Italy recap: last destination, Nordelaia

It was a lovely start to the morning when we woke up in Lezzeno. 

So lovely that it was a shame to have to leave Lake Como behind.  Alas, we did, and kudos to Conrad again for doing the driving and to Van for doing the navigating.  And there I sat in the back again, not rattling anyone by talking too much.  I kept my cool.  Until the rest stop.

Folks, look at this:  an Eataly. 

No, this is not a regular occurrence in Italy, but how awesome is this? 

A freaking Eataly! 

Love it.  We actually didn't eat anything there, though we bought a few snacks.  Oh, and for those reading this who think Eataly is an American thing, no, sorry.  It's an Italian company that started out there.

Enough of that, and back on the road with us!

On this trip, we've spent time in Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, and - finally - Piedmont.  Just past the village of Cremolino, we came to our hotel, the Nordelaia.

I'm going to let the photos do the talking here.  The hotel building was gorgeous outside

and in. 

Our suite was spacious

and opened out not just to a terrace on the garden level

but another large one overtop the hotel entrance.  The restaurant building was also handsome. 

We were greeted with glasses of their own wine to sip,

shown around, and then left to get settled in our room.  After that, we wandered more to take in the views of the valley,

the vineyards,

and Cremolino,

then relaxed some

and eventually found our way over to the bar at the restaurant.  What a space! 

We enjoyed cocktails there

and some lighter fare for dinner.

 

Van had found Nordelaia - he did all of our hotel research and bookings - and showed it to me.  A book, an article, an online feature - I can't recall.  But I was smitten when I saw it, and I knew we had to stay there.  We only got two nights, but I am so glad we did!

two meals in Lezzeno

On two different evenings in Lezzeno we had a dinner that was featured the warmest hospitality and a dinner that was the biggest meal we had while on vacation.  That isn't meant to be a backhanded compliment.  I'll get to it.  Let's start out with dinner at Osteria Il Governo.

It was about an eleven minute walk along that narrow road with only occasional sidewalks to get to the osteria.  The restaurant has been in the family for seven generations, which is pretty darn cool.  The building had multiple dining rooms, and we were in the first, not far from the entrance, able to watch the bar and the comings and goings.

I'll talk about the food and drink in a moment, but here is what I loved about the place:  the people who tended to us.  All men, one of them the owner and host, they provided service that felt genuine.  Polished?  No, not entirely.  Who cares?  They made us feel as if it was their very real pleasure to take care of us, to bring us the food and drinks they were proud of.  The bartender came over and asked if he might make a special drink for any of us - I told him I liked gin and out came this fizzy and refreshing cocktail. 

The owner consulted with us on wine and we found ourselves yet again enjoying a delicious Italian red. 

Better still, when we asked him about a local amaro, he poured us some then comped the servings and even produced a bottle for us to buy when we inquired. 

That amaro is one of my prize items I returned with, and I plan to share it with friends to return that feeling of care and hospitality.

I also liked the food.  Yes, we had fancier food on the trip, but again, who cares?  The cold smoked lake trout carpaccio was very good. 

The duck breast with sweet and sour pink onion was also very good. 

The desserts - pavlova and brownie - again, very good. 

And then they brought out a dessert sampler. 

Was it on them, or did we pay?  I don't recall.  We enjoyed it all.  The restaurant interior felt cozy but not close. 

The night was an utter pleasure.  We walked home, stopping at the lovely little cemetery to admire it,

then made it back to the hotel and to bed.

Our last night in Lezzeno we had dinner at our hotel, the Filario.  The restaurant dining room had a fantastic view of the lake,

and although I will complain that they almost never had tables for more than two people with views at the windows, we could still see it getting darker over Lake Como.

As always, we started with cocktails,

though we opted for the wine pairing option for me and Conrad through dinner (Van didn't want to drink that much, so he stuck to his cocktail and maybe one more).  The wine pairing gives the game away - we did a tasting menu rather than a la carte.  Chef's choice, but we asked for it to veer more to meat for a change on the trip.  The various amuses and small bites then followed, each one quite good. 

I'll try to remember, with the help of the online menu, what else we had.

There was the duck egg with duck.

A pasta with truffles.  One of the best things I ate the entire trip.  Simple, so good.

A filled pasta topped with shavings of raw porcini.

Quail filled with sausage.

A palate cleanser of two carob - I think - filled pasta with a little gelato and olive oil.  This was extraordinary.

Crispy bread with butter ice cream.  Loved it!

An assortment of sweet treats ended the meal,

and I am fairly certain I once again had an amaro.  I think I also had a decaf cappuccino.  I think.  It was all so so very good.  And it was all so very much.  That pasta with truffles was not a small serving.  None of them really were.  All of us had a rough night after that, clutching our bellies.  Our own fault - our own greed got the better of us.  But ah, how awesome to taste it all!