After a challenging drive through a storm that brought with it fog, torrential rain and gusty…read morewinds, we arrived from The Garfagnana region, NE of Pisa, at the Pisa International Airport to drop-off our rental car and pick-up another. This took a while as the rental agent was confused about our reservation and assigned us the wrong vehicle. Once that was corrected we were on our way for an afternoon in Pisa. It was now noon. We'd had only a light breakfast and nothing since 7:30AM. We pulled into a parking space, not far from the historic center of the city and searched Yelp for a place to lunch.
We decided on a ristorante only a short walk up the street. As we were walking there we noticed this small restaurant. We were intrigued by the name and looked it up. Nothing about it other than the basics on Yelp. On Google Maps we found some info: vegan, "La Cucina" and several, recent, glowing reviews! We decided to go in and try it.
We were one of only two parties there at that time. A lady came out of a hallway and told us we could sit wherever we preferred and that she would be with us shortly, before hurrying out the door to wait on an outdoor table. We seated ourselves at a table in a sunny corner next to a window. Within a few minutes she returned and recited the menu del giorno. It consisted of three pasta varieties: Gnocchi; Taglieli and Ricotta-Spinach Ravioli each served with a choice of sauces: Pomodoro, Verdure, Sugo di Coniglio. Also available was a vegetarian zucchini dish. Speaking with the lady in my best Italian which is conversational, at best, I had to ask several questions as I interpreted the menu for my wife. After the Q & A I ordered Gnocchi Pomodoro for Lisa and the Taglieli with the Sugo for me, Insalata mista, a carafe of Vino Bianco Frizzante and a bottle of Aqua minerale frizzante. Lisa is fond of bubbly beverages!
Our server brought beverages and asked me something about the salad, to which I answered, Yes. I was distracted and only later, when the pasta dishes arrived first did I realize what I had agreed to, forgetting that in Italy salad is traditionally served after the first and second courses.
The pasta dishes were outstanding. The pillowy little gnocchi were bathed in a simple, fresh tomato sauce, with just a hint of natural sweetness. Freshly grated parmiggiano was brought to the table for sprinkling atop the gnocchi. The Taglieli, similar to tagliatelle, were a mound of pasta fresca, perfectly al dente, bathed in the tomato-based Sugo with very small, tender pieces of rabbit stewed with finely diced onion, celery and carrot, lightly salted and seasoned with a subtle mixture of herbs and a topping of fresh ground black pepper. For me, it could not have been better. Cucina Toscana!
The salad arrived following the pastas. A mixture of crisp lettuces, tender greens, sliced tomato, julienned carrot and some of the best mozzarella di bufalo I've had in Italy in the three weeks we'd been here. A bottle of good extra virgin olive oil, the same of balsamic vinegar, sale e Pepe were all the dressing necessary for this refreshing course. I came away with an improved understanding of why salad is better served after the entrees, as both a palate cleanser and a digestive.
We learned that our server was the owner along with her husband, who had arrived by the time we had finished our meal and was at the front desk cashing out the early diners and helping the steady stream of local patrons coming in for lunch.
GingerLab "La Cucina", is a little gem tucked into a corner, on a local arterial, only minutes away from the famous Piazza dei Miracoli. The owners couldn't be nicer or more competent. They take pride in their establishment and it shines through in the ambience, food and service.
