Lunch! What'd ya have? (2018)

[kayb]

So far, this may be my favorite of your meals in Italy.

 

[BeeZee]

Planned leftovers (to borrow a phrase)...tuna steak, barley, zucchini/tomato

[HungryChris]

Today, we had lunch at Alberto's Home Restaurant in Montefioralle, just up the hill from where we are staying in Greve, in Chianti. We found this place on Trip Advisor. Alberto runs this 5 table restaurant in his home, in a large ancient stone complex with breathtaking views.

This is the view of the entrance from just inside.

One of the tables is on a tree stump, with padded log stools.

Here is the table we reserved for a lunch that started at 1:PM.

There is no menu, you eat what Alberto cooks. We started with some local Chianti Classico, some acqua frizzante and some vegetables with a vinaigrette dip. 

Tiny pepper and cheese breads and a little bag of sliced Tuscan bread were delivered too.

This was followed by a cold kind of bread salad, with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper that was small, but refreshing on this warm day.

Then came some very good pumpkin soup with croutons.

The Italians have a way of making the simplest rustic things seem elegant and the next dish of seasoned beans and sausages was a perfect example. I wiped the bowl clean with slice after slice of great Tuscan bread!

Now it was time for a platter of melon from Alberto's garden,  prosciutto, Tuscan salamis, bruschetta, two local cheeses

and a mildly sweet hot sauce made from his own peppers.

 

 And finally, biscotti with vin Santo. For best effect, Alberto told us to dip the biscotti into the vin Santo and leave it there for about 10 seconds.

All in all, we were pretty happy with the meal. Not the best we have ever had, but quite a bit of fun. They are very friendly and fun people.

Alberto and his fiancé in the tiny kitchen where it all happens:

HC

Edited September 12, 2018 by HungryChris
forgot abot the bread and little pepper & cheese biscuits and corrected the name of the town. (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

8 hours ago, HungryChris said:

Today, we had lunch at Alberto's Home Restaurant in Montefiore, just up the hill from where we are staying in Greve, in Chianti. We found this place on Trip Advisor. Alberto runs this 5 table restaurant in his home, in a large ancient stone complex with breathtaking views.

This is the view of the entrance from just inside.

One of the tables is on a tree stump, with padded log stools.

Here is the table we reserved for a lunch that started at 1:PM.

There is no menu, you eat what Alberto cooks. We started with some local Chianti Classico, some acqua frizzante and some vegetables with a vinaigrette dip. 

This was followed by a cold kind of bread salad, with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper that was small, but refreshing on this warm day.

Then came some very good pumpkin soup with croutons.

The Italians have a way of making the simplest rustic things seem elegant and the next dish of seasoned beans and sausages was a perfect example. I wiped the bowl clean with slice after slice of great Tuscan bread!

Now it was time for a platter of melon from Alberto's garden,  prosciutto, Tuscan salamis, bruschetta, two local cheeses

and a mildly sweet hot sauce made from his own peppers.

 

 And finally, biscotti with vin Santo.

All in all, we were pretty happy with the meal. Not the best we have ever had, but quite a bit of fun. They are very friendly and fun people.

Alberto and his fiancé in the tiny kitchen where it all happens:

HC

 

 

This is one of the loveliest posts I've read on eGullet.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

6 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

This is one of the loveliest posts I've read on eGullet.

 

 

I also have to add that I am very much enjoying your sharing your experiences with us, @HungryChris.

 

I have never been to Italy, but you have brought back to mind a pizza restaurant in the San Diego area circa 1965 or '66. I was six or 7 and it is my very first memory of an Italian restaurant. We would come here for pizza and I remember liking to get a lot of toppings but sometimes being limited by mom to cheese only for financial reasons. Dad was in the navy and hated cheese and pasta , so would never have been with us. I also remember telling the waiter that I wanted no dressing on my salad, and always having to have this confirmed with Mom, which infuriated my precocious self.  

 

Rambling on, my point is, that in all these years, I thought the red and white checkered tablecloths and the graceful wine bottles such as you are showing were just kitsch. This restaurant, had these same tablecloths and used wine bottles like that to hold candles, which dripped down the baskets. It turns out after all these many years, that my beloved little San Diego restaurant was much more the real thing than I ever knew. I am surprised how very delighted I am to find this out so late.

 

Thanks for your posts!

[blbst36]

@HungryChris - That's the type of restaurant I want to have!  Eat what I want to cook that day!!

[rotuts]

@HungryChris

 

I have not been to Italy in a long long time.

 

Back Then , from time to time  restaurants added a surcharge for ' use ' of 

 

cutlery and plates and glasses.

 

at least a few did

 

mildy incensed my mother.

 

she was a frugal person.

 

any sign of that during your travels.

 

never happened in Spain nor France or other European countries 

 

back then to us.

[HungryChris]

14 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@HungryChris

 

I have not been to Italy in a long long time.

 

Back Then , from time to time  restaurants added a surcharge for ' use ' of 

 

cutlery and plates and glasses.

 

at least a few did

 

mildy incensed my mother.

 

she was a frugal person.

 

any sign of that during your travels.

 

never happened in Spain nor France or other European countries 

 

back then to us.

The first time we went to Italy, I spent months reading up on the ups and downs, do's and don'ts, common signs and so on. The charge for bread and sometimes just plain service was an item I was made aware of and was quite regularly applied. I have not seen it in the last few years, but at a recent lunch at Uscio E Bottega, We were tentatively approached with a bag of bread, and the server had a question mark at the end of her sentence, as if we could have refused it. Sure enough, there was a Coperto charge of e2.50 X 2 on the bill, which I have not seen in quite a while.

HC

[HungryChris]

28 minutes ago, blbst36 said:

@HungryChris - That's the type of restaurant I want to have!  Eat what I want to cook that day!!

I could not agree more! In fact, there are times that I wish my kitchen at home was like that.

HC

[rotuts]

'plain service '  was different than ' rental ' of the utensils etc.

 

I can't recall what they called that charge.

 

only in a very few places.

 

one was very much like the restaurant you just told us about , i.e. , outside in the country.

[Kim Shook]

On 9/10/2018 at 5:27 AM, CantCookStillTry said:

Boring but pretty desk salad. 

I have never been friends with Salad, probably because I don't like Cucumber or Tomato, but I'm trying. 

Would probably have been a lot better if I remembered most salads have some kind of dressing! 

 

Edit: I know there will be a specific post somewhere in the last 9000 years of egullet that I should ask this question but if someone wants to send me an idea for a dressing to suit this salad - that would be great 😋😆

 

You might do a scaled down version of this.  Meaning - layer your ingredients and top with the mayo and sugar.  You could (and should) do it the night before and toss just before serving.  Very simple, but very good.

[suzilightning]

On ‎9‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 5:27 AM, CantCookStillTry said:

Boring but pretty desk salad. 

I have never been friends with Salad, probably because I don't like Cucumber or Tomato, but I'm trying. 

Would probably have been a lot better if I remembered most salads have some kind of dressing! 

 

Edit: I know there will be a specific post somewhere in the last 9000 years of egullet that I should ask this question but if someone wants to send me an idea for a dressing to suit this salad - that would be great 😋😆

 

What about either a Catalina, Green Goddess or tomato vinaigrette?  Put in the bottom, layer your salad ingredients(I would add some rinsed and drained beans and olives) then when ready to eat shake it up.

[Kim Shook]

My sister, niece and 8 month old grand nephew were up from Florida for a couple of days visit.  Their first day, I did a sandwich platter with ham, roast beef, cheeses and turkey.  I also did this good corn dip with corn chips and tortilla chips:

It's just corn, Rotel tomatoes, sour cream and Fiesta Ranch dip mix.  Very good.  A church friend brings it to our pot lucks and it always is a favorite.

[suzilightning]

1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

My sister, niece and 8 month old grand nephew were up from Florida for a couple of days visit.  Their first day, I did a sandwich platter with ham, roast beef, cheeses and turkey.  I also did this good corn dip with corn chips and tortilla chips:

It's just corn, Rotel tomatoes, sour cream and Fiesta Ranch dip mix.  Very good.  A church friend brings it to our pot lucks and it always is a favorite.

I have all the makings of the ever present Texas dip - Velveeta, Rotel and hot sauce(Cholula chili lime in my case) and bought me some corn chips.  I eat this maybe once a year.

[Kim Shook]

1 minute ago, suzilightning said:

I have all the makings of the ever present Texas dip - Velveeta, Rotel and hot sauce(Cholula chili lime in my case) and bought me some corn chips.  I eat this maybe once a year.

Add some hamburger meat and THIS is what I was asked to bring to every gathering at a friends house.  No matter what delicious treats I brought, her kids ALWAYS wanted this!  

[suzilightning]

19 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Add some hamburger meat and THIS is what I was asked to bring to every gathering at a friends house.  No matter what delicious treats I brought, her kids ALWAYS wanted this!  

Nah....if I had bison(or venison) I would make Frito Pie......

[CantCookStillTry]

I finally got the perfect (for me) Steak Sambo! Mid complaining via messages about how I forgot my lunch again my husband went radio silent. 45 minutes later he walked into my office. Silently dropped this on my desk and drove off! 

 

 

Rib fillet (with anything that might be slightly chewy looking removed ), bread toasted not fried, lettuce, sharp cheddar, beetroot, onions on the cusp of burnt, s & p - no sauce. 

 

I don't know why but it's almost like he has heard me be a complainy bi**h so much he knew exactly what to do!😀😂

 

And yes I had gobbled half before I took a picture. 

[chord]

Baked eggs with ham, swiss, and sage.

 

[Anna N]

 

Planned over chicken from dinner yesterday with a spicy bean sprout salad.

[BonVivant]

 

[shain]

Persian inspired pasta with yogurt turmeric sauce. With dill, coriander seeds and a few other spices. Lentils. Roasted eggplant. Pomegranate. 

[scubadoo97]

Looks delicious Shain. 

[Okanagancook]

This thread should be renamed....” Lunch.  What I wish I’d had.”

[Kim Shook]

Yesterday's comfort food lunch:

Sloppy Joe, my grandma's cheater pickles and crinkle cuts.  Fit the bill.

[Anna N]

 

Seaweed salad, potato salad and.......the devil made me do it........Spam katzu.