Marche Restaurants

[cinghiale]

Angelo:

Thank you for your well-considered recommendations. Looks like I'll be meeting up with kellytree in Fabriano. She has some firm ideas, so perhaps I can get to La Pianella for lunch. Does the veal guanciola have guanciale in it? I'm not familiar with the dish.

As for the Matelica reco, do you mean Il Giardino degli Ulivi? I had this on my list from Michelin, and it looks a good choice.

I'll look into Il Passetto when I arrive Ancona next week. If it's closed on Mondays, I'll drop you a line at your website for other ideas, if I may.

Thanks again. And welcome to eGullet!

Hi Cinghiale,

I would strongly recommend:

* near Fabriano, at Serra San Quirico, go to La Pianella, da Raul, and ask for Veal Guanciola (wonderful). Excellent and genuine food, Raul is a real expert, bill around 40 Euros each. I also went to Marchese del Grillo, but I think is overvaluate. Good canteen, anyway, but La Pianella is highly better.

* Near Camerino, you can go at Gli Ulivi , Matelica. The owner is weird, but the food is good, and he has genuine and local food.

* In Ancona, for your monday night, I would suggest you Ristorante Il Passetto (whether open, I can't remember). Excellent food, great service and perfect professionality.

And, of course, when you pass by, just make a call: I'll be very happy to meet you!

Ciao

Angelo

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www.angelorecchi.com

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[MMerrill]

As for the Matelica reco, do you mean Il Giardino degli Ulivi? I had this on my list from Michelin, and it looks a good choice

We spent one night there last November and while the setting is isolated and lovely we were very disappointed in the food. Not bad, just nothing to go out of your way for. It was recommended in Gambero Rosso 2003, but not in 2004 (we discovered too late).

[Angelo Recchi]

As for the Matelica reco, do you mean Il Giardino degli Ulivi? I had this on my list from Michelin, and it looks a good choice

We spent one night there last November and while the setting is isolated and lovely we were very disappointed in the food. Not bad, just nothing to go out of your way for. It was recommended in Gambero Rosso 2003, but not in 2004 (we discovered too late).

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I can agree with Mmerrill, although I think that the choice in that area is rather limited. I can ask somebody and tell you more.

Note: Mmerrill, I think you were lucky not to be an Italian native speaker (I suppose), otherwise you could have got angry after a 2-minutes-conversation with the owner, which I did when I went there. *But* the food was not bad.

Well, if I find something better, I'll let you know.

About guanciola: it's the cheek of the veal, no guanciale inside (by guanciale I mean the cheek of the pork).

About Il Passetto... I've just discovered that it's closed on Mondays :-(

We can try Gino, the best one for Stoccafisso all'Anconetana. If not closed as well, I'll check it out.

Last thing: don't know whether you found an hotel nor which is your budget. I would recommend you to Hotel Duchi della Rovere, in Senigallia (www.hotelduchidellarovere.it). Just 50 metres walking from Uliassi. It has the best service of Senigallia. It's a 4 star hotel, so it might be a bit expensive; you can ask them for discounts or special prices, in this period they might have empty rooms.

Thank you all for such a nice welcome on Egullet!

Ciao

Angelo

[Angelo Recchi]

I just asked to a Matelica-Camerino area expert. He told me you should go at Raul-Pianella, in Serra S.Quirico (the one I told you), because there is no special restaurant to mention. It's 30 minutes by car. Maybe you can go there when in Camerino, and go to Fabriano when in Fabriano.

Unless you find a place which we don't know (and they might be), and which you will show me when we'll meet!

Ciao,

Angelo

[cinghiale]

Thank you to all for the recommendations! I leave in three days for what is now assured to be a fine tour.

I'll be meeting kellytree in Fabriano and Angelo in Ancona. Ah, the blessings of eGullet!

I'll be sure to report once I return.

[divina]

Moreno Cedroni, of Madonnina del Pescatore is president of the Young Chefs Organization.. is place is outside Senigallia on the Road to Ancona.. FABULOUS.. also in town there is a small stand ANIKO where you can get snacks, and also buy his products, infused oil. I adore the clementine oil.. and also his canned foods.. the monkfish tripe..

guy has a great sense of humor and respect for food..and is so creative!

I don't know if his third Venue is open in the Winter.. called CLandestino, a beach place that turns into a wine bar.. cigars and more!

I didn't get to Uliasse, but saw the menu.. looks fabulous!

[Angelo Recchi]

Moreno Cedroni, of Madonnina del Pescatore  is president of the Young Chefs Organization.. is place is outside Senigallia on the Road to Ancona.. FABULOUS.. also in town there is a small stand ANIKO where you can get snacks, and also buy his products, infused oil. I adore the clementine oil.. and also his canned foods.. the monkfish tripe..

guy has a great sense of humor and respect for food..and is so creative!

