Tag: Restaurants

Varvara, the brothers who sign the meat of the great restaurants – Italian Cuisine

From three Michelin stars to trendy trattorias, the meat comes from a small shop in Altamura. The name Varvara appears in the most prestigious menus: we went to visit them, where everything comes from

Varvara. A name that is increasingly found written on the menus of the most important restaurants. It is not a cattle breed, a place or a farming method, but the surname of a family of butchers that gives Altamura has conquered Italy. From 1852 the Varvara, originally from Gravina, began their historic adventure in the world of butchery, making friends with the farmers of the surrounding farms and selling their prized meats with a cart in the markets of the area. Today with a van, the "meat brothers" sons of Antonio (Michele, Vincenzo and Alessandro) Varvara reach the most renowned restaurants in Italy: from the three Michelin stars Piazza Duomo in Alba to Enrico Bartolini at Mudec, up to trattorias such as Trippa they use their meat.

Since 1950 in Altamura

It was the year 1950: the great-grandfather decided to move to Altamura, for the love of Nicoletta and with her he will open the first shop. Michele's words make us relive bygone times when in that butcher's shop his father Antonio, still a boy, stood up on a stool to reach the counter and learn the trade. The shop has always been their home, he grew up there, he was suckled by his mother behind the butcher's counter, together with his brothers, on the same stool as his father. For five generations the Varvara have handed down the knowledge, they still continue to make every step of the production starting from the selection of the garments, to get to the section of the various cuts and the respective sale. «We do everything, Michele says, «the countryside is the locomotive, it is our land that will make the difference. For them, both the philosophy of animal husbandry and care and the importance and specificity of their land, Altamura, Puglia and nearby Basilicata, where their livestock is raised, remain fundamental.

The old cow doesn't just make good broth

He tells us about the old cow, that once the period in which it can give milk is over, it is reared and left to graze for another 2 years, grazing happily, completing its life cycle and giving particularly valuable meats, because "the breed is not important, it is important is the care and life we give to these cows, whether they are podolic, friesian, spotted or alpine brown… . The Lucanian dolomitic lamb from the Basilicata farms where they are served live grazing, moving and feeding on local herbs. All these details give the meat unrepeatable flavors.

The mad cow and the change of pace

Unfortunately, things do not always go as they should go and in the 90s the mad cow, the opening of supermarkets and the first shopping centers complicate things, putting their butcher's shop in crisis. Michele graduated in engineering, moved to Trentino, but thought of the effort and sacrifices that his people make in the shop. Thus began to take shape the idea of bringing their products to tables all over Italy, collaborating with great chefs. He returns home and his parents take him for mad, but it is thanks to his madness and his entrepreneurial ideas that the Varvara will begin their escalation.

Chefs discover Varvara

The turning point takes place thanks to Possible lunch 2016 event organized in Borgo Egnazia in which many famous chefs participated. Among these Domingo Schingaro, of the starred restaurant Due Camini, landlord who had already had the opportunity to try their meat. There is also Enrico Crippa who recognizes the value of their products and begins serving them in Piazza Duomo in Alba, three Michelin stars. "At the beginning it was not easy, chef Crippa was very fussy, but it is also thanks to him that we have learned and improved, and made our products perfect for haute cuisine". Becoming a supplier of renowned restaurants has sparked a real word of mouth effect: "The phone started ringing and orders increased." Today the best chefs in Italy want their meat. The secret? The first is the sacrifice, the difficulty and the constant commitment to always be at the height, maintaining their centuries-old tradition (Michele has not been on vacation for 5 years). The second is the importance of those with bent backs who continue to work by raising livestock in an ethical and sustainable manner.

Today what can be found in the shop

In the Altamura shop hanging on the walls there are orders and destinations: Loreto, Milan, Rome, Alba, Luxembourg… a departure every day. But the counter is empty. The meat is in the cell, no product is kept on display. Here it is not bought with the eyes, the meat is not kept "beautiful to look at", but selected to be good to eat. On request, it is freshly prepared, even if 10% of the total is sold in the shop. Beef, lamb, sausage, but also wonderful chickens, strictly sold whole at € 12 per kg; but of first quality. In the window, on the other hand, the very small production of cured meats and sausages that can only be found in the shop.

Altamura: bread, lentils and dinosaurs

For those wishing to take a tour of their town, they can also enjoy two other typical products of Altamura: PDO bread and PGI lentils. Furthermore, once you have done your shopping, you can visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. For archeology lovers there is a museum dedicated to homo neanderthalensis, found in the area, and you can go and see the footprints of dinosaurs in the Cava Pontrelli. Moving a little, there is Matera.

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By Marco K. Bovio and Margo Schachter

the best restaurants and clubs – Italian Cuisine

The definitive guide to eating in the Monti district in Rome. From a typical trattoria to an ethnic restaurant, passing through a signature cocktail.

The ancient suburb, now revalued and has become one of the most genuine and pleasant neighborhoods for a Roman holiday evening: the Monti district. If in Roman times, in fact, men were lost in the alleys in search of carnal pleasure, today the streets are crowded more than anything else with boys and girls eager for a fun evening, good food, good wine and well-executed cocktails. The advice is to go there from aperitif time onwards, when the area comes alive with the heterogeneous nightlife that frequents it: Romans, university students and tourists who all find themselves in the same place, walking through the alleys or sipping a beer or a drink in one of the picturesque squares. The most beautiful: that of the Madonna dei Monti with its fountain.

Street food

As the name implies, at the basis of the proposal for Aunt Rosetta, there are the famous sandwiches with the button on top (the "cicciolo" as they say in Rome), stuffed in dozens of ways. The names are funny, since to exorcise pandemic anxiety many sandwiches have been renamed with eloquent names, such as Green Pass, Stable Affection, White Zone and so on. The advice is to take more mini-rosettes (at 3/4 euros each) to taste the various flavors. If after the rosette you also want to treat yourself to a dessert, pass two windows farther from Raw and you will come out satisfied, without even too much guilt. These are confectionery, chocolate and ice cream, raw food and vegan. Here we do not use flour, eggs, milk and derivatives or refined sugars: the right place even for those with intolerance problems.

Restaurants and wine bars

If Monti has a flaw, it is that it is not the right place to find a good Roman trattoria than it used to be. Give up for an evening to carbonare and amatriciane and try to rely on the card of Chef and Shirt, a delightful little restaurant hidden, but not too much. It deserves the mention too Barrique, from whose name it is evident that we are talking about a wine shop with a kitchen. Here you eat and drink well, with a menu that follows the seasons and takes its cue from tradition, without following it slavishly. Mariolina instead, it is a halfway address, because you can order a takeaway or stop for a slightly longer stop in a small but well-kept place. The workhorses are two: ravioli and meatballs. Then there is more, but how do you say no to a ravioli with cheese and pepper with crispy bacon?

Ethnic restaurants and fast food

Hasekura is one of the historical Japanese of Rome, specializing in excellent quality sushi. There are those who consider it the best in Rome, but there is no shortage of worthy competitors in other areas of the city, not to mention the recent landing of the Japanese-Brazilians, including the very close Temakinho, landed in Rome from Milan and immediately much appreciated by the public. Always Japanese-inspired, but focused on okonomiyaki and onigiri instead Maido, a recent opening that winks at manga fans and nostalgics of Japanese cartoons. The references to Marrabio, Hello Spank and other cartoons that made the children of the eighties happy are scattered throughout the restaurant and the evening can only end with the dorayaki that Doraemon likes so much. The format of I love Pokè, which has already depopulated in Milan and has landed in Rome starting from Monti with his poké to compose according to your tastes.

Cocktail bar and speakeasy

Being a nightlife area, you could not miss the cocktail bars where you can taste a good drink. In fact, there are plenty of bars, but don't stop at the first tavern. Sacripante it is an art gallery lent to good drinking, as well as a gem not to be missed. Otherwise, you have to get away from the crowded streets a bit, to find true champions. It is the case of Drink Kong, which is technically in Piazza San Martino ai Monti, so we are still in the heart of the neighborhood. To animate this place, Patrick Pistolesi and his team of champions. At number 45 of the World Fifty Best Bars, in addition to the best mixed drinks in the city, you can also taste accompanying dishes that blend flavors and aromas from various parts of the world.

Milan: 6 restaurants to go with the dog – Italian Cuisine

Six addresses in Milan to enjoy a dish … and a bowl for your dog on the go

By law a dog should always be able to enter a restaurant, provided that it is equipped with leash and muzzle and stay away from food and food preparation areas. However, there are some places that do not like the presence of our 4-legged friends very much (in this case they should report it with a sign) and others, instead where Fido is welcome and where the managers also care about the reception of dogs. , providing for example bowls for water as needed.

If you are used to always taking your dog with you and are thinking of one Breakfast, a brunch, a lunch, a aperitif or one dinner out to Milan, there 6 addresses to be sure that your pet will also be able to enter.

Cascina Corba

In via Gigli 14, it is a restaurant that is located in one 1600 farmhouse surrounded by greenery of which he has kept the exposed bricks, the fireplace and the rustic furnishings. You can also stay outdoors, under a pergola overlooking the garden. Ideal for those who want to isolate themselves from the hustle and bustle of the city without leaving their pet at home. Here dogs can enter and, indeed, are welcome. When you book, it's fine report the size of the animal so that the most comfortable table can be reserved. Available for dogs there are bowls for water and on request the kitchen can also prepare some "Snacks" for 4-legged friends. The menu for "humans", both à la carte and tasting, ranges instead from meat to fish, which can be paired with a wide selection of wines.

A place in Milan

Inside Cascina Cuccagna (Porta Romana), is a bar and restaurant open from 9 to 22. The bar offers focaccia, pizzas, michette and dishes paired with wines, beers, cocktails; at the restaurant, on the other hand, the lunch menu changes every day, while at dinner and on weekends the à la carte proposals are by chef Nicola Cavallaro. The ingredients are fresh and a "Real kilometer" between artisan production and respect for the environment. Dogs are welcome and on request they are available for them bowls for water in compostable material.

Municipal Zoo

A bit of a restaurant, a bit of a wine bar, with also a social table to work in smart working: the day at the Municipal Zoo of Porta Venezia begins with breakfast (including coffee, juices, centrifuges, croissants and cakes of the day), continues with lunch between bowls (here renamed zoowls) and burger, to finish with an aperitif and dinner. The weekend menu also includes appetizers, first courses, main courses and desserts. Dogs can enter.

Out of the way OTBP

Snack, aperitif, dinner or brunch with the dog? An address to try is Fuorimano (Bicocca area): it is a gourmet pizzeria, burger bar, but also cocktail bar (with drinks to be enjoyed by the pool in the summer), tea, pastry, bookshop and literary café where you can sit among plants, sofas and shelves of books. You can choose from a long list of burger (such as the Hero with Chianina, Ariccia porchetta, eggs or the Lifestyle with veggy burger, confit cherry tomatoes, crunchy onion) and pizzas made with mother yeast and stone ground wholemeal flours. On the weekend there is a brunch menu for all tastes and needs: continental, American, baby, veggy, gluten free. Dogs are welcome and there are also "resident cats".

Santeria Paladini

Yes we can (e): dogs are welcome at Santeria Paladini 8. Bar and restaurant, offers from lunch to aperitif burgers, pizza, salads, desserts, with vegetarian and vegan options too. And on the weekend there is also the brunch. As well as in the dining room, in the summer you can sit in the beautiful courtyard. La Santeria is also a co-working space, record store and bookshop, and hosts numerous events from exhibitions to concerts.

Abrupt Grass

A restaurant with vegetable garden on the Pavese canal: at Erba Brusca the weekly menu consists of fresh and seasonal raw materials fromfarm following natural farming techniques. They range, for example, from the heart terrine, salad, horseradish, chutney to whipped buffalo ricotta, cherry sorbet, corn and almond crumble, thyme passing through risotto with kale, chilli and fennel, black garlic. Dogs are welcomed without problems.