Day 35 - Last nights dinner

We are just going to laze around today and not hit the highways so I'm just going to write about last nights dinner. A place you would never think of going into, it isn't in any guide books, unassuming from the outside and unassuming once you get inside. We tried to get into the AAA restaurant in town .. Darios' ... but only Friday was available and the sitting was so late we wouldn't have gotten home in time to pack our bags. We tried for lunch last Saturday and they were already full so we walked down the street and for the simple reason that we were all somewhat tired we settled in at Conca D'oro a little pizza place about five minutes walking from the tiny little central piazzo. Our lunch was lovely and we really enjoyed the owners so we asked them to cook us a meal for Thursday ... their choice ... of their favourite dishes. They did not disappoint. We arrived at about 7:30 and they were waiting for us although they were quite full with local customers which is always a good sign. But Roberto had set a place for us all and we settled in with some Spumonti and fresh orange juice. Lovely ... then the anti pasta dish came or at least I thought it was 'A' dish. She brought us two heaping platters of anti pasta with a very wide variety of meats and local vegetables and a number of little breads with good stuff on top. The chocolat bread with procuitto was a hit. Everything was delicious ... then a platter of gnochi .... pumkin and potato gnochi in a cream sauce with just a hint of mint. Nice touch. Very tasty and there was no need to beg anyone to take the final bits. This was followed by a Ragu pasta dish . home made of course ( my personal favourite if I had to choose only one ). Are you full yet ??? NO ... well how about a platter of porcetta. thinly slice and done in an orange sauce that melting in my mouth and nearly prompted a walk around the block to try to make room for the final dish ... a local favourite of beef cooked for five hours in the best of the best Chianti with lots and lots of pepper corns. This indeed was quite a platter of meat but I was so full I could only taste. We asked for a doggy bag at this point and I will get to taste again tonight. Finished the evening with some vin Santo to dip our cookies, a warm chocolat tort and some cheese cake. The wine ... a Chianti Classica Reserve ... five bottles will do. Lots of laughs, we made friends for life with the owners and their son Gabriel and 24 hours later we are still talking about it. Enjoy the pictures. We are heading to Nice tomorrow, a 5 hour drive and then flying to Paris on Sunday. The end is near but we will be coming back. Maybe in a few years since this is mucho expensive but we are coming back. I hope internet will be available but if not I'll catch everyone up while in Paris. I fly home on Thanksgiving monday and Lucy on Wednesday. It has been a trip of trips. Ciao.