A Charming Lunch in Charming Sarzana

Osteria Panzallegra in Sarzana, Liguria.

Even in the nicest spring weather, it rains sometimes. When it does, that's the perfect excuse (or the latest excuse) to go out to lunch. The small city of Sarzana is interesting in  many ways – historically, artistically, socially, and, more usefully, gastronomically. It serves as the informal capital of lower Lunigiana, that is the lower Magra Valley, and we are there twice a week for sure. There are more than a dozen decent restaurants in this town of about 20,000, and on a Sunday in April we finally got to try one of the places that’s been on our list for years – Panzallegra.

This last Sunday in April was the last day of Atri Fioriti, an annual Sarzana event in which the atriums of about a dozen historical palazzi are open to the public, with floral displays to enhance them.  It’s a simple kind of civic event and each site has informative signage and a few volunteer teens of differing levels of commitment.  One of the palazzi was the childhood home of the 14th century Pope Nicolo V, one of a famous local sculptor, Carlo Fontana, and it’s always fun.  We visited four or five atriums, and then started to look for lunch.  When we saw that Panzallegra was open for its last Sunday lunch of the season, we were in heaven - the handwritten menu outside was a Ligurian dream.

Ravioloni di Mare at Osteria Panzallegra in Sarzana.

Typically an Italian meal has four parts: Antipasto, Primo, Secondo, Dolce. Thirty years ago, one would have them all. Today, the diner has what they feel like, even to the extent of sharing portions. We would have loved to have the antipasto – there were 8 or 9 tiny exquisite ‘tastes’ on the plate, including marinated sardines, timbal of cauliflower, flan of onions, and so on…but our capacity is limited, so we started with primi piatti: lasagna al forno with pecorino and artichoke, and ravioli di mare, with cernia* and gamberi.  What can a speechless writer say? They were perfect. The lasagna had three layers of pasta, the pecorino was slightly aged but not tart, the artichokes smooth but with their characteristic bitiness.  No cheating here, everything freshly cooked, perfectly balanced.  The ravioli were even better, if that’s possible.  Four large ravioloni, so-called, filled with a finely chopped and delicately seasoned spoonful of fish, topped with a fresh tomato sauce with all the tastes of the sea in it.

Our second dishes lived up to the first. On one side, a plate of lightly breaded fried local lamb chops, served with lemon and a bitter palate-cleansing little pile of radicchio and lettuce. On the other side, a lovely fan of tiny fresh zucchini halves, stuffed with baccala mantecato and accompanied with a little berm of bechamel, flavored with a touch of fresh garlic and a little garnish of reduced balsamic vinegar.  Both dishes were terrific.

Baccala Mantecato at Osteria Panzallegra in Sarzana.

The service was attentive and friendly, and the owner explained each dish in understandable Italian. When I went to pay, I asked for a business card, and Maurizio introduced himself and beckoned Paola out of the kitchen.  I asked if these were her own recipes, and she said yes, all hers.  When I complimented them – particularly the puree of baccala, which was unforgettable – she said that their policy was freshness, purity, and simplicity.  They are one of the few restaurants in Lunigiana who qualify for the Slow Foods emblem of quality, well earned.


By the way, the price for this unique experience was modest and competitive in this area.  Two primi, two secondi, house wine and water came to 58 Euro.

Osteria Panzallegra  Via Mascardi, 21  Sarzana. Reservations advised. Telephone 338 2595915. See the website or call for opening times. They are open mostly in the evening from Wednesday through Sunday, and for lunch on Sunday from October through April.

Bed and Breakfast  Luci sul Golfo  Via delle Ville, 48A   Arcola (La Spezia) 338.2595915.
Maurizio gave me both the card to the restaurant and the card to the bed and breakfast that they run in Arcola.  At the level of welcome, cleanliness, and attention to detail that they show at the restaurant, I would stay there gladly. It is located on the outskirts of La Spezia in a quiet, hilly suburban neighborhood.

Baccala Mantecato Here's a nice recipe from an independent travel blogger, living VENICE

*Cernia is a fish called Dusky Grouper in English. We tediously debate the degree to which we ought to translate the terms. Our current arbitrary test: translate if the term would be unknown to a smarty pants on their third trip to Italy. Feel free to add your opinion.

