A church in Grottammare, a town of the Piceno orange tree, becomes a tavern where you can eat and drink like a god. Buatti soup included
In Grottammare there is a place where you can eat in a church. And the Sant’Agustino winery which, after centuries of inactivity, has come back to life thanks to a cultural association of various members, including the promoter Don Giorgio Carini, parish priest and architect. You think someone even criticized him, accusing him of having transformed a sacred place into a temple of pleasure, of being "someone who knows how to have fun". But isn't it perhaps the primary task of priests to keep the churches alive, to cheer people's hearts and make them feel good?
The church and the association of Sant'Agustino
The Cantina di Sant'Agustino was active as a convent until 1691. Then it was discharged and had other functions for years, until 12 years ago the cultural association Cantine di Sant'Agustino was born with the aim of recovering and reviving life. to some historical places in the area. The name derives from a fresco of 1500 which was found on a wall of the room, which together with two other churches in Grottammare, San Pio and Santa Lucia, is part of the same parish structure. In particular, it was Don Giorgio who conceived the project for the recovery of the premises, as well as being the promoter of the various activities including the kitchen. In fact, it was still a former refectory. So, initially, dinners were organized at the winery between founding members, to discuss how best to exploit a structure of this value; then over time the association started cooking also for the outside, it was enough to make the membership card. Since June 2019, exactly one year ago, it is no longer necessary to become members: the winery has officially opened to the public as a restaurant or, better, as a tavern, because just like in church here the intent continues to be that of a place where first of all we are comfortable, at peace and together. In addition to cooking, other activities also continue, such as playful Wednesdays with table games or after school for children. In short, all ways to keep such a sacred place alive.
The cellar kitchen
Today there are about ten members who manage the tavern: there is Simone, that after various experiences abroad from Berlin to Paris, he is in the kitchen, together with his dad Gigi who makes ice cream and Mrs. Candida, a cook from Pozzuoli who knows what she is doing about fish. "The Campania tradition for fish is the best", Simone admits. Then, there is Alexander in the room and so on, all united for the (good) cause of a tavern where everything and every person is in their place, the right one. The cuisine is first and foremost that of the territory, which is sacred to them, so there is both meat and vegetables, and fish (for those who do not know Grottammare is located overlooking the sea). In general, we try to respect the seasonality, both of the land and of the sea, using lesser known fish, mistakenly considered poor and little consumed. So in June and November there are always sea snails on the table, o Bombolotti, as they call them here, while at other times of the year there are anchovies, octopus soups; the exceptional are almost always present spaghetti with clams (with the delicious addition of zucchini in summer), mixed fried and roasted meat of the day. But be careful, because we are still in the realm of soup. And what a soup!
The brodetto alla sambenedettese
Those who live on the Adriatic are well aware that soup is a serious matter and that it can also vary a lot a few kilometers away. But in San Benedetto, where it is called "lu vrudètte", it has something more, because it is perhaps the most authentic and pungent version there is, certainly in terms of broths from the Marches. Here, in fact, the tomato sauce disappears, the quantity of White wine vinegar and add up green tomatoes and peppers, better if a little unripe: in this way the soup is presented in all its essence, not covered by any other flavor, but, indeed, tested by the acidity of the other ingredients. Needless to say, at the Cantina di Sant’Agustino they prepare it as god commands, with fish varying according to availability.
The buatti soup
Another of the noteworthy dishes is the buatti soup, which is traditionally traditionally prepared together with rice and at bibs. These are two white rock fish, very common in the Adriatic, especially in spring, from April to June. Believed to be poor fish, they are rarely used for various reasons, including the presence of many thorns and the alleged ugliness, so much so that often to make fun of themselves here they say "you look beautiful like a buatto!" In reality these fish have an exceptional taste, in particular in this traditional soup which at the Cantina offer it in their variant only with the buatto and with the quadrucci of water and flour instead of rice; the fish is cooked in a sauce of carrots, onion and celery, with the addition of water, oil, breadcrumbs, lemon, parsley, which continue to cook until the peel flakes and invades all the broth with its flavor. In short, everything is in this dish: the tradition of fishermen, the intimate flavor of a house by the sea, the delicacy of white fish and the skill of those who know how to cook it.
The Mel’Arancia, the Piceno blond orange (and the marinades)
Another symbol of their love for the territory is the association to which they belong, created to recover the Piceno blond orange, the Mel’Arancia, as it is called locally. The first certain news of the presence of these citrus fruits dates back to the 14th century, when they were introduced by the Sicilians. The orange, in fact, is part of the municipal coat of arms of Grottammare. Then over time they decreased to a few specimens, mainly for two reasons: the spread of cheap Sicilian and Calabrian oranges, and too many winter frosts that killed the oranges from Massignano to San Benedetto. So, today, thanks to them and a few others, the melaranci are returning to populate the Piceno coast, moreover without making any competition with the Sicilian or Calabrian ones. In fact, despite having been brought from Sicily, they are affected by the years spent in the Piceno where, due to less sun and less heat, they bear fruit more harsh, Appreciated by the food industry for the highest content of vitamin C compared to the sweeter ones in the south. Therefore, they are ideal for other flavors and preparations, such as le marinadeswhich are very common in local cuisine.
The passion for Scotland
Finally, another great passion of Don Giorgio, which also unites most of the members of the association, is love for Scotland, in particular for the world of whiskey. It will be difficult not to notice them, given that an entire wall is dedicated only to them and to all the most sought after spirits they have personally chosen over the years. But that of the conservation of drinks is an old story, which is already part of the tradition of the Cantina di Sant'Augustino, since just below the various whiskeys there is an ancient cellar where they brought wine, in an ex nevaia, while above there they are signs with the words "Long live Jesus", since most likely he would have nothing against such a sacred selection.
This is the story of the Cantina di Sant’Agustino, a partial presentation of its founders and a short story of its cuisine. But the Cantina di Sant’Agustino cannot be told: you have to live it, as it is a good and right thing.
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