Truffle hunting with Savini Tartufi was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I…read moredon't mean that lightly. I've worked in the gourmet cheese and wine industry, and so it's no surprise that I love anything truffle! While visiting family in Italy, my family member booked us for truffle hunting as a gift to me, and I had a fantastic and unforgettable experience here. The hospitality from Luca and Andrea started from the train station, as they had a staff member pick us up and drive us to their location in the picturesque town outside of Pontedera. When we arrived, we were speechless at the beautiful aesthetics of the countryside and how homely their property was. Right away, we were greeted by the three generations of special truffle-hunting dogs: Giotto, Fiuto, and Bruno. We were very lucky because we would have been truffle hunting with another family, but they cancelled, so it was very private and more intimate. The interior of their headquarters featured an immersive, museum-like display showcasing the history of truffle-hunting, as well as some general information about the food. They have a full kitchen and a dining area as well.
We were treated like family when they showed us deep into the forest of Tuscany to find some truffles (well, the dogs were doing most of the heavy lifting since they are specifically trained to smell the truffles). Here at Savini Tartufi, they truly care and enjoy teaching people about truffles, and you can see the passion gleam in their eyes as they inform us. We found a good bunch of truffles, and they took us back to the dining room and prepared a multi-course meal of truffle foods, with their own products. They gave us very generous portions, but since you are out for a couple hours walking in the woods, you do work up an appetite and the food will disappear!
To start, they poured us their house red wine and some water. The first course was an appetizer of a truffle charcuterie containing truffle pecorino, bruschetta with a medley of spreads (pesto, tomato, and of course truffle), a truffle infused olive, prosciutto, and truffle salami. The board was generously sprinkled with fresh truffle shavings and drizzled with their truffle honey. The second course was spaghetti with their truffle sauce and butter, and of course it was also loaded with fresh truffle shavings. The third course surprised me a little. This might seem like an odd combination, but don't knock it until you've tried it. It was two sunny-side-up eggs with truffle oil, truffle salt, and truffle shavings. It blew me away! The umami flavor of the eggs pairs excellently with the truffle, and if I had the funds for it, it would be my breakfast every single day. (Perhaps someday this fantasy will be possible...) For dessert, we were served bonbons drizzled with truffle honey and truffle shavings. The combination was very unique, but the ice cream was very refreshing.
Overall, this entire day exceeded five stars. I will never forget this experience and I will treasure it for many, many lifetimes! Thank you tremendously to the entire staff and crew of Savini Tartufi. I can see the other reviews are a bit dated, but are also five stars. I can absolutely guarantee you that their service is fantastic. When I come back to Italy, you bet I'll come back!!! Grazie mille!!!
