a bit of a bad name here on the blog since we’ve been back—but dang, I think there’s only been like one sunny day, and all of April in Italy was sunny and around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, going back through some older Italian pics reminded me of the colder days there, including one daunting day walking around Assisi when the wind was like a whip. Look at Nat all bundled up like a freezing gypsy (and also peek at the view behind her into the Umbrian countryside):

*Note: We were on pre-tirement, and now we’re back. Want the full story? Start the pre-tirement journey here. Want to go backwards? Read the last pre-tired post here and scroll back. Or, just keep coming back for pretty Italy pictures.

Lunch at Camino Vecchio

We were in Assisi again (not the pejorative “again” though, which would make it sound like going to Assisi is a chore, which it definitely is not, as it’s not only chunk-a-luck with art and artistic churches but a lovely little hill town in its own right, if a bit overly touristed and pilgrimaged here and there and then, all of which is to say it’s never a chore to visit) and thinking of lunch. It was Nat and I and pals Jon and Nicole and Christy (and yeah, I’ve blogged about them some, and am still blogging about them, though they’ve been gone for over a week, but blogging about them almost makes it seem like are still here, just outside the door about to walk in, which would be sweet), and our first thought was Il Frantoio, but once more they were out on vacation (which is nutty—that’s like months of vacation. More power to ‘em, but we probably won’t try them in the future, cause its down numerous stairs, and what if they’re on a permanent vacation). After walking up and down the streets of Assisi, we wandered into the very friendly and well-named Al Camino Vecchio (the name’s so close to “Camaro” that it called to the 70s-KS-boy in me). Now, it was a bustling, family run spot, packed with a host of folks from different nations, and we were a party of five talking it up as if we were getting paid by the spoken word (which is how it is with old friends that don’t see each other enough), and what is leading up to? Poorly taken photos. Which is a salivating shame, cause the food was delish. We started with a round of wine (notice the two carafes in the above photo—one red, one white) and a round of salads, then I moved on to an intriguing gnocchi variant (I believe it was called “gnocchite” or some such—again, too much talking and laughing to have time for writing things down). It was actually a gnocchi ravioli:

it had gnocchi dough around a spinach ricotta filling, topped with a zippy tomato sauce, with an end result that was different and scrumptious. The gnocchi dough is so different, more pillowy and pliant than pasta dough. I dug it indeed. Nat went for the straight gnocci, topped with cheese and truffle and cream and it was also quite good, gooey and flavorful (so much so it threw off my aim I suppose):

The other dish that was a super standout was Nicole’s pisi (I believe—it was a pasta I hadn’t seen the name of before) with ceci, or pasta with chickpeas in a light tomato sauce. The pasta was done just right, and played well with the also al dente chickpeas (their bright flavor against the more tangy tomato sauce would have made St. Francis himself dance around and do the happy robot). Of course, again, my aim was off in the photos:

Even though it’s a hike up a high-arching street, Al Camino Vecchio is work the workout—and remember, the walking means you can have another course. 

*See more Italian restaurants: Capponi, Nestor's,Nonna Gelsa, Le Capannine di Sommavilla, Calagrana, Trattoria Il Saraceno, L Enoteca Wine Club, Mastro Dante, Bar Fizz, Da Cesari, al Frantoio, La Balestra, Lo Strattoio, Mencuccio, La Fortezza. La Tufa, Kentia Pizzeria, Il Feudo del Vicari, Buca di Bacco

*See all Italian restaurants

5M5D #1: Lunch at La Fortezza

I was browsing the blog the other day (and yeah, I browse my own blog--what of it? I’m looking for comments--maybe you should leave one?) and realized with all our visitors, and with enjoying the unexpected February sunshine (as it snows in my other home, Seattle), and with reading  the new Steve Ditko collection I received for my bday, that I haven’t had much in the way of food on Six Months lately. This also means I’ve missed talking up a few restaurants that are worthy of mention. So, welcome to (drum roll—using grissini drumsticks naturally): Five Meals, Five Days (or, for short, 5M5D). I won’t wax as foodly poetic as perhaps I’ve a want to do, just to keep the courses coming, but will be serving some delish pics (I hope, at least), and won’t have any repeats of restaurants or recipes. First up: La Fortezza. We were recently in Assisi again, dropping off my mother and her gal pals Judith and Shelly at a nunnery (not for good, just for two nights), after driving some of the leanest streets in Italy, which happened after we took a quick stroll through this lovely Italian hilltown and stopped for lunch at La Fortezza (we had thought about going to al Frantoio, but it was closed. And now we know two great restaurants in this wonderful town). I started with a very thick strangozzi, topped with olive oil and fresh black truffles, and it was yummy, chewy homemade pasta matching well with the earthy truffles:

It was a blustery chilly day (even St. Francis might have shivered), which led Nat to ordering up a zuppa verdure that was packed with warming goodness (in the shape of a host of veggies):

I ordered a second course off the contorni menu, which had a surprising eggplant parmesan on it. The eggplant p doesn’t show up much on central Italian menus, so I had to order it—and it was a great choice. Cheesy, gooey, goodness:

Nat also had a somewhat surprising second course: crepes with a creamy, cheesy sauce. A melt-in-your-mouth delight:

A lunch to take the chill off, and have us dreaming of it as we drove away from Assisi—and into the first day of 5D5M.

