Erba Luna

[hathor]

It seems as though the restaurant fairy, or in our case, the restaurant diavolo has paid us a visit. While being entertained by Busboy’s prescient thread about fantasy restaurants, I read it with the sweaty palm knowledge that we had been handed a remarkable opportunity.

Here is the Cliff Notes version of our saga.

Once upon time, there were 2 bars in the piazza of Montone, and we spent a good amount of time at Erba Luna Bar/Ristorante. We became friends with the owners, Claudio and Martina. Last fall they lost the lease on their space (now that is a very shortened version of the story!!). This spring, the commune, our local governing body, found Claudio a new space for the restaurant; and Claudio and Martina asked Jeff and I to become partners with them in this new venture.

It is literally a hole in the wall. It is a space that has existed since the early 15th century, and is a long, arched ceiling cavern. It was probably used to hide some of the riches of the Fortebraccio family from the Popes, it has been a stable, a community root cellar and chicken coop, a bomb shelter during WWII, and now it’s ours. We started cleaning and restoring in mid-May, and we are hoping to open in the next few weeks. By anyone’s standards this is fast, but here in Italy, it’s nothing short of a ‘miracolo’.

There will be an outdoor garden, a bar, 2 dining rooms, an upstairs lounge, and our cucina. The drawback is that it is all ‘railroad’ style, so the trek from garden to kitchen will be a long one! The ceilings must be at least 35 feet high, and even though the windows are high and small (think medieval dungeon) there is a surprising amount of light.

Oh, the food? Yes, it will be Italian! Claudio is Roman, Martina is French/Umbrian, I’ve studied the regional foods of Italy, and so it will be pan-fusion-Italian-Slow Food style. We’re trying to grow most of our vegetables, although the orto has been somewhat neglected this year, by next year, it should be providing quite a bit of our vegetables. Here we do battle with the porcupines, hedgehogs and cinghiale (wild boar) trying to keep them out of the garden. Seems hedgehogs just love melons. Who knew?? And if a cinghiale goes through, it looks like a backhoe has decimated the garden.

We hold meetings in the piazza because it’s more convenient for everyone. It sort of like working in a giant living room, with all of your friends, family and strangers pausing to give you some input. Giving your opinion is an essential requirement for all Italians. It’s just a part of the national DNA. It also makes for very lively conversations.

How is our Italian? We refer to it as the carousel. You’re riding along, up and down, lulled into easy comprehension, when all of sudden you get pitched off the carousel, and have to run like mad to jump back on. On one hand, it’s incredibly frustrating; on the other hand, everything gets parsed down into what is truly necessary. When all else fails, I consult with Celina. She’s 10 and very patient with her grammar lessons.

Just to give you an idea of what we are working with, and how far we have come. Here is the kitchen on May 14, and the same area of the kitchen with the tiling crew on July 4.

Here is the dining room in May, and again on July 5.

The partially completed stairway to the lounge (kitchen entrance on the left, bathroom entrance on the right). We are working with a generator and some lamps, so the lighting makes for some strange colors.

All in all, I think we’ve embarked on yet another Great Adventure.

Please send some positive energy our way!!

[Kevin72]

Wow, congratulations! Now I really need to get to Umbria!

So, do you expect much flak from the locals for your cooking choices?

[Pontormo]

Sforza, Judith! We'll all be there!

The space looks amazing and the idea of a garden supplying your kitchen, idyllic. I imagine the sheep you introduced in your blog will be supplying a lot of ricotta, too.

Do you know how your restaurant was named?

[Busboy]

As your menu comes together, may I suggest a house specialty? Cinghiale ragout, served with house-made pasta.

Good luck!

[Shaya]

Hathor this is an amazing tale. I hope the real-life version brings you much joy and excitement. You can count on us being there on our next trip to that wonderful country.

[Chufi]

Judith, the space looks beautiful. I can't wait to see it.

