VIVARO - gastronomic metropolis

Well, the gastronomic bit works.
Metropolis it ain't.

The only restaurants in a town of 1,272 inhabitants (Gelindo dei Magredi and Lataria dei Magredi) are both owned by the same family (not the Magredi family as those unfamiliar with the region may assume) who have been in business for decades. There are only two entries in the Michelin guide 2007 for Vivaro and they are the aforementioned. In fact, Gelindo dei Magredi receives a Bib Gourmand which is not quite a star but a rather important quality/price signal. When we can't afford stars we eat bib gourmand.

The family also happens to be related to yours truly. Zio Gelindo (my great uncle) was the patriarch and namesake who sadly passed away some years ago and behind every great man...(you know how it goes) was the woman who really made it possible - zia Tilia who has also passed. Running the show now is the next two (three?) generations of the Trevisanutto family (at least those who did not leave town during the mass migration of the 60's) and are doing an amazing job of it.

We ate at Gelindo and stayed at the Lataria (although you can eat and stay at both) last January and were very pleasantly suprised. Rather than being just a home-cooking kind of place, we were treated to some sensational flavours. As usual, we left it to them to treat us to what was fresh and good. The organic produce is all from their land as well as the wine and apple juice. Our meal on this occasion was a degustazione from the menu. I love this kind of eating! Here's what we ate based on my scratchy notes and poor Italian translation:

• We started with a salad of cured duck breast on mache lettuce with fresh horseradish, pomegranate seeds and celeriac.

• The next course consisted of several tasty morsels: stuffed artichoke; boiled potato with a salted local cheese and pitin (a salame made with beef, pork and sheep meat); a quail egg; radicchio wrapped in speck and grilled.
  

• To follow was also a plate of assaggi and included: pumpkin, pitin and celeriac ravioli with brown butter and pumpkin sticks; pumpkin crespelle with smoked ricotta and gratinate in the oven.
  

• The "main" course was roasted veal nut with a walnut sauce and white polenta (YUM!!!)

No room for dessert.
I wish I'd taken photos.
Naturally, we always, at some point in the meal, have prosciutto crudo di San Daniele - a rival to Parma or hors concours?

If you're ever in the Dolomiti hiking or horseriding - this is the place to stay and eat - you may never leave!!
www.gelindo.it