I don't know if his third Venue is open in the Winter.. called CLandestino, a beach place that turns into a wine bar.. cigars and more!

I didn't get to Uliasse, but saw the menu.. looks fabulous!

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Hi Divina, nice to meet you!

Well, in this area there is ike a "religious" struggle, between Uliassi's fans and Madonnina's ones. Actually, I've never eaten at Uliassi (I'll go there for the first time with Cinghiale, next Tuesday, on my birthday btw!), and I went 5-6 times at Madonnina, when it was more affordable than now. At the moment, I think it's too expensive (but this is another matter). Rather, I think it pretends to be a high luxury place, when all the staff is more down-to-earth (and I think it's positive to be down-to-earth).

Clandestino is closed in the winter, and it's very nice in the summer.

Anikò, the kiosk, is open all the year, and it's good for light lunch or appetizers.

I also appreciate Moreno Cedroni's creativity, I know him since he was 25 (so, more than 15 years ago), got up at 2am to come and buy fresh fish at Ancona's fish market. And I'm very happy for his success. But now I'm afraid he "bit off more than he could chew".

Uliassi is the other side; I can't comment upon them, since I've never eaten there. Somebody told me they have a different approach to the guests and to the service. After all, the price is the same in both places. I think one should try them alternatively.

Ciao a tutti!

Angelo

[divina]

I was only in Senigallia for a short time..and had so much fun exploring Moreno's food...and some other smaller places, that I couldn't do another michelin star place.

I did go and read the menu at Uliasse and it looked very nice and will go on my next trip.

As far as price, I found Madonnina to be in the norm for a high quality meal, and much less than a similar place in Florence!

It think we spent about $200 euro ( tasting menu 80 per person plus wine and extra dessert and I bought his book Susci)

WE had excellent service, it was not stuffy , staff dressed in a casual elegance!

I am originally from California and loved the style, I ahve also eaten at Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and found it a little too stuffy for my style.

When I ate there about 4 years ago it was 2,000 lira for four of us ( with 2 bottles of Pergole Torte 1988.

[kellytree]

N.B. NEVER ever go out with Cinghiale if you have to go work the next day.

[Angelo Recchi]

N.B. NEVER ever go out with Cinghiale if you have to go work the next day. 

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I got a day off the day after!!!

We had a delicious dinner at Uliassi's, Cinghiale took some pictures.

How was Pianella? Did you enjoy the guanciola?

[kellytree]

oh yeah Angelo - another thing I learned is NEVER touch your plate before Cinghiale gets a pic in........

.......... unless of course you invite him for a belated Thanksgiving fest which turns out to be a birthday party for an 11 year old and his 7 best friends! -at least I got to dig right into the potato chips without having to wait for the photoshoot!

[cinghiale]

oh yeah Angelo - another thing I learned is NEVER touch your plate before Cinghiale gets a pic in........

.......... unless of course you invite him for a belated Thanksgiving fest which turns out to be a birthday party for an 11 year old and his 7 best friends! -at least I got to dig right into the potato chips without having to wait for the photoshoot!

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Yeah, anal cinghiale Angelo's even more of a food stylist: he made me take my fork off the plate of stoccofisso for that pic

I'm back in Philly. What a great time! Report w/pics should be out by this weekend. But in the interim, I wanted to say thanks to Angelo for a great beginning and ending to my trip. Angelo is a terrific host, and I encourage any eGer passing near Ancona to contact him.

I also owe a big shout out to Kelly, the Den Mother of Fabriano. Upon entering her town alongside the striking Grotte di Frasassi, I was reminded of Dante:

"Before me things create were none, save things

Eternal, and eternal I endure.

All hope abandon, ye who enter here."

I was fortunate to have found my Virgil in Kelly (she herself counts a Virgilio among her friends), but there was little hope in getting out of town without a hangover. Kelly arranged one great evening in Fabriano and was also kind enough to include me in a kick-ass party at her home.

More later...

[cinghiale]

A bit tardy with this report.

After a taxing journey to Ancona – a sciopero resulted in flight cancellation, necessitating a re-route to a three-hour train ride from Rome – I met up with Angelo. He was kind enough to chauffeur us to Senigallia for dinner at Uliassi; as it happened, it was Angelo’s birthday. The restaurant is right on the beach and has a seaside ambience, with liberal use of blue and white. We were greeted warmly by co-owner Catia, here with Angelo, and received great service throughout.

