Lunch with Andrea and Gregorio at their quaint Dispensary is pretty much everything you picture…read morewhen you imagine Tuscany. Nestled into charming, little Strada in Chianti, among the rolling hills of vineyards and olive groves, the restaurant/deli has a beautiful, cozy indoor space that you'll want to linger at for hours. They also have a gorgeous outdoor garden area, but it was a little too chilly to sit outside during our visit the first weekend in March.
Upon arrival, Andrea and his warmly wife greeted us and our dog. (Have I mentioned lately that I love how dog friendly Italy is?!?) Once seated, we were told the offerings for the day -- there are no menus here -- and settled on a tagliere and pappardelle with wild boar ragu. Plus a local wine, because... duh... we're in Chianti, people!
The tagliere that Gregorio presented us was the best selection of meat and cheeses that we've had during our time in Italy. (And, we've had A LOT of meat and cheese in our first 8-months here.) We ordered the board for 2 people but it could have easily served 5. The warm foccacia it came with was like little, salty pillows from heaven. Not to be over shadowed, the cinghiale pasta was also to die for! The ragu was so rich and savory, with hints of cinnamon and cloves. Mmmmmm!
We wrapped up our meal with a couple desserts -- a cheesecake with chocolate and a mascarpone and pear dish. Both were light and airy, the perfect compliment to a heavy antipasti and primi. The complementary vin santo washed it all down and helped us start to digest.
Perfect in every single way! We'll remember this meal for a long time to come. If in the Chianti area, don't miss a visit with Andrea and Gregorio!