“La Grassa”: Bologna
Each spring (well it’s been freezing in London so spring has not arrived if ever), we look forward to the long four-day Easter bank holiday weekend. This year we took off to Bologna, otherwise known as “La Grassa” (the Fat One) and for good reasons: all the amazing food produced in the region of Emila-Romana — Parmaesan cheese, Parma ham, Mortadella, Balsamic vinegar, just to name a few.
It is also the birthplace of lasagne, ragu pasta (Bolognese), and tortellini, all the rich meaty Italian dishes we all grew up loving. Needless to say we spent the weekend eating our way through this charming city, marvelled at the old medieval architecture (Due Torri and Santo Stefano), and enjoyed long strolls under the city’s 40 km of covered arcades (portici). Eating in review – buon appetito!
Friday:
Tamburini – a great little deli shop with gorgeous fresh pastas to oogle at that will make your mouth salivate. For lunch, we ordered a huge plate of Italian ham and cheese, paired with several glasses of local wines. The whole area around Mercato di Mezzo is a foodie paradise; spend the afternoon browsing through little markets selling Italian hams, local cheese, and fresh produce.
Aperitif – between 5 and 8 pm, most people have an aperitif which comes with tapa-style snacks, but be careful not to fill up on these before dinner.
Da Silvio – a friend recommended this place. Had I known it was a set menu of all you can eat, I would have saved my appetite. There is no menu and no prices – set menu was €40, I believe. They serve you with 10 different appetisers, different pastas , and then the main dish – veal, plus all you can eat dessert. Goodness, way too much food.
Saturday:
Trattoria de Rossa – a favourite of locals and tourist; this is a great place to sample home-style cooking at very good prices. Kenz was on a mission to find the best Bolognese in town, and I tried to the Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Soup).
Eatly- our second lunch of the day; we went to Eatly, a bookstore, gourmand shop selling craft beers, local wines, and high-end pasta sauces. The 2nd floor restaurant was closed by 3pm so we went to the bar upstairs for a plate of Mortadella, Carpaccio, and a bottle of red wine from Piedmont. Great atmosphere and good people-watching.
La Sorbetteria on Via Castiglione – arguably one of the best place for gelato in Bologna. Order the pistachio.
Mariposa Trattoria – recommended by our BnB owner, Mariposa is like going to your grandma’s house for good home-style cooking. No surprise, Kenz ordered the Bolognese and I had tortellini with zucca (pumpkin). Very affordable; very local kind of place.
Sunday:
On Easter Sunday, we followed the 666 arches up to Santuario della Madonna di San Luca. It was a gorgeous day for a leisurely walk overlooking the countryside.
We ended up at Eatly again, but this time at their 2nd floor restaurant where we had Easter lunch over pasta Bolognese and Spaghetti Amatriciana , followed by traditional roast lamb and Jerusalem artichoke.
Grom – another popular gelato shop. It was open on Easter Sunday.
Apertivo at Zanarini on Piazza Galvani for a strong old-fashioned and a classic spirtz with a splash of Campari.
Pizzeria Ristroante le Brace – with no luck getting into other restaurants on our list, we stumbled upon a great pizza place that also specialise in seafood. So full, I wasn’t sure if I could eat dinner. Kenz ordered a massive pizza and I ended up ordering seafood pasta, which neither of us could finish.
Monday:
E’Cucina Bologna – we found this lovely place next to our BnB. Headed up by Cesare Maretti and Jamie Oliver disciple, this hip little bistro has a great three-course lunch menu for €20 which includes: starters, mains, dessert, coffee, mineral water, and wine.
De Cesari – our last and final meal in Bologna. A classic meal with pasta ragu and tortellini, followed by steak, one smothered in truffles and the other was over a balsamic reduction sauce. Delicious! A lovely dining experience.
Needless to say, our waistline dramatically expanded over the long weekend. Time to work off the calories before our next foodie adventure in San Sebastian, Spain.
