Italian Restaurant Dining in Style
International Food & Wine Association Restaurant Choice- La Chiusa
Feb 11, 2009
In the tiny village of Montefollonico in Siena, an area abundant with olive groves and rolling countryside is the The International Food & Wine Association or IFTW’s chosen restaurant of the month.
About an hours drive south from Florence reveals the cosy restaurant of La Chiusa, with large windows gazing over the lovely countryside it’s a picture of relaxation. An impressive Italian welcome aroma of baking bread fills the place, closely followed by the chef-owner Dania Lucherini and Francesca, her daughter who offer traditional Tuscan gastronomy.
Olive oil and pasta abound on the menu but there’s also courgette flowers and pulse soups. Many of the ingredients for their dishes comes from the gardens of this old oil mill, whose produce abounds not only in the cuisine but in the flowers on the tables too.
La Chiusa is a Step Back in Time
La Chiusa is a step-back in time with glorious Tuscan antiques furnishing the restaurant creating an familiar feeling old-style decor that’s every bit as wholesome and true to their roots as the dishes they create.
The menu is designed to preserve the great peasant dishes of the area such as coniglio con olive e pignoli sautéed rabbit with olives and pine nuts.
A novelty of the restaurant is to roll and cut the pasta at the guests’ table, then its transferred to the kitchen and transformed into dishes like Pappardelle Dani a home-made ricotta or ravioli.
For fantastic food in a glorious part of Italy the scenic drive to Montefollonico will be as memorable as the meal , not to mention the glorious old mill and the more than ample wine list.
Here are some more samples from the wide-ranging menu that’s always on offer.
- Pigeon cooked in vin santo or courgette flowers with ricotta
- Fragrant lamb zucchini flower
- Antipasto with orange sauce
- Tagliatelle with black truffles
- Eggplant flan in tomato sauce
- Grilled porcini cap
- Ravioli with truffles from the local forests
- Duck breast roasted in fennel
to mention but a few, and then there’s breakfast with home-made breads, jams, yogurt and a variety of mouth-watering dishes.
La Chiusa has some beautiful large suites, terraces and gardens for the kids to roam in and all with those Italian views.
A touch of homely luxury, fine dining and total relaxation from the ITWA.