The People of Italy - Versilia

If you come to Italy for the never-ending treasures of art and architecture and food and landscapes, you'll have a magnificent time. And you can do it again and again, as thousands of Italophiles, ourselves included, can't resist doing. For our part however, we seek the experiences that can't be repeated and can't be predicted and can't be forgotten: meeting the Italian people. Gracious, intelligent, hard working, relaxed, unpredictable are the qualities that first come to mind in describing them. Sure, you may have a vexing experience, but that ticket for a ZTL traffic violation will be forgotten long before you forget the folks you meet.

Here are some of our favorite people photos from our recent visit to Versilia. This is the Tuscan region around Viareggio, which is west of Lucca and Florence, and north of Pisa. It's well known for its fabulous clean beaches, but that's just the beginning.

Massarosa

This is Francesco, our tour guide at Massaciuccoli Romano the archaeological site on the shores of the lake of the same long name. It's the excavation of a very large Roman villa on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli in the town of Massarosa near Viareggio. Francesco is a highly trained archaeologist who knows everything about the Romans, and who is dressed in a toga for the visit of 12 bloggers who dressed in modern costume - theoretically. You can bet your last penny that the toga is historically accurate. He apparently learned his English mostly from books since it was idiosyncratic (holy came out holly), but anyone who has tried to learn a foreign language would stand in awe. The professor talked slowly and deliberately for two hours on a technical subject and answered every question possible.

Camaiore

I'm out in the street with Grandmother
When a camera clicks open its shutter.
Who wouldn't be proud,
For crying out loud
To see that we look like each other!

Viareggio

This Italian couple was studying the real estate listings along the promenade (passeggiata a mare) in Viareggio. You'll think boardwalk, but that would be underestimating the grandeur, both past and present. The promenade starts in Viareggio and goes up the coast for about 30 miles. In the settled areas, it has many architectural marvels, as well as some limited touristy junk, as well as some stores where we wondered why the price tags didn't burst into flame. When I showed the photo to this couple, they were delighted and the woman laughed and laughed. I couldn't figure out why, so the joke's on me.







This boy seemed glum since he was in this 'Thinker' pose before and after I approached. I showed him the photo and he just shrugged. What's wrong with youth these days when being photographed by a balding old foreigner doesn't provoke derisive mockery?

Seafood and gluten-free expert Federica Santini of La Posteria, Viareggio.

You're right, this was a set up. We ate great food at Ristorante La Posteria operated by Chef Federica  Santini. This is one remarkable cook as she knows fish better than Poseidon, and also has substantial gluten-free, vegetarian  and vegan offerings. We watched her clean and filet about six kinds of fish, with a running commentary on which fin was where and what these gucky things did and how to remove them and make a delicious sauce. The highlight for me was when the pretty woman cut a slice down the back of a large and ugly fish and ripped off the flesh with her bare hands. It doesn't get better than that. Federica posed for pictures like a movie star, and had a smile like Sarah Silverman, which caused some bloggers to have impure thoughts.


We'd like to thank Serena Giovannoni of WishVersilia, numerous local small businesses, the initiative Donna e Web, and the Province of Lucca for the Versilia Blog Tour 2013. They are supporting independent travel websites such as this one who provide a different and hopefully appealing perspective on the area.




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T

Torre del Lago / Philosophy with a Bite

Life Lessons from Pippo, a Dog.

We are not very sentimental in the cute cat Facebook sense. Adorable animals have just not had a high profile here. While no horses have been harmed in making these articles, that's pretty much as fuzzy as we've gotten. Until we met Pippo.


Pippo is dead. Sorry, there's no way to fudge that sentence.  He has a statue along Viale Giacomo Puccini near Lake Massaciuccolo in Torre del Lago at that's near Viareggio. If you don't know where that is, read our article, Visiting Americans Invade Peaceful Italian Lake.



Here's our translation of the inscription by the statue. 

Pippo, dog without a master, with coat of brown and eyes of gold, filled with antique sorrow and a peace recovered, lived for 20 years on the promenade Puccini.

Though he appeared in 1977 with a deep bullet wound on his back, he knew to forgive and keep trust in man.

Adopted by the inhabitants of the lake, he taught to everyone, without extraordinary gestures, the true significance of kindness, forgiveness, friendship, and liberty.

Imprisoned, like every mortal being, by the net of life and of time, he was a testament to the magic of an existence fully lived, with dignity and coherence to one’s true self.

A story of love and gratitude reciprocated between man and man’s best friend.

