I want to preface this blog with the following statement. I am not the sole author, Maggi has been a contributing author and editor for the whole trip. You are reading our words, not just mine.
Friday dawned icky, cold, windy and by mutual agreement it was decided a rest day was in order. We had knitting lessons, ate leftovers for lunch and really didn't venture out much until dinner, except to get something in addition to sugar for breakfast. We returned with real sliced bread, butter, yoghurt, milk, granola and a few pastries from the Sicilian bakery. Couldn't find eggs. That evening, after a required stop at the Bankomat for us both, we stumbled on a very small trattoria down what I call an alley and apparently Italians charmingly call a Vicolo, Trattoria dell'Orso. Orso translates to Bear.
This tiny restaurant had a menu on the door that spoke to both of us...Ommelette Formaggio, cheese omelet and even with mushrooms. We have been egg deprived (but if we found some, I have yet to be able to figure out how to turn on the stove, but back to the menu.) Thinking we could get something besides pasta, pizza and pane tipico, a euphemism for the worst bread ever, we ventured in, following a couple who looked like they knew where they were going. There were only 5 tables in the front room, 2 of which were occupied. We took one on the side wall and the entertainment began.
We immediately discovered there was no real menu, that what we saw was probably an all inclusive list of what they (2 men) might think of fixing at any time. That night we were offered a choice of 3 pastas and 3 meats, no omelet and further, over here it was an omelette (om-eh-let-tay). For you tonight we have pasta with zuchinni and artichoke, pasta with mushrooms and truffles, pasta with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, the meats are little pieces of lamb with artichokes, chicken cacciatore or guinea hen. Now let me back up, I'm slightly ahead of myself.
Remember, we followed a couple into the Trattoria. They were already seated by the time we came in. The proprietor was talking to them and we overheard them say they wanted the Rick Steves something. We immediately pegged them as Americani. We're really observant that way and had readily adopted the Italian past time of watching everyone and anyway, it was impossible not to overhear, remember - 5 tables. So the host continues with selection at their table first and low and behold he says guina and the American man blurts out pig? Of course at that point we're laughing hysterically and we can't help but intervene as we'd already had our wine apertivi at home, in other words we were primed. The whole night just started there.
After ordering our pasta, yes pasta again, we introduce ourselves and found they were a couple from Reno, Nevada taking what we're both pretty sure was a 21 day self guided tour either from Rick Steves or following a Rick Steves itinerary with no car, using buses and trains and their feet I suppose. They were in Orvieto overnight, had to be up and at local Orvieto bus area by 7:10am to the funicular to then catch another bus to go to Civita de Bagnoragio for a quick morning to again catch that bus back to Orvieto to catch the train to Sorrento that same afternoon. _(We came home and looked up Rick Steves tours and decided neither of us are Interested in pursuing that type of endeavor. ) We swapped stories and quickly realized we had the better deal. They had gotten caught in a train strike with what then became worthless tickets, she had planned for warmer weather and wanted a coat and clean clothes, everything was one day and catching some type of public transportation. She seemed ready to fold, he had apparently done a Rick Steves before and seemed to be completely enjoying himself. Maggi asked how long they had been together and she said they weren't together. She said, either seriously or humorously, we couldn't tell, they were just traveling companions at this point. She also volunteered that she had travel insurance that said if something happened to either of them, the other's travel would be full paid and that if we hear about a woman tourist in Sorrento meeting a tragic end she was charging us to come forward as witnesses to this conversation. Maggie said later that its more likely based on our observations that maybe he could meet a tragic end. Banter and laughing prevailed for the rest of the evening.
Back to the food. We weren't interested in multiple courses but they on the other hand apparently had expected something called the Rick Steves tasting menu. Now he didn't seem to care that that the host had misunderstood but she got out her book or itinerary and politely asked about it again and the host seemed to then understand. He then brought them both meat, sides, wine, dessert, etc. We just had dolce (dessert), what Ciro the host called a parfait pistachio. It was kinda like a small pistachio custard with sauce, delizioso. Before we left Ciro presented us with a digesitivo, our first from any place. As we left I commented to Maggi on walk back that I had read comments on TripAdvisor that the cost of the tasting menu wasn't €30 for both like people assumed based on Rick Steves book but €30 each and that if this was true those 2 were in for a shock when they got il conto ( the bill). It was late and we were tired so went right to bed.
Next day was Saturday and again the weather was non cooperating. Fog as thick as soup all day, 20mph winds and highs in 50s. Another "rest day". Maggi began her scarf in earnest, I worked on mine, trying to finish the cast-off of just under 1600 stitches and we turned heat up and caught up on things. We ventured out to the Sicilian bakery around 6:30, walked up and down Corso Cavour and ended up back at Trattoria dell'Orso for dinner again. We were the first diners and caught Ciro just setting up for dinner. As we sat and waited, the phone on back wall rang and Ciro answered and called his partner, Gabrielle to the phone. Again, this is a small room and we could overhear the whole conversation, and it was in English. It was a complaint call from, you guessed it, the Rick Steves people about the cost of the tasting menu. It's really funny that we were privy to the prior night's lack of communication about the menu, my comments when walking home about the surprise that couple might get and this night's complaint call. Gabrielle handled it well, agreed it was a misunderstanding and indicated that they would clarify future requests by asking if they wanted One Menu for Two or One Menu for each? Maggi and I both agreed it was billed as a tasting menu and would have been clear to us, but in a foreign environment clarification might be necessary. We are pretty sure the Nevada woman complained. The guy didn't seem to care and multiple times had told her to leave it alone.
Gabrielle (chef) came out to the floor and I said, Rick Steves complaint? We were here last night when the couple was here getting the tasting menu. He pointed up and said He performs the miracles, not me. What the F... did they think they were getting with all that food in perfect English. We just burst out laughing uncontrollably. Later that night when Ciro sat with us he said Gabrielle has spent 12 years in New Jersey before he came back and bought the place. Both spoke pretty good English. We went on to have another enjoyable night, Maggi having the same pasta with truffles but I had the little pieces of lamb with artichokes. Molto delizioso!!! The dolce was freshly made Tirimisu and we ended with another gratis digestivo, this time bay leaf. Ciro then provide the recipe for the digestivo. As we left, Gabrielle asked if we were returning tonight and Maggi said maybe. We would definitely be there if we knew the menu offerings were changing.
It's Easter Sunday as I write this and we observed a day of rest. We caught up on blogs, ate toasted fresh pecorino and tartufo sausage paninis for lunch with dolce being whatever was left from our Sicilian bakery purchases and enjoyed a nice glass of Orvieto Classico. We packed so we can leave the area tomorrow morning for Lucca and now are finishing the bottle of Orvieto Classico. Since we doubt a menu change at dell'Orso, we're off to John's Etruscan Well around the corner for our Easter, and last night in Orvieto dinner at 7:30. Arrivederci Orvieto. Ciao Lucca.
No comments:
Post a Comment