Ferragosto means food!
Everyone is out, picnicing or having a lunch celebrating summer and either the beginning or ending of vacation with friends!
We joined our friends at a local trattoria which is hidden off the main road.
Talk about hidden treasures!
I had eaten ages ago at La Fattoria at the Tavernelle off-ramp, right by my friend Gianni Migliorini’s uncle’s vineyard, Poggio Romito.
The owners of La Fattoria, have given the Fattoria to someone else to run, and have opened Al Macereto!
Run, don’t walk anytime you are nearby! and tell them Divina Cucina sent you!
This is the place where everyone goes for feasting!
My neighbors had their son’s communion here, and didn’t stop talking about it for ages! Our meal was non the less splendid.
Come hungry!
We asked for mixed antipasti, 3 first courses
And their specialty Maialino al forno, suckling pig, oven roasted, with potatoes.
Perfection!
We could have..and should have…stopped with the antipasti… I love just antipasti and dessert!
While we waited they brought a mixed crostini, two hot sauces, one mushroom and the other the tradtional chicken liver, serve yourself style, in a personalized ceramic pot, which we passes around.
Followed by a dish of fried goodies, sage leaves, polenta , stuffed olives and a green polenta, followed by baked savory puddings, truffled and spinach and oven roasted tomatoes.
The first first course was a giant Casonei ravioli, filled with ricotta and minced roasted meat, with a light pesto cream sauce,
followed by a tagliatelle with porcini sauce,
another pasta called strigoli, a spinach hand-rolled short pasta with an eggplant and tomato sauce, which my husband who hates eggplant,loved!
Their signature lemon-pine sorbet is a lovely interlude.
The suckling pig was fabulous 
as were the potatoes, called alla ghiottona, hard to find anymore, as they are slow roasted using the dripping from the roast, giving them incredible flavor!
Dessert was also perfect.. I taste lightly at the beginning, leaving space for dessert. Pacing yourself at these food orgies is so important!
I ended with a great Creme Brulee, my friends with a flourless chocolate cake!
After these gargantuan meals, a long walk in the surrounding woods is a pleasuer and a relief!
Ristorante Al Macereto
STR. Canaglia,10
San Donato in Poggio
055/807-1111
www.ristorantealmacereto.com
They have great signage so it is easy to find.
Bon Appetito!
It’s been fun reading about the Ferragosto celebrations.
Your photos and descriptions have made my mouth water.
A flourless chocolate cake? How interesting sounding.
I’ve placed Ristorante Al Macereto on my list of places to visit when I go to Italy.
Best,
Paz
Ummm… I tried to visit the Macereto site but keep getting a message that the URL link provide cannot be found. Is this happening just to me?
Paz
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Thanks.. I fixed the link!
The link still does not work. And those potatoes… Roasting them in fat from the raost meat is the standard way of doing “patate fritte” of my grandmother ^____=
now its ok!
Grazie mille!
I want your grandmother!
First you want a goose, secondo me. I have never tasted better potatoes than those roasted in goosefat. The smell coming from my neighbor’s house drives me mad.
My French cooking training calls out for duck fat!
nothing is better!!!
I can sell it to you, but beware: she’s high maintenace for many things, And extremely opinionated. And I am saying so!