Roman Countryside
Lago Bracciano, Dining by
the Lake
"We were so overjoyed to receive the first
two copies of my latest book, As the Romans Do, hot off the
press, that we decided to celebrate by taking a long-overdue
trip to the countryside. Our first idea was to make it as
far as Viterbo, 55 miles to the north, but as usual we got
off to a late start and soon realized that as soon as we arrived
at the hot springs we would have to turn around and head back
to Rome, so we detoured at Lago Bracciano. The lake is beautiful
in any season but it was peaceful and serene on what was mostly
a hazy day. We stopped first at Anguillara, an ancient hill
town that sits in the eastern fold of the lake, and then decided
to continue on to Trevignano, a hip resort that has become
popular as a place where Romans have their summer and weekend
homes. The town has a long lakefront on which you can stroll
or ride a bicycle, and the sun was starting to peek through
the weak clouds as we started to inquire about a "buon ristorante"
as the one we normally go to was closed. We were told that
any one of the trattorie in the central piazza was worth the
trip, but we finally settled for La Grotta Azzurra, the Blue
Grotto, because it had a lovely outside area (although it
was still a bit cold for us to lunch all'aperto) and spectacular
views of the lake from the second floor dining room.
The restaurant served fresh, delicious food,
and had an extensive wine list that would suit any choice
of dish. Particularly to our liking was a plate of grilled
radicchio that tasted as if it had just been picked, dressed,
and thrown on the fire, and for dessert a light sponge cake
that was doused with the best chocolate sauce I've ever had
with "pezzetini" of walnut sprinkled all around. I've often
thought that the dolce is what people remember most about
a restaurant and so we'll return, most likely when the weather
is a bit warmer, especially because most affordable Roman
trattorie often make dessert an afterthought. Not La Grotta
Azzurra. The management was friendly and accommodating, and
the building overlooking the water was also arranged in a
pleasing manner. It enabled us to feel that we were a million
miles from the city, and yet Diane was able to make her 3:00
appointment. The lake is a perfect Rome getaway, especially
in warmer weather."
La Grotta Azzurra Piazza Vittorio Emanuele,
18 Trevignano Tel:+3906- 999-420
(Closed Tuesdays)
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Saluti,
Alan Epstein |
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