Four years ago we went to dinner at a beautiful restaurant called Osteria dello Sportello which is perched atop the ancient town of Casteldilago – just across the valley and in view of our rental. We went with Elda, Daniela, and Roberta. The meal was simple and delicious with everything made in house. Then, 3 years ago, we returned with the same group only to be told that they were sold out for that evening, forcing us to find a suitable alternative. This year we were sure to make reservations and were not disappointed.
We all met in the piazza at 8:20pm and hopped into Daniela’s VW as Roberta drove us to Casteldilago. The hairpin turns up the town to reach Osteria dello Sportello is even tighter and narrower than the road up to Torre Orsina. The restaurant was once again full with cars parked from the tiny restaurant well down the hill along the street and tucked into any imaginary space they could envision. Luckily, Roberta was up to the task and wedged our car into a nonexistent spot within a short walk of the restaurant.
After checking in at bar with the hostess, we were led up the stairs, through the beautifully restored rooms, and to the very same table were we sat 4 years ago! We had a chuckle as we took our seats and settled in for what would be a fantastic meal. They have a list of over a dozen antipasti. You can order the entire list as our meal, or pick and choose from the menu of antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolce. We ordered a board of assorted hand-cut meats for the table, and everyone ordered their own antipasto. I went with a soft pecorino cheese which was melted under the broiler and topped with honey. Cinzia, as well as the rest of the table, ordered Strapazzata al Tartufo – a wedge of crispy potatoes, kind of like a hash brown, topped with a light and creamy egg and fresh black summer truffle mixture. Everyone loved it. Cinzia added Bruschetta Tartufo – two large toasted pieces of bread covered in a thin layer of diced black truffles. She was in heaven.
Conversation was made easy as both Daniela and Roberta (more so Roberta) understand English well. We learned that several months ago some newspaper reporter had phoned Virgilio’s home. His caretaker answered and was asked if he was still alive. When she responded that indeed he was, she was notified that Virgilio was officially the oldest person in all of Umbria. Who knew each municipality and region tracked such things!
We also learned that Elda was hit by a car a year or so ago, actually was run over, and broke her leg. She spent the next 3 months living with Daniela and Roberta while she recovered. She’s also taking hormone therapy – apparently the breast cancer she had 20 years ago has returned. And on top of all this she has an inflamed aorta and is on steroids. It’s been a very difficult couple of years for her, especially when you add in the fact that her mother, Luigina, passed away in June. We were glad to take her out for her upcoming birthday for an evening of good food and lots of laughter (on September 4th she’ll turn 75 years old).
Back to the meal. For the pasta course, I ordered tortelloni filled with meat in a thick and rich meat ragu. They use chianina, a special Italian breed of cattle, the same used for Bistecca alla Fiorentina. A certificate of authentication can be produced upon request that shows the specific steer and its bona fides – date of birth, slaughter, region, sire & dame, etc. There were only 6 large tortelloni, but they were fantastic and filling. Cinzia, along with Elda and Daniela, ordered the same tortelloni but with the black truffle salsa, while Roberta went with the local pasta, called ciriole, with the same meat ragu. More heaven. I decided not to pass up a secondi, so I ordered the braciole. I was expecting the rolled and braised dish commonly served by Italian-Americans, but was disappointed when it turned out to be 2 rather thin pieces of broiled chianina. I finished ¾ of the dish before opting to allocate what little stomach space I had left towards dolce.
The dessert list was small, but everything sounded great. Cinzia, Elda, and I went with a panna cotta topped with frutti di bosco (wild berries). It was light, fruity, and the perfect ending to the meal. Cinzia was the only one who wanted wine, so what was left in her bottle of red was corked and made the trip back to Torre Orsina with us. (Apparently there are no open container laws in Italy.)