Viareggio and The One True Clam

Vongole Veraci....Not

True Vongole Veraci

Imagine if a great giant corporation like Nestle or Kraft Foods began to market a product named True Clams*. Every clam producer in the world would protest, lawsuits would fly, and lawyers would get rich...oops, richer. Yet, this is the very situation in Italy. The Vongola Verace has a monopoly on the Spaghetti with Clams market, but most tourists and more than a few Italians are unaware there's any other kind of clam. This isn't the end of the world since these bivalves taste really good, but consumers can be justly prickly about honest labeling and their money.

False Vongole Veraci

The Vongola Verace is scientifically Venerupis decussata as classified by none other than Linnaeus himself in 1758.  However, in Italy the product called Vongola Verace is also allowed to be the scientically named Venerupis Philippinarum a native of the Phillipines and introduced to the Adriatic by commercial interests. This classification twist is allowed by none other than - the Italian Legislature! Now you see another reason why America and Italy have such close ties!


Here we present a modest attempt at monopoly busting in the form of a really neat recipe that uses a different clam - one that's native to Versilia. This is why you want to shop at real local markets such as Viareggio whenever possible. You won't see these telline every time you visit, but that's the reason to go often.

Spaghetti with Telline

Viareggio in the spring is one of the quiet pleasures of the Tuscan coast. Peaceful and charming, it has a long pedestrian walk, bordered by the obligatory clothing stores, restaurants  and pizza stands, and a long pier that stretches out alongside the calm harbor. Many of the buildings along the main promenade, known as Viale Manin or Viale Carducci, were built in the early 1900’s in the Liberty style, which is an Art Nouveau look, gentle and nostalgic. You can stroll out past luxury yachts and 10 foot fishing dinghies that look like they might just give up and sink any minute. In town, there are parks, shopping areas, lots of restaurants, and lots of places to buy good fresh fish.

The big central market of Piazza Cavour has a number of fish stands, and is open every morning except Sunday. There are stores with specialties, such as baccala or octopus or the classic mix used in trabaccolare, and the people behind the counter know their business and clean and prepare your fish beautifully. If you’re there in the late morning or around noon and you’re looking for a great snack or a casual lunch, there is a buffet in one of the market buildings where you can select just the amount you want of over a dozen dishes and pay by the weight. Warning – it all looks so good that it can add up on you!

Tiny Arselle or Telline from Viareggio.

The other place to buy fresh fish is right by the pier. Fishermen and their helpers and wives have little rather casual stands along the canal, displaying their catch in big styrofoam trays. The fish are shiny fresh, the attitude is friendly and kind of jovial, it’s a lot of fun.

One of the most interesting shellfish you can buy in Viareggio is arsella or as they are called in the rest of Italy, telline, tiny clams about the size of your thumbnail. In addition to its official name, the little clam has other names that have their origins in local dialects, which are used in various regions of Italy. Among the most common are: "arsella", "calcinello", "ziga", "tunninola" and "cozzala." Whatever they’re called, they are terrific, and the easiest dinner you can make. The first time I bought these clams, the man who sold them to me told me how to cook them. He was adamant. He held on to his side of the plastic bag of clams until he was sure I had listened and understood – I had to repeat the cooking method back to him before he’d let go. And he was 100% right, I’ve never found a better recipe.

Spaghetti with Telline

Buy about a kilo of these little clams, and just make sure they’re not sandy by quickly rinsing them. A whole kilo is a bit greedy, but you’ll be glad. Chop up 5 or 6 cloves of garlic, and soften it in warm olive oil in a wide pan. Add in one hot dried pepper. Boil up a half pound or so of spaghetti, but drain it 2 or 3 minutes before you think it’s done – it should be pretty chewy. Now turn up the heat to medium high and add the clams to the garlic and hot oil and stir them around occasionally for about 5 minutes or so, until they’re all open. Add a bit of chopped parsley and the underdone spaghetti and cook it, moving it around, until the spaghetti is just right for eating. Ecco.

This simple recipe keeps the flavor of the clams front and center. The spaghetti picks up the juices they release to finish cooking and at the same time incorporating the clam taste. 

* Vongola Verace in Italian means true clam. Two of them would be Vongole Veraci.


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More Info
Our article Eat Fish That Didn't Sell details finishing the spaghetti with the sauce.

Same dish, different blogger from Lazio: Il Forno

Credits
Photo of Venerupis decussata by Jan Johan ter Poorten; modified by Tom Meijer.
Photo of False Vongole Veraci by Massimiliano De Martino