Good luck on this marvelous adventure. And remember.. , in between chasing the hedgehogs, tiling the walls, cleaning the kitchen, making the menus, and cooking...don't forget to breathe!

lots of positive energy coming your way!

I think you should have a special trainee- opening for eGulleters, we could all come and take turns in working for you in the kitchen

Edited July 11, 2007 by Chufi (log)

[hathor]

Judith, the space looks beautiful. I can't wait to see it.

Good luck on this marvelous adventure. And remember.. , in between chasing the hedgehogs, tiling the walls, cleaning the kitchen, making the menus, and cooking...don't forget to breathe!

lots of positive energy coming your way!

I think you should have a special trainee- opening for eGulleters, we could all come and take turns in working for you in the kitchen 

←

No problem! eGulleters are always welcome! I'm ok with breathing, but Martina can talk for about 4 minutes in machine gun fire Italian without stopping to breathe. She's...excitable, but has truly awesome lung power!

[divina]

go Mamma!!!

[hathor]

Busboy, no worried in the cinghiale department. Come fall, this idyllic countryside sounds like a war zone. You almost get used to the sound of gunfire, and not being able to take walks in the woods.

Pontormo, I don't know how the restaurant got its name. But, when I was researching the name, there was some weird coincidences. The animal symbol for the Erba Luna is the wolf. Claudio and Martina have a dog that is part wolf. He was wild and abused and they took Balto in. He fiercely protects the family, but everyone else has to be really careful around him. There is some connection between the Erba Luna and the goddess Hathor (now that gave me the willies!).

The celebration of the Erba Luna is August 13, and my birthday is Aug 16, Martina's is Aug 14...so we're close. And the traditional representation of the Erba Luna is a trinity of a young girl (Celina), a mother (Martina)..and an old crone (me!!).

It's also the name of a plant that we used to call a Chinese money tree (those circular, translucent seed pods), and although it's not native to the area, its growing wild at Corlo, Claudio & Martina's little place in the compagna.

[hathor]

Here's the construction update.

This is how the entrance looked on May 7.

And on July 7, with a temporary door.

And today! I think that's some pretty impressive progress!

Believe it or not...the dining room on May 7

And the cleaned up walls, today

There was some niche work going on, way up high!

And finally, a view from the kitchen window. The sky has been this blue, blue, blue for the past couple of days, and there are some gorgeous old larch trees right outside.

No glass in the windows yet!

[tupac17616]

Having seen it first-hand, I definitely have to agree with the others who have already noted that it will be a great space. The vaulted brick ceilings, the little devils illuminated in the niche, the upstairs lounge, it really all seemed to work very well together, even though I was only able to see it in the initial stages. If the timing works out right, I may just have to swing back by Montone later on in this trip to try it out!

[SWISS_CHEF]

Hi Judith,

Brava, Brava, Brava!! Wow what a great experience! We will have to come down now! Let me know when you start featuring guest chefs. By the looks of things and the speed that you are getting the work done, your muratore must actually show up! I have heard rumers this can happen but I have never witnessed it!

Tante auguri!

Ed

PS: Im sending along some wild boar recipes: http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/Recipe.htm

[hathor]

Hi Judith,

Brava, Brava, Brava!! Wow what a great experience! We will have to come down now! Let me know when you start featuring guest chefs. By the looks of things and the speed that you are getting the work done, your muratore must actually show up! I have heard rumers this can happen but I have never witnessed it! 

Tante auguri!

Ed

PS: Im sending along some wild boar recipes: http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/Recipe.htm

←

Thanks Ed and Divina!! Your support means a lot.

And keep those cinghiale recipes coming...lord knows we will have a lot of it, soon enough!

We've had no internet since Sunday, our town 'technico' said its because its too hot. Sometimes its too windy. sometimes it's just Tuesday. Will we ever have reliable internet???

I had an 'uh-oh' moment today at the work site. There were crews putting the glass in the window fframes, another crew working on installing this huge fire proof door, some guys outside working on the walls, we were hauling up planters....and the place is starting to look incredible. And the uh-oh moment came when you really truly realize that what you have been planning and visualizing is actually gonna happen. It's an 'important' space and I hope we can all do it justice.

Photos tomorrow....today ....I'm melting!!

[SWISS_CHEF]

Have had no more than 33k all week. I think it is the zanzari, they bite everything!

BTW Judith, I was wondering how you are going to heat this space? 35 ft ceilings are going to be hard on the wallet, no? Congrats on the uh-oh moment...I love it when that happens. I had a dream last night I opened a restaurant with a neighbor I buy wine from, he has a castle..... I wish you hadn't started all this!

Suddenly, I hate my jobs and all I want to do is cook!

Edited July 17, 2007 by SWISS_CHEF (log)

[hathor]

I'll let you know about the heating....I'm not overly worried because we are inside very thick walls, which act both to cool and to keep warm, and we certainly won't be losing too much heat to windows!

It's sort of like living inside a rock...our house is the same way..takes at least 3 days to heat up from stone cold and then not much heat is needed.

Yesterday's drama was the big fire door...which is rectangle normal door shape, and the arched entry that it needs to fit into. I left with 5 Italians and 1 boy from Brooklyn, each giving 10 opinions....I figured that eventually they would work it out.

[Eden]

really that was the best thing you could have done!

What a beautiful space. Congratulations & tante belle cose!

[docsconz]

Wow, what a project, Judith. I am very excited for you! Can you share details on the kitchen plans? What equipment do you plan on having and using? Would also be interested in a little more menu detail when you are able. Buona fortuna!

[markabauman]

Tanti auguri!

Where exactly in Umbria is it located?

[Pontormo]

Tanti auguri!

Where exactly in Umbria is it located?

←

Mark, since Hathor is tossing and turning while trying to figure out what to do about the fire door, I'd like to draw your attention to the signature line of her posts. Click on the line that links you to her Umbrian food blog at eGullet. Her very first post provides a map as well as the name of the (heretofore) obscure little town (poised not only on a hill but on the brink of culinary acclaim). Edited July 19, 2007 by Pontormo (log)

[markabauman]

Grazie, Pontormo!

[hathor]

Hi guys! Glad to see you are all chatting amongst yourselves! If I could, I'd hand around some freezing cold Proceco!

It's been hot, hot, hot, hot, hot here. And when it's hot, the internet only works sometimes. Don't ask me why....I have no idea, but the town 'technico', who is in charge of keeping our town online, says this with a straight face.

The fire door drama was solved rather elegantly by Ovidio, the construction boss. He was even able to maintain the arch. We now have a narrower opening, but it's built to code.

We passed a legal milestone the other day with the signing of some papers. This is the second time that we've been to the notiao (notary) and it is ....uhm.....remarkable. She has a legal set of documents and her job is to read them to you out loud. Over the years, she has apparently perfected the art of speed speaking without breathing. Lovely lady, but I would never challenge her to underwater swimming contest, the woman doesn't even need to breathe!

We celebrated by popping our first cork on the terrace. Not Proseco, but in honor of our Madame Presidente Martina, who is half French, we drank real champagne. It's also a family tradition to make sure the cork flies as high as possible, and you get extra points if you catch it. Jeff caught the cork and we all thought that was a good sign.

The interior work is mostly complete. You can see the fan in the back drying the paint on the bathroom wall. I can't take any 'pretty' photos of the dining room right now because its full of kitchen stuff waiting to be installed.

We're hoping to get the kitchen installed later this week. We are taking the equipment from the old Erba Luna kitchen, and once we make some $$ or euros, I've got a short list of things I want. Like an abbattatore (sp??), it's a super fast chiller-freezer and very common in Italian restaurant kitchens. It really comes in handy for batch pasta making, and for desserts...and for lots of things. Right about now, I'd like to put my head in one. I've got to get me a Bimby! It's the Thermomix blender, but for some reason, in Italy, it's sold as a Bimby. I don't care if it has a silly name, I still want one.

The guys built a small retaining wall on Friday, and on Saturday (after we women made comments that their wall looked like a pet cemetary) they went out and planted some herbs. It won't look like much this year, but the way that things grown around here, by next year, it should look pretty nice.

Today's excitement was all about getting the gas line hooked up. We have to run it from the church across the street (why...I don't know....there is a full set of apartment buildings on our side of the street, but the gas technico wants us to run it from the church's hook up.) When I left this afternoon, the stone cutter machine was giving them headaches.

And to answer a few questions:

Umbria is dead center in the middle of Italy. We are one of the few regions that has no coastlne. But, we make up for it with ruggedly beautiful hills, clean air, and lots of porcini, and truffles! We are a sort of step sister to Tuscany, and that's just fine.

The menu is under development. Obviously that's an understatement. It's a delicate balancing act cooking for Italians. They have such strong roots in their traditions that you must tread lightly on innovation. Sergio, one of our friends and neighbors, is well traveled and sophisticated; he lives in Rome, but spends weekends in Montone. Actually, we have a lot of Roman friends who do that, and a few Milanese; but the Romans have been stopping in the area for many, many centuries as they would head north and away from the southern Italian summer heat. But, I digress...I must be going more native than I realize. But here is Sergio's list of things he would like to see at the restaurant:

a) none of that nouvelle stuff

b) local foods, simply prepared

c) nothing too expensive

d) nothing that takes too long to prepare

Now, I have to nod my head and listen carefully, but I'm thinking....he wants a trattoria. We haven't worked this hard to be the local trattoria. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I think we can expand our horizons!

That's a local perspective.

We also have a sizeable expat population: lots of British, fair number of Scotts, surprising number of Australians, and enough Americans to keep us supplied with back issues of the New Yorker magazine, but not enough that you feel as if you still live in NY. Now, they have a more 'international' palate and will expect more creativity in the food. Oh, and Sergio was complimenting us bringing an international atmosphere to the restaurant, at the same time he was expecting a trattoria. 'tis a fine line.

Summer time is the busiest season, and then we have mostly southern Italian tourists, and from what Martina says, they are straight up looking for the trattoria experience, and she feels its not worth catering to that market. Not to be too caught up in stereotypes, but I see her point.

Our impression of the "old" Erba Luna was that they were creative with their dishes, but fully respected tradition, so I think we will continue that for now. So there will be taglietelle with porcini, but also a 5 nut pesto that is fantastic. I can give more menu updates later on, as we get the kitchen installed and test out some of the ideas that have been floating around.

We do have a logo, and although this is not the final version (the work ristorante has been added) we are all pretty happy with it.

And one other observation: as I was going thru the photos just now, I noticed how many there were with people smiling. The workers, us, family, friends....even though each day brings a new level of stress, we're still smiling. And surely that's a good sign!

Edited July 23, 2007 by hathor (log)

[Megan Blocker]

Oh my goodness, Judith - what an amazing space! The photo of the guys working up near the ceiling reminds me of one of my favorite books, I Capture the Castle, specifically the scene where Rose makes a pact with the devil if he'll just send her some excitement (a man, more exactly).

You mention that the style will be Italian-slow cuisine-fusion - given some of the discussions we've had in the forum about the regionality (for lack of a better word) of Italian cooking, I'm curious as to whether this will be a new paradigm in your area.

And, again - congrats!

[Naftal]

Hello- Your logo looks beautiful

[weinoo]

Ciao, hathor! Erba Luna looks amazing even now - I think when it's finished it will be even more so!

Have you figured out your coffee conundrum?

[hathor]

Ciao! Thanks for the support!!

Still working on coffee.

Still working on wine.

Still working on the menu (the physical, what you hold in your hand menu)

Still working on table cloths, light fixtures, kitchen wiring.

Still working on ..... just about everything!

But the gas line is in! That was a big deal. 72 numbered paving stones had to be taken out and replaced on the street, and it looks great. Except for where one lady drove directly thru about 17 layers of the red/white barrier tape....