So, dinner for 5 at a restaurant that is routinely sold out and which has a menu that is 100% made in house and offers fresh truffles. Whatever you estimate that this would cost in the U.S. you can safely subtract 60%. Truffle appetizer: $6.99. Truffle crostini: $5.83. Meat board: $9.32. Truffle tortelloni: $16.32. Chianina tortelloni: $13.99. Panna cotta: $4.66. Bottle of good Italian red wine: $16.32. Tip (included): $11.66. The entire bill was only $171.34. Note that this is in dollars, not euros – very inexpensive for 5 people. We made reservations for the same party of five, same table, for 3 years from now when we hope to return to Torre Orsina.
After checking in at bar with the hostess, we were led up the stairs, through the beautifully restored rooms, and to the very same table were we sat 4 years ago! We had a chuckle as we took our seats and settled in for what would be a fantastic meal. They have a list of over a dozen antipasti. You can order the entire list as our meal, or pick and choose from the menu of antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolce. We ordered a board of assorted hand-cut meats for the table, and everyone ordered their own antipasto. I went with a soft pecorino cheese which was melted under the broiler and topped with honey. Cinzia, as well as the rest of the table, ordered Strapazzata al Tartufo – a wedge of crispy potatoes, kind of like a hash brown, topped with a light and creamy egg and fresh black summer truffle mixture. Everyone loved it. Cinzia added Bruschetta Tartufo – two large toasted pieces of bread covered in a thin layer of diced black truffles. She was in heaven.
Conversation was made easy as both Daniela and Roberta (more so Roberta) understand English well. We learned that several months ago some newspaper reporter had phoned Virgilio’s home. His caretaker answered and was asked if he was still alive. When she responded that indeed he was, she was notified that Virgilio was officially the oldest person in all of Umbria. Who knew each municipality and region tracked such things!
We also learned that Elda was hit by a car a year or so ago, actually was run over, and broke her leg. She spent the next 3 months living with Daniela and Roberta while she recovered. She’s also taking hormone therapy – apparently the breast cancer she had 20 years ago has returned. And on top of all this she has an inflamed aorta and is on steroids. It’s been a very difficult couple of years for her, especially when you add in the fact that her mother, Luigina, passed away in June. We were glad to take her out for her upcoming birthday for an evening of good food and lots of laughter (on September 4th she’ll turn 75 years old).
Back to the meal. For the pasta course, I ordered tortelloni filled with meat in a thick and rich meat ragu. They use chianina, a special Italian breed of cattle, the same used for Bistecca alla Fiorentina. A certificate of authentication can be produced upon request that shows the specific steer and its bona fides – date of birth, slaughter, region, sire & dame, etc. There were only 6 large tortelloni, but they were fantastic and filling. Cinzia, along with Elda and Daniela, ordered the same tortelloni but with the black truffle salsa, while Roberta went with the local pasta, called ciriole, with the same meat ragu. More heaven. I decided not to pass up a secondi, so I ordered the braciole. I was expecting the rolled and braised dish commonly served by Italian-Americans, but was disappointed when it turned out to be 2 rather thin pieces of broiled chianina. I finished ¾ of the dish before opting to allocate what little stomach space I had left towards dolce.
The dessert list was small, but everything sounded great. Cinzia, Elda, and I went with a panna cotta topped with frutti di bosco (wild berries). It was light, fruity, and the perfect ending to the meal. Cinzia was the only one who wanted wine, so what was left in her bottle of red was corked and made the trip back to Torre Orsina with us. (Apparently there are no open container laws in Italy.)
So, dinner for 5 at a restaurant that is routinely sold out and which has a menu that is 100% made in house and offers fresh truffles. Whatever you estimate that this would cost in the U.S. you can safely subtract 60%. Truffle appetizer: $6.99. Truffle crostini: $5.83. Meat board: $9.32. Truffle tortelloni: $16.32. Chianina tortelloni: $13.99. Panna cotta: $4.66. Bottle of good Italian red wine: $16.32. Tip (included): $11.66. The entire bill was only $171.34. Note that this is in dollars, not euros – very inexpensive for 5 people. We made reservations for the same party of five, same table, for 3 years from now when we hope to return to Torre Orsina.