We finally made it to our B&B after dark and we were more than ready for a hot meal and a good night’s sleep. After checking in, we made our way up the cliff and into town in search for a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves. We finally found it only to be disappointed that it was not open. Therefore, we started walking the main street through town trying to find a place to stop. Carson finally noticed a sign that pointed us down an alley towards the sound of clanking silverware and laughter. So we stopped in, only to find George and Connie at one of the four tables inside. The host/server/owner insisted that we sit with George and Connie for our meal. This turned out to be a lot of fun!
Aside from the conversation, the food and wine were also very enjoyable. Carson had a plate of meatballs, I enjoyed another delectable bowl of gnochi (I have got to learn how to make this stuff!), and we shared a liter of the house red. Part way through dinner, a woman came in and our host shut the front door. We didn’t really think anything of it until a bit later when another couple inquired if the restaurant was open and they were turned away! Apparently, we later learned, the woman that came in was our host’s girlfriend and they decided to close when she showed up so they could dine together. At this point, the only people in this small restuarant were George & Connie, Carson & myself, and our host, his girlfriend and his mother.
This fun night came to a boisterous ending about two hours after it started when we signalled the host that we were ready for our checks and he came to our table and asked if we were ready for more wine 🙂 (he was as tipsy as the rest of us)
The following day started with a simple, yet delicious, breakfast at the B&B that consisted of cereal with yogurt (instead of milk), toast with an assortment of mystery jellies, and more orange juice that is really red and does not taste like oranges. This was one of our best continental breakfasts of the trip.
After breakfast, we climbed in the car and started our day of exploring the Tuscany hill towns. By the time we were ready for lunch, we had meandered our way to Trattoria Latte di Luna in Pienza. Here we split one of the best bruschettas of the trip! The freshly diced tomatoes on a bed of sea salt drizzled with smooth olive oil all culminated for a to-die-for bruschetta. After our starter, we both enjoyed homeade pastas with marinara sauce.
After lunch, we finished our tour of Tuscany and made our way back to Orvieto and cleaned up for a fancy, birthday dinner. I found a resaurant in our Rick Steve’s guide that sound increadable so we descided to give it a try. Once again, we arrived at the restaurant, only to discover that it was not open. No worries yet, it was still a bit before seven, so we descided to walk around town and give the place a chance to open. By 7:15 it still did not look open so we descided to go in and ask if they were open. Ah Ha! Yes, it was open! So we accepted a table and ordered some wine. After a few minutes, the waiter came back around and informed us what our options were (they did not have menus) and we each asked if we could have a sampling of everything he had described (he described only two meals). This turned out to be a great decission! Our meal consisted of a crape filled with fried onion, mushrooms, and light sauce and fettucine with truffles and other mushrooms. Both were very delicate and savory; well worth the wait! If we ever make it back to Italy, this place is on my list!
The next day started with another breakfast of cereal and toast at the B&B and another hike up the cliff. Lunch consisted of a couple of salads at the internet cafe in Orvieto. Carson ordered a cold seafood salad and I had a warm penne salad with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, nothing too exciting.
By the time that we finished lunch, we finally realized that we hadn’t had any gelato since we arrived in Orvieto! We could not leave with out at lease one taste. So I had a cone of berry and Carson mixed it up a bit by ordering one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of pistachio.
Our stomachs are going to miss Tuscany!