This is a large, bustling restaurant and bar in a great location in Ravenna, in the historic…read morecenter. Menu offered a variety of intriguing options including seasonal specials and dishes that made it clear we were in Emilia Romagna. Since there were three of us we were able to sample a variety of dishes and all were very good to exceptional.
To start I had the radicchio salad with crispy bacon, companions had the soft cheese budino with crispy parma ham in wine cream, and the parma ham and parmesan cheese salad. Both the salads were so huge (and wonderfully fresh tasting) they could have been a "light" lunch all on their own! The budino was beautiful and tasty as well. It was hard not to keep munching on the warm piadina bread served to the table as well, but we had to save room for our mains.
I absolutely adore venison and can't resist ordering it when I see it on a menu. Here they had it in a stew with polenta. Delicious, much like the way I prepare it at home slow-cooked in wine with fresh herbs like rosemary. One companion, after a week of heavy pasta and rice dishes felt drawn to the grilled chicken. As simple as that sounds, it was terrific. I'd love a place back home that made such a flavorful grilled chicken dish. Third main course was the winner of the day, though - the risotto with sausage and radicchio. Perfectly cooked risotto (according to my native Italian dining companion) and rich with autumn flavors.
Needless to say, no room was left for dessert. I would definitely come back here and recommend this restaurant as a great place to sample some of the cuisine of this region of Italy. It's not an intimate or romantic choice, but good for a group, especially if you want to sample a variety of dishes.