*See more Italian restaurants: Capponi, Nestor's,Nonna Gelsa, Le Capannine di Sommavilla, Calagrana, Trattoria Il Saraceno, L Enoteca Wine Club, Mastro Dante, Bar Fizz, Da Cesari, al Frantoio, La Balestra, Lo Strattoio, Mencuccio

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Lunch at al Frantoio

As mentioned below, we recently spent a great morning and afternoon in Assisi. Naturally, if we were there morning and afternoon, we had to have a stop for lunch in the middle. At home, we’d looked up a couple potential eateries, but completely forgot the piece of paper they were written on. It was a fortuitous and tasty forgetting, though, because we ended up wandering around a bit longer than we probably would have, stopping finally at a place called al Frantoio. At first, we mainly picked it because it boasted a fine and sunny view (it was quite a chilly December day):

The food, though, quickly became the star of the lunch, and the reason we will probably return for more food when taking folks to Assisi. Nat’s sister Christie and mom Carolyn were also with us, which means there are a few meat pics, too (though one warning: the agreeably warm sunlight, while cuddly, didn’t help making memorable photos when shadowing through the windows). I started with an outstanding truffle frittata, which let the earthy truffles take center stage on top of a wonderfully firm-on-the-outside-gooshy-on-the-inside frittata:

Nat started with a rich, creamy and chewy (due to the main ingredients), lush, fava bean and barley soup topped with a small slap of the sharp local olive oil:

For my pasta, I went with the stringozzi (or priest stranglers—maybe an odd choice in Assisi, but wow, it was good, with the pasta at the right stage of chewiness and the stringozzi’s odd shapes adding texture) with chunky meaty fresh porcini:

Nat had homemade tagliatelle topped with a double dose of cheese and a hint of cream:

Christie (after having a pasta similar to Nat’s to start) had (on the waiter’s suggestion—super friendly waiters, by the way) chicken cutlets stuffed with local favorite chestnuts:

while mom went for the serious meat plate, the solo sausages (by all reports--fantastic). Carnivores, start your drooling:

We ended our scrumptious Assisi lunch at Il Frantoio with a caramel panacotta and a chocolate-y cake number that filled us completely up, and had us ready for more frosty sightseeing.
*See more Italian restaurants: Capponi, Nestor's,Nonna Gelsa, Le Capannine di Sommavilla, Calagrana, Trattoria Il Saraceno, L Enoteca Wine Club, Mastro Dante, Bar Fizz, Da Cesari, Calagrana Lunch

*See all Italian restaurants

Assisi Morning and Afternoon

Assisi is a quaint little Umbrian hill town. Well, maybe not so much, as it’s really an internationally known spot, revered by pilgrims, art and architecture lovers, and history mavens. If you don’t know (and I suppose you do, but let me refresh just in case), Assisi is the home of St. Francis, who is the reason for the above-mentioned international magnetism. St. Francis not only started a monastic order, completely changed the church, had a devoted female opposite number (Clare) who also started an order (nuns, naturally), but made friends with animals. I’ve tried to think of how to make a modern parallel to St. Francis, but it’s impossible. It’d be as if Paris Hilton gave up her worldly possessions in front of her parents and the country’s most famous governor, devoted herself to charity, chastity, poverty, and obedience, changed the way the US government operates and thinks (the church was at least this impressive and important at the time), and inspired a horde of followers to devote themselves to the same ideals, including one of her rich boyfriends. After she died, her selflessness would then inspire others to build an otherworldly-lovely monument, decorated on the inside by the top artists of the day. Unimaginable. But that’s what St. Francis was like, in hindsight. And Assisi is a reflection of this, if one that’s a bit touristy and more ornate than he would have ever approved of, I suppose. But beautiful, indeed. Not every building and brick is focused on St. Francis and Clare, though. The first church I always see when entering Assisi proper (because I always park in the same cark park—hey, I’m easy) is actually the Cathedral of San Rufino, named for a 3rd century illustrious bishop. Like most churches, no pics are allowed inside, so I can’t show you the baptismal font where Clare and Francis were baptized, but I can show you the front façade of the church, which dates back to the 12th century and is starkly handsome:

From there, it’s a short windy walk to St. Clare’s. Not as ornate as St. Francis’ big basilica, Clare’s church is still a charming, and more relaxed in its visual wonders, spot:

one that also presents, when sitting on or looking over the wall, delightful views of the Umbrian countryside (a fitting spot for Clare to be buried beside):

It’s helpful when strolling the streets and cozy brick and stone corridors to take a side path here and there away from the shops and shoppes with their products from China (okay, there are some that are truly Italian, especially one or two full of hand-carved olive-wood products) to get a grasp of how Assisi must have been a delight to wander (not that it isn’t now, but to wander it when bereft of crowds would have been something else entirely—which is why getting away from crowds here and there is good):

In the middle of Assisi is the Piazzo del Comune, where the Temple of Minerva (now called the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva) holds court. A step back from the Renaissance into the Roman age, the columnar front of the church is perhaps the best example of Roman columns outside of Rome:

The church inside has been completely re-done in a baroque style that’s worth viewing with its garish charms. However, it’s nothing like the main Assisi event, the take-your-breath-away Basilica of St. Francis:

Honestly, there’s something about Assisi and the Basilica that amazes me more than heroically artistic cities I love such as Florence. Not that I think it’s more worthy, or has better art, etc. It’s just that I would expect a historically powerful and financially important city such as Florence to overwhelm. But Assisi is different--it’s done up because of one man (and his followers, but inspired by him). The Basilica is a reflection of the devotion he inspired. Again, no indoor pics, but it’s like two galleries on top of one another, with the top an airier, lighter, monument to his life and to the art of Giotto (thanks to Giotto’s series of frescos about St. Francis’ life, frescos which run along the sides), and with the bottom church a darker, but not dreary, array of allegorical, historical, and splendid artworks by a number of the top hot artists of the time. It was a cold day when we were there recently, but clear, and blue-skied, providing the opportunity for some bundled up, but still amazing, viewing of this town’s signature artistry, not to mention the town itself, perched on the foothills of Mt. Subasio: