Mocajo

[MMerrill]

From a trip last November spent mostly in the Montalcino area, I'd like to mention a surprisingly exceptional restaurant we stopped at for lunch - and we were the only customers (we had reserved ahead) - on the road from Volterra to the sea near Cecina. It's Mocajo in Casino di Terra near Guardistallo and definitely worth seeking out. I chose it because it is highlighted in the Gambero Rosso guide for its excellent food and wines at reasonable prices. It is run by a brother and sister team: she's the chef, he's the sommelier and runs the dining room. The building is non-descript but the interior is lovely, with round tables draped in pale cream cloths, each with a single candle and Champagne flutes. We were served by the brother, who immediately brought warm cornmeal breadsticks and a plate of 3 different house-made rolls, and offered prosecco. Great start! We accepted his suggestion to let him bring us a series of small courses. Another good idea! These were: borlotti bean soup w/chickpea flour, baccala and a dark green, garnished with a tiny violet; next 3 shot glass tastes - (1) pureed fig, anchovy and parsely, (2) a dense mushroom mixture (can't remember what else was in it but it was great), (3) orange zabayon w/scattering of caviar; next a warm autumn salad of rabbit, duck breast, pear, chestnut and grapes; then tortino of grains w/guanciale (cheek) of senese pork with shavings of local strong cheese on red pepper sauce; tortelli w/ricotta & tiny cubes of salami from the Garfagnana w/ribollita sauce; a flat pasta w/rosemary in a sauce of local pigeon w/pine nuts; finally, main course of little plates of roast pheasant again with pignoli and a dab of pureed potatoes. Then there were 2 desserts: a small glass of pineapple sorbetto with a stick of fresh pineapple, and a hazlenut semifreddo with nocino (hazlenut liqueur made by the nearby Trappist Sisters of Guardistallo), and the same nocino to drink! We took his suggestions for wine which were a Friulian Collio from Venica, and a local 2007 La Regola Ligustro Montescudaio merlot. The tasting menu cost 45 euros and I didn't see what the wines cost, but our credit card bill shows the meal coming out at $163. We thought it was simply sensational.