Agriturismo Cascina Varìe

Chiara kept checking that we were enjoying the meal, and when we praised the food she just gave a modest shrug and said, “It’s Italy.” That care felt genuine, and by then we understood why we’d made so many trips here. Lunch itself lasted three hours, with no menu or price given beforehand, so we simply settled in and let it unfold. It began with airy fried bread and thin prosciutto folded to look like little sausages. Then came Battuta al coltello, a thick round of veal tartare topped with lemon, so tender it barely needed chewing. Some later courses echoed food we’d had the day before: ravioli della, veal with tuna sauce, risotto reddened with wine, and panna cotta. There was also fluffy spinach with sauce, followed by slow-cooked veal in red wine and lightly roasted potatoes. We got to choose dessert. My wife went with panna cotta, while I tried the recommended chocolate salami. It was like a dense brownie, dark chocolate flecked with white, and somehow its salami-like look gave it a spicy impression. Delicious. We had a wonderful stay.