This meal was different. Courtney and I stopped for lunch between prosecco wine tours in Valdobbiadene. Since most of the country is closed during August, we asked Mr. Bortolin from Ca' Salina for a local suggestion.
Drive north 500 meters, make a left, then a right and another right up a thin driveway. "You'll find dalla Marianna," he said while holding his clasped hand to his mouth insinuating it was tasty. Courtney and I looked at each other thinking, "You got that?" We did our best to followthe directions and pulled up to a brick building with red shutters and white awnings. For such a quiet town, the parking lot was busy... really busy.
An older women sat us at a center table and began serving other guests. A family of six in one corner, a couple in another, a single gentleman with a full bottle of wine on the right, four senior citizens to our left, and this women was taking care of all tables by herself. Dalla Marianna is a family-owned restaurant operated by her and her husband only. He entered the dining room from time to time to cut pieces of meat from a lamb leg that sat on a table near the entrance.
We ordered pumpkin risotto, pasta with porcini mushrooms and meat sauce, and prosecco of course. Pumpkin is big in northern Italy. I've seen it on a few menus, but have yet to order it.
The wait felt like years as we watched the tables around us receive their food, one by one. With just one chef, it's understandable this would be a relaxing meal. It was well worth the wait. The food was light, but rich. Homemade pasta, perfectly prepared fresh ingredients and delicately spiced, creamy pumpkin. It was amazing. We shared both dishes. We were full half way through the meal, but forced down every last bite as if we would never find food so good again.
It's safe to say, this was one of the best meals of my life.
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