La Cantina di Spello, Via Cavour, 2, 06038 Spello PG, Italy, +39 0742 651775
Every once in a while you might be lucky enough to have a meal which displays such skill and value, you decide to eat at said spot for multiple meals. I like to think I have a pretty good gauge for this repeat meal decision making, though it can still be a struggle. There are so many places/specialties/styles of food to try! So, the choice is yours. For me, when I have a great and affordable meal, particularly when the service is gracious and kind and the food outstanding, I am apt to make another reservation. This decision will undoubtedly become easier if you have had a less than delicious meal elsewhere in town.
La Cantina di Spello is a prime example repeat dining as it's best and most necessary. Though I wanted to eat here from the get go, we arrived in town the only night closed, Monday. Sadly, this led to a disappointing (and therefore expensive) dinner across the street from here. We lucked out the following night when, without a reservation, we were able to score a seat at the communal table in the entryway. Never mind the adjacent dining room with it's stunning stonework and candles twinkling, you are going to eat beautifully sitting right here. The group of charming men eating next to you will make it known this is the best table in the house. They'd know, too, as this is where these gents eat each night (table 14). When they share their limoncello with you after dinner, you'll be inclined to agree. Enough of this, let's talk food and vino, we enjoyed plenty of both! As much as I'd like you all to think this is one dinner (and to be able to afford such a dinner) this is a combined review of two dinners.
The wine list here features the specialties of the area and is fantastic and well priced. This list compelled us to move past our usual house wine/vini sfusi tendencies. Our first bottle was made from the crisp Grechetto bianco grape. At 11€, this organic bottle was a steal and would be higher in the US, to be sure. This wine was a great match for our starters and really brought out new notes in both the food and wine. That's what it's all about, right?
Stracciatella di Burrata con Alici.
Buratta and anchovies were the first order of business and neither disappointed. As someone who some years past went to Apulia soley based on the fact buratta was invented there, this was a required item for me. Creamy, sweet and milky, this buratta was incredible fresh and delightful. Doused in a bit of the house olive oil and contrasted by some of the best salty and tender cured anchovies I have had in a while.
Since we hadn't quite had enough richness, we moved on to this wonderful potato sformatino. As if this little soufflé weren't decadent enough on it's own, it was enrobed in a parmesan fondue and topped with bits of chopped truffle. This definitely bordered on the 'too rich' side for me. The whole dish needed a bit of zing and texture, both of which would have been helped were fresh truffles in season. As it was, these truffles had likely been the type preserved in water and lacked the characteristic truffle flavor. I knew truffles weren't in season, so whose fault is all this anyways?
Pate di Fegato di Piccione.
Next up was the delicious, funky, silky and rich pate of pigeon liver. This was a seriosly generous portion! We were happy to have our super fresh Grechetto to cut all this richness. I actually added a bit of their fantastic extra virgin olive oil to lighten it up. Totally divine pate, though, and so smooth compared to the more rustic version you often see in this area and in Tuscany.
Sformatino di Patate e Porcini con Fonduta di Reggiano e Tartufo Nero.
Paccheri con Ragú di Coniglio e Pomodori Pachino.
Mezzemaniche con Fave Fresche, Guanciale e Pecorino.
Onto the pastas. We ordered this duo of pasta's with our wine in mind and they did not disappoint. These were both mezzo piatto (half portions) so the price was right, too, only 5€ each. The Paccheri with Rabbit Ragú was so bright and clean. Tender morsels of cooked rabbit, fresh tomato and parsley made for a juicy ragú and the fresh, perfectly cooked pasta tubes offered a nice home for the sauce to sneak into.
After all of our fresh fava and pecorino snacks in Rome, this pasta sounded so good to me. Of course, this was not just good but amazing! Sauced in just a bit of pasta water and olive oil, these mezzemaniche (coming from the Italian word 'maniche' meaning sleeves) were al dente and perfectly seasoned, especially given the saltiness of the pecorino and the generous amount of sliced guanciale (cured pork jowl). The fava's were small and tender and broke through the richness of the aforementioned salty components. This was the last food item of meal one and the nice pour of limoncello offered to us by our table mates provided the perfect conclusion.
By our third night in Spello we had yet to drink any of the area's famed Sagrantino. That changes here and we splashed out on what would be our most expensive bottle of the trip, this 2010 Perticaia. Still, at around 25€, this 100% Sagrantino went down as one of our top wines, so it was worth it. Despite all it's intense ripe fruit and a bit of spice, this was so smooth, aromatic and well balanced. It went really well with all of our dishes and we savored every drop.
Parmigiana di Melanzane.
This eggplant parmesan had a nice cheesy crust and plenty of thinly slice eggplant and tomato sauce. This dish was not a revelation, but was made well and full of texture and flavor. The house olive oil is really bright and has a delicious olive taste so we were happy to see it garnish many of our dishes.
Tartara di Manzo Chianina.
Beef tartar is a favorite of mine and this was certainly one of the best and most flavorful versions I have ever had. Chianina refers to the breed of cattle which are one of the oldest breeds in the world. This beef is famously used in the popular (and expensive!) bistecca alla fiorentina. Here, it is hand chopped into perfect tender bits and dressed minimally with that fantastic olive oil, a bit of salt and fresh basil.
Pappardelle al Cinghiale.
Onto the pasta (again!) I love pasta al cinghale (wild boar), and though I knew it was not in season, I still wanted to try a half portion. The fresh noodles here had such a nice toothsomeness and a few juniper berries, tender from braising, offered nice sharp bites. This was so nice with the wines and I was happy to have a bit of the famous Umbrian wild boar.
Agnello a Scottadito.
Our kind server was so nice to offer us half portions on the primi's (main dishes). This enabled us to try two entrees affordably, though I could have easily eaten a double portion of this. Lamb this tender and flavorful is such a treat and needs very little by way of preparation. In Italian the word scottadito means burned fingers, as in these lambchops are so fantastic I would reach into the fire to eat them. Luckily, they will bring them to you on a plate. They are really so so good, crisp and caramelized on the outside, tender, juicy and seasoned throughout. Plus, the lamb comes from a small farm with ties to the restaurant. Delicious!
Guanciale di Vitello Brasato al Sagrantino.
Whoa. This veal cheek braised in Sagrantino was out of control good. Meltingly tender and enrobed in a perfect velvety braise sauce, you couldn't have begged for a better match to the wine. This was a half portion, thankfully, as it's rich, fatty goodness was so filling. This dish isn't something I have a chance to order everyday. It was truly amazing and I was happy to have the chance to enjoy it.
 Sformatino de Melanzane, Zucchine e Basilico. |  Carciofi alla Romana. |
We also enjoyed these two from the contorni (side) list. I must say, I enjoyed this sformatino more than our previous due to the fresh spring flavors and it's pure rustic form. So smooth, with great zucchini flavor, vivid basil and more of that green olive oil, this offered a nice counter to the rich veal cheek. Wanting to embrace the artichoke season properly, we had to order these cooked in the Roman style which also offered relief from the rich main courses. While these had great artichoke flavor, they were missing a bit of salt and acidity for my taste. Another pinch of salt and a splash of wine would have perfected this and allowed the mint to come through. Still, fresh artichokes are a delight no matter what, right, so quit complaining, Carrie!
Barberani Calcaia Muffa Nobile Dolce.
Of course we needed dessert and since we were out of wine, the friendly owners were so kind to offer to us one of the most beautiful sweet wines I have ever tasted, the divine Barberani Calcaia Muffa Nobile Dolce. We smartly took their dessert recommendation which certainly seemed destined to only be eaten in the company of this remarkable wine.
Fresh, fluffy goat's milk ricotta topped simply with cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa and fragrant local acacia honey, this was one of the best desserts I have had in a while. Honey this pristine finds it's optimal use in a dessert like this, simple and fresh, what a great way to end a fantastic meal. This pairing is certain to be one I will attempt to replicate, though I can be quite sure it will never be as divine was enjoyed here.
Fresh, fluffy goat's milk ricotta topped simply with cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa and fragrant local acacia honey, this was one of the best desserts I have had in a while. Honey this pristine finds it's optimal use in a dessert like this, simple and fresh, what a great way to end a fantastic meal. This pairing is certain to be one I will attempt to replicate, though I can be quite sure it will never be as divine was enjoyed here.
I found the service at La Cantina di Spello to be gracious, thoughtful and prompt. On both occasions, our servers and the owners went out of their way to ensure we had a perfect meal. Allowing us to order half plates of certain items meant we were able to affordably try a variety of items from the menu which I appreciated greatly. I can't wait to return!