THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT US
A piece about Umbria in Umbria BY Giancarlo Ferraris
“I was awakened by singing birds this morning!... I live in the city and these things just don’t happen there!” These few words are enough to understand the relaxing and unforgettable atmosphere that one enjoys on the great estate where the Ristorante Il Castellaro sits: the property extends for over 70 hectares on the hills over the little town of Ponte Pattoli, very near Perugia, where for some twenty years now this country house has been organising banquets and ceremonies, as well as running the very real farm activity making organic oil. The estate is made up of a 1900s villa, which houses the restaurant, a series of smaller villas and apartments built into the old farm buildings. The kitchen offers typically Umbrian fare with roots deeply nestled in the culinary tradition of this “green heart of Italy”: the pasta is homemade, the meat traditional and from certified local ranches, the wine from grapes grown in the area – in primis Montefalco’s great Sagrantino and Grechetto – and the black truffle was found in the surrounding woods. Each event has its own specially prepared dishes, from which organisers are free to choose, and are often interesting variations on classical traditional recipes invented by the highly competent chefs. Another curious fact is that the chefs are also open to suggestions for dishes to plump up the menu or new rare wines from different areas to add to the evening’s wine list. The constant striving for quality and the meticulous attention to detail, together with a deep love for their land, are the elements which give the Il Castellaro restaurant their natural “philosophy”.
Source: Orizzonte, a Food Service magazine, Anno V, Edition 2 – March/April 2010
