Il Frantoio
We wanted to make a trip out of Buonrespiro. An incentive to have dinner outside was a block of the draining pipes to be repaired only the next day.
So we decided to go to Lubriano a charming village just on the other side of the Umbria/Lazio border.
On the way we visited Casa Vespina and admired the ospitality structure that Margherita and Federicoi have created. If you want 1st class Safran, Legumes or Farro, Casa Vespina is the choice.
Arrived in Lubriano we found the “vecchio mulino” closed (because it was Wednesday) and another restaurant that we knew from years ago closed for good. The only open place was “il frantoio” and the environment was rather amazing. Beautiful to t he borderline of history kitch.
The guiding principle of this restaurant is “abbondanza”, I don’t know a suitable English expression. Everything is a lot. We ordered “mixed starters”, “baffo con salvia”, “strangozzi dal frantoio” e “bufallotti”. When I started to consider “secondi” the (Chinese) