Ristorante La Meridiana a Domodossola, What a Gem!!
Oh my god, yesterday’s stumble into this unbelievable restaurant restored my faith in off-the-beaten-p
ath places to eat. This was a find of monumental proportions and anyone who can or is able, head to Domodossola for a fabulous meal. They specialize in fish courses but also propose perfect Spanish fare. This is of course family-owned and operated, which means the clan of ultra dedicated and proud owners will serve you. Situated close to the Swiss border this town boasts a lively atmosphere. There is a fun Jazz Club hidden off of the main street, nicely frescoed palazzini all framed with the majestic mo
untains
of the Val Dossola. The family recently restored an old building from
the very early 1700’s into a casa-vacanza in the locale of Cadarese, the
Valley of Antigorio. The area will soon host thermal baths as well as
sport complexes and recreational activities summer and winter.
For information regarding the vacation lodging, La Meridiana
The restaurant is one of a kind serving courses that would cost upwards
20€ per plate. Many of the risotto fish dishes or paella must be ordered for a minimum of two bodies,
which would tell any food fanatic your dishes are prepared to order!
They do not have precooked this or that. Saturday is their busiest day
at lunch and trust me, the tables turned
not twice but three times during the lunching hour. The place is small;
the tables are barren, wooden and simple. As a restaurant
classification one might expect tablecloths or linen napkins; probably
for dinner they set up in that manner as in the photos on the website, but for lunch it was nice and bare and simple. They
put out paper placemats, a knife and fork serving the wine in big
generous glasses and that is it folks. A very simple but stunningly
divine repast.
The
courses are presented without too much fanfare (lord with that crowd
how can they do anything else but get the food to the tables) and the
food was piping hot. They offer Spanish prosciutto hand cut per order
rivaling any Italian
prosciutto to date. Tending to lean towards Speck, this female became a
convert since stopping in at this locale, ordering pearls or melon
balls in a tortilla cup served with ultra thin slices of Spanish
prosciutto and large shredded Parmigiano (not shaved). The bread was
ultra fresh in nice thick generous slices and upon requesting a refill,
they were more than happy to fulfill, which makes any Italian very happy. ;-)
It
was hideously hot outside and the desire to eat a heavy meal was not on the planner but luckily I did order three courses, all of
them small amounts of perfectly prepared dishes. Tortelloni of
Astice with julienned zucchini in a sauce neither I or my partner in crime
could figure out; utterly di
vine
and only four of these things on the plate, a perfect, perfect amount
of food! While taking this meal in a very slow manner (due to the number
of patrons in the place), I was able to spy other dishes whizzing by
the table and most of them made me realize, this is going to have to be
a regular watering hole in order to begin our exploration of the
fabulous fish fare proffered.
Granted,
living in the area would help but a trip from Milan to this restaurant
is worth it and if you really want to soak up the scenery, get a room so
you can not only eat a great meal but explore their wonderful cellar as
well. Beware of the desserts or I should say, save room for at least
one. Difficult not to overhear the table next to us as the
Italian/Swiss/French creature expounded on the delights of a semifreddo
with amaretti of course all made by the chefs. If a meal is not in yo
ur
budget, then go in for a glass of wine at the bar and a slice or two of
prosciutto, this is truly a hidden gem and with a little bit of time to
spare, I will translate the story of the cooks and family from
their brochure, another impressive story (they boast fantastic chef
training).
August 10, 2008
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