Why Bologna is called La Grassa
Friends call me for a restaurant suggestion, text me for a quick recipe or, politely, invite themselves over to indulge in some of my flamboyant dishes. They are well aware that food is my obsession so they fill me up with any foodie-related info. On one foggy December evening, over a glass of red wine and a scrumptious pizza, my perennial lawyer friend suggested a visit to Bologna — ‘you would love every minute of it’, she exclaimed. She was so thoroughly right!
As soon as we took off from gusty Malta and roller coasted towards the leaden sky, we were rummaging through the endless restaurant recommendations we collated. Chris, my Eatmania supporter and husband-to-be, put the hammer down on All’Osteria Bottega — venue for our first dinner. Alas, after a lengthy walk amidst the red medieval arch-ways of Bologna we discovered that the Osteria was fully booked throughout the whole weekend. Booking ahead is a must.
In Bologna you are swallowed up with food, thus, finding a restaurant is not an issue. Our next in line was Da Gianni A La Vècia Bulàgna. Tucked away in a tiny alley in Via Clavature this spouses-run restaurant is a cosy, antiquely decorated den where you can savour traditional Bolognese dishes. We started off with a mixed platter consisting of: crostini with lard slices, fried polenta slices with squacquerone cheese, mortadella mousse, chicken and mortadella galantine. To help our digestion we ordered a bottle of persistent and robust San Giovese.
For the primo Chris opted for the potato gnocchi with ragù Bolognese and for me, gramigna with ragù di salsiccia. The gnocchi were soft and delicate accompanied by a meaty tomato sauce. The bi-coloured gramigna, which are short curved home-made pasta curls, were served with a rich red sauce with sausage meat.
By now our stomachs were crowded, yet as the mains got to our front we forked gracefully through the smooth potato puree and fresh cotechino until the plates remained with only a few green droplets of the accompanying salsa verde. Finally the desserts! I chose the pinkish zuppa inglese: a sponge cake layered with zabaione cream and fondant chocolate. Chris picked the orgasmic tortino al cioccolato which was decorated with a dense forest fruit sauce. To digest we had a long shot of their typical digestive liqueur — Amaro Montenegro.
Our awakening on Saturday morning was hindered by our tyre-like stomachs still jam packed by Gianni’s providence. Thankfully it was cold and we could easily hide our stomachs underneath our thick jackets. After a tiny breakfast we headed to the capital of engines — Modena. This ancient town, famous for its production of balsamic vinegar, is home to a Unesco World Heritage marked cathedral. As we walked through the shady streets we were mesmerized by the numerous enotecas and cafés around. No matter where you look your eyes will rest on some appended cured whole leg of ham or some round chunky wheel of parmesan cheese. Showcases displayed an array of balsamic vinegar bottles worth hundreds of Euros — the more mature the vinegar the highest the price and the sweetest the taste.
As we approached via Albanella we made it through the open Sesame door to discover a heavenly food market selling every artichoke species, any type of radicchio, a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, meats, fish, cheeses, plants, bread, legumes… anything you might require to prepare a hearty Italian meal!
We heard that close to the Albanella market there is this homely trattoria which is the place to savour traditional Emilia Romagna dishes. At Trattoria Aldina there are no frills, no décor, and no particular style. It is just like being invited over to your mum’s aunt house situated in the centre of the village. You go through a normal house door, up the stairs to this medium-sized poorly lit hall and pray that you find a free table.
Luckily we were the first on the waiting list. After us 30 more covers asked for a table. Once we were seated this sweet motherly lady read the menu to us and we chose from a selection of primi and secondi. Chris had tortellini in broth — plain, warm and succulent. I chose the cappellaci di zucca with butter and sage — sweet pumpkin-filled pasta. We kept with the traditional dishes and continued our meal with a bollito misto with green salsa and the juiciest, most tender pork shank I ever dipped my fork into. To conclude we had home-made desserts: Chris had a crunchy ciambella with jam and for me a moist chocolate cake. All this together with a bottle of Lambrusco and a large bottle of water for an easy €40!
The purpose of our trip to Bologna was a culinary dive into the Emilia Romagna traditions. If you intend to plan a similar trip include a visit to Ferrara which is also a culinary stop. Eat at the historical osteria which goes back to the Renaissance — Al Brindisi. You will be enchanted by the walls of wine bottles which encircle you. As you decide for your wine crunch on some typical Ferrarese bread, and if you want to keep to tradition indulge in the pasticcio di maccheroni alla ferrarese, salama da sugo and a pampapato for dessert.
You might also want to try:
La Baita Formaggi, Via Pescherie Vecchie 3/a — Bologna — for salumi, cheeses and pasta ripiena. During lunch time they also prepare platters.
Tamburini Antica Salsamenteria Bolognese & VeloCibo (Bistrot), via Caprarie,1 — Bologna — the VeloCibo for the evening aperitivo or the quick lunch and the salumeria for a selection of cheeses, cured meats and pasta.
La Sorbetteria Castiglione, via Castiglione 44 — Bologna — original ice-cream recipes using typical Italian ingredients like Sicilian pistachios, hazelnuts from Piemonte.