We started with an “aperitivo”:

From L-R:

• corn wafer tubes stuffed with fresh cheese

• mozzarella in carozza

• prawn “cotoletta” with mustard

• parmesan/sesame sticks

• passion fruit sorbet on mango with mint

We opted for the four-course antipasti tasting menu, which consisted of one raw and three cooked fish courses.

First up was grilled calamari and octopus with nuts (i.a., hazelnuts, almonds, mais, and cece, I think), garnished lightly with lemon marmelade.

This dish was quite delicate and light, though I found the inclusion of nuts somewhat unusual.

Next was triglia (which Angelo tells me is mullet) with a vegetable gratinee, served with hazelnuts and a praline creme.

Angelo, who professed to eating triglia as much as twice a week, pronounced this the best version he had ever eaten. This time, the use of nuts seemed to work well with the rather striking taste of the mullet.

The crudo was canocchia, which appears to translate as mantis shrimp.

I’d never had this before. It looked more like a large snail than a shrimp, and it had the texture more of fish than shrimp. I remember the dish being a bit briny, more pickled than ceviche.

Last course was mazzancolle (like a crawfish, says Angelo) with black truffle.

This was great. The crawfish was sweet and was well-matched with the truffles.

We each had a pasta dish. Angelo had spaghetti con crostacei, which was unfortunately over-salted, as was my strigoli al nero de seppia, parmagiano, calamaretti pennini e basilico

Angelo had a pinacolada for dessert.

The next day, it was on to Fabriano to meet up with kellytree. I stopped off at Serra San Quirico to have lunch at La Pienella, which is actually located off the road leading into the hills above the town, about 3 km. My primo of tagliolini di farro with mushrooms was very nice, earthy and woody. For a main, I had guanciola di vitello with lentils and a roasted potato.

I really liked the veal cheek. It was nice and fatty, braised just right. The lentils were cold, but the potato was seasoned great, with liberal use of butter. I drank a quarto of their house red: Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, which was a good, fruity match for the veal cheek.

Onward to Fabriano. I met with kellytree at the Marchese del Grillo, where I stayed at her recommendation and can now whole-heartedly recommend further. Although they have a very nice-looking restaurant, she decided we should go into town. Our first stop was an osteria/enoteca, where we were joined by Kelly’s friend Karl and his friend Alana, both from Dublin. The ice was quickly broken, and we moved on to dinner at Osteria Fricandò, where Kelly is obviously a welcome regular. She and owner Daniele worked out our meal.

The antipasto was ample, diverse and very good. The lardo-ish bruschetta was my fav.

We shared three pasta dishes: ricotta ravioli with a nut sauce, maltagliati with a sauce I can’t recall, and tagliatelle with truffles.

We all were having a blast, so we moved on for drinks at the local communist bar. We closed it, then went back to Fricandò for more. It was a memorable evening.

From Fabriano I made my way to Camerino and was sorely disappointed. I made the gruelling drive in the dark out toward Matelica to Il Giardino degli Ulivi, only to find it closed (I know, I know). Back in Camerino, everything was shuttered by 8:00, including the Osteria dell’Arte, recommended by Marche Voyager. I ended up eating a lousy meal in a hotel in the old city.

Amandola, my next stop, wasn’t much better. I did go down that afternoon to Ascoli, and I stopped in at Anisetta Meletti, a beautiful café on the Piazza del Popolo.

I skipped the anisette and had several glasses of their delicious house amaro.

At a local’s recommendation, I had dinner just outside Amandola, into the Sibellini Park, at Benito. Friday night. 8:30. No patrons, just the owner, a bored server, and a cook anxious to go home. I was surprised to find both risottino and veal con tartufo bianchi. However, I guess they felt they could pawn off black truffles on the tourist instead (judging from the truffle poster across from my table, they were nero d’estate). I was too tired and too lacking in Italian to complain. In working off the frustration at a bar near my hotel, I did discover the magic of Varnelli, another regional, anise-based liquor.

I was planning on staying two nights in Amandola, but I decided instead to take kellytree up on her invite to a party at her house outside Fabriano, near the Grotte di Frasassi. Her house was rockin’ when I arrived, as part of the party was her son’s 11th birthday celebration. In addition to snacks and cakes, she’d prepared several terrific panini. But my fav was her polenta with mushroom sauce, baked in her outdoor bread oven (NB: the photo does not do this dish justice).

Sunday I made my way to Macerata, a quaint university town. This time, I called ahead for a table at Da Secondo, recommended by Marche Voyager. Curiously, the menu is roughly half fish, but I was informed that no fish was being served that night. A good sign, I guess. Amuse were olive fritta all’ascolana. This regional speciality is really delicious. The local salumi antipasto was also excellent. Primo was ricotta raviolini with crema di tartufo (here, the waiter made a point of saying the truffles were black).

The sauce was rich, of course, but a tad under-seasoned. For my main, I wanted the lombetto di vitello con capellini di porcini. I ordered “lombetto” and got a plain ole veal steak. An impetus to learn the language. Still, it was well-seasoned and good. The 2003 Rosso Piceno Saladini Pilastri was very nice and paired well with the veal.

Monday, I returned to Ancona and met up with Angelo again. He first took me to Jesi to visit the Enoteca Regionale Marchigiana, which sells wine from something like 600 different growers. It’s located next to a cooking school where an eG’er had studied (forgotten who, sorry). This shop is definitely worth a trip. (When I returned to Philly, I stopped by my local wine merchant, Moore Brothers, to purchase some verdicchio and learned that their Italy buyer had just returned from Jesi and really dug the Enoteca).

For dinner, I wanted to try the local Ancona speciality stoccafisso, made from salt cod yet supposedly somewhat different than baccala. Angelo had heard that the one of the best versions can be had at Gino, across from the train station, so we headed there. Expectations were heightened when we discovered that on their wall they proudly display their “recommended” status for stoccafisso.

The dish is hearty and flavorful, seasoned merely with rosemary, S&P, maybe a little garlic and perhaps some anchovies, with a bit of tomato added for body. Served with boiled potatoes, this is a great winter dish. The fish is firm and flaky – I believe the waiter said it’s “wetter” than baccala.

So while I made a dent in southern Marche, there’s certainly much more to explore. I did make it to Grottamare but couldn’t find anything open on a Saturday afternoon. San Benedetto del Tronto undoubtedly deserves a visit. Then there’s the northern part of the province. Thanks to all who made recommendations I missed; I hope to get to them soon. Special thanks to Angelo and kellytree for making my trip memorable.

Edited December 22, 2004 by cinghiale (log)

[Joe H]

Absolutely fantastic report! Thank you for taking the time and trouble to do this. Thank you also for trying Uliassi. We had wanted to go there on this trip but cut our trip back to include a stop at Dal Forno and Verona as well as Le Calandre after several days in Florence. I think your trip was one of a lifetime and applaud every step and every bite!!!

[kellytree]

Heyyyy- what about the pics of those fab cocktails you supplied us with???

[Angelo Recchi]

Beautiful report!!!

And thanks for all the compliments to me. I hope that after reading your report, a lot of people will be curios to visit le Marche.

For those who like to know more about Amise-based liqueur, I wrote an article (perfectly translated by Cinghiale, whom I thank again) about Ascoli Piceno, on my weblog: http://www.angelorecchi.com/nuovo_blog/200...ff-meletti.html

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Angelo

[Marco_Polo]

I've just returned from a flying visit to Le Marche to see my good friend Angelo Recchi and to explore and learn more about the foods and wines of this beautiful, often overlooked region.

The highlight of my few days undoubtedly was a seafood feast at Angelo's house, cooked by his mother Letitzia. Angelo's father Antonio is a trawler fisherman out of Ancona and so the fish we enjoyed was literally straight off the boats: antipasti di mare, tagliatelle coi frutti di mare, alici coi spaccasassi and baby coda di rospo (the tiny monkfish too small to legally sell, so a fisherman's perk) cooked with a little tomato, peperoncino, and wild fennel - sensational!

Best pasta I enjoyed anywhere was undoubtedly the tagliatelle (very fine, thin, slightly resistant homemade egg pasta served with a rich ragù di anatra) at Trattoria Alocco, a small family place just outside the walls of Offagna, a beautiful fortified town on the Cònero peninsula.

One day we went high up the mountains nearly into Umbria to Campodiegoli, a village still trying to rebuild itself after the earthquake that destroyed, amongst much else, the Basilica of Assisi. There we visited a remote alpine baita where Diana Porfiri and Gaetano Gentiluomo smoke magificent trout over juniper from the surrounding woods.

Le Marche is a region of contrasts, most notably between the extrovert seaside coastal resorts and the quieter reality of life in its beautiful and hilly hinterland. We have long enjoyed visiting resorts such as Portonovo, just outside of Ancona, not least to enjoy simple shellfish and seafood feasts in fisherman's restaurants literally on the beach.

Angelo has his own favourites, but ours is most definitely Ristorante Emilia for the famous Portonovo speciality, spaghetti coi moscioli - spaghetti with mussels, followed by a fritto misto di mare, all washed down, of course, with Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.

On returning home to South West England, I though I'd recreate the taste of Le Marche with this favourite dish. Here's our recipe.

Thanks again, Angelo, ci vedremo presto.

Marc

[Angelo Recchi]

Thanks again, Angelo, ci vedremo presto.

Marc

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Thank you too, Marc! It's been a pleasure to show the treasures of my land. And we didn't finished!

A presto!

Ciao

Angelo

[cinghiale]

A memorable trip last December (reported here) prompted a return to fantastic Marche, with this visit focusing on points along and north of the Jesi-Fabriano axis (other than a side pilgrimage to Cassette d’Ete and Tod’s). Fellow eGer kellytree was kind enough to put me up in her home near the Grotte di Frasassi, affording not only fantastic views for the afternoon aperitivo but also easy access to major points of interest.

I arrived on a Monday, and things got off to a terrific start with Tuesday lunch at Trattoria Martellò, a favorite of truck drivers, located east of Serra San Quirico in Angeli di Rosora. As Kelly mentioned in the earlier post, there is no menu – you get whatever the owner’s cooking. In this case, we did have a choice of tagliatelle or gnochhi. But it was the plate of perfectly, perfectly prepared vitello tonnato that hooked me. I’ll be back.

Paid another lunch visit to Raul, above Serra San Quirico, and I again recommend this comfortable restaurant in the woods. Had the tagliatelle al ragù tipico, a hearty tomato sauce with bits of pork on the bone, and formaggeria (sp?) tipica, three cheeses served with a very nice honey.

Attempted a lunch at Symposium, but after fighting my way through the hills to reach Cartoceto, I discovered that the restaurant is in Cartoceto (Fano); I was in Cartoceto (Pergola). No matter, as I discovered the latter to be home to several terrific varieties of marmelade. I continued on to Urbino, and had a very nice lunch at Vecchia Urbino, just off the main piazza.

Did make it for lunch to Le Busche (*) in Montecarotto. The restaurant is an understated yet meticulously restored farmhouse.

Primo: gnocchi rigati al ragù bianco di coniglio calamaretti arrostiti (€15):

A signature dish. The rabbit and squid were a perfect pairing, accented with sage.

Dentice cotto in olio a bassa temperatura con olive taggiasche e carote vichy in crema (€22):

The sea bream was firm and flavorful, the sauce light but well-paired.

Semifreddo with almonds:

The wine was a verdicchio (DOC) from the house vineyards next door.

With the arrival of the weekend, Kelly flexed her well-known and highly regarded hostess muscles and threw a pizza party. Judging from the praise Kelly's pizza elicits from seemingly every one of her many friends in the greater Genga area, it has attained something bordering on legendary status.

The view didn't hurt the appetite:

Brick oven, fronted by garden:

The fire:

The fixins, including sourdough:

First rule of pizza-making: Be sure to open a beer for Mom:

Kelly shows daughter Elisa the finer points of rolling:

Simple oil and rosemary pie to start things off:

Out of the inferno:

Direct out of the oven:

Apprentice's pie still needs work:

My favorite: sauteed onion and sausage:

Saturday's rather late-going affair was succeeded by a day at the sea, at Falconara Maritima, a mere 30-min train ride away. While the grown-ups cured their hangovers, the kids has a great time:

The beach bar's slim offerings sent the girls out in search of frito misto, with success:

And it hit the spot:

Other highlights included porchetta panini and diverse foccacie from the vendors at the Frasassi Caves; fresh produce, salumi, enormous porchetta at the Saturday market in Fabriano; delicious Visner di Pergola, a local sweet red wine (might this have cherries in it? Visner sounds like Wishniak, our local black cherry soda here in Philly); and an oligatory trip to the regional enoteca in Jesi.

Lots to see and eat in this region, people.

[Kevin72]

Primo: gnocchi rigati al ragù bianco di coniglio calamaretti arrostiti (€15):

A signature dish.  The rabbit and squid were a perfect pairing, accented with sage.

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I saw the Italian name first and was thinking, "is that really rabbit and squid? Or is it just some variety of squid?" How very unusual.

Thanks for the writeup. I regrettably know very little about Le Marche.

[Joe H]

Fantastic photos and story! Thanks for sharing!

[kellytree]

One must train the children young.

[Nyleve Baar]

I spent time in that area last summer and your post brought back great memories. Unfortunately, we didn't know about the crazy parking lot area with all the vendors at the Frasassi Caves. I won't go into the rather baroque details of how we actually got to the caves, but we ended up at the parking area with 2 hours to kill. Ate, drank, bought very tacky souvenir thingies. It was more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

You're right about le Marche. It's a wonderful area. Don't tell anyone else, please.

[cinghiale]

One must train the children young.

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Especially the obstreperous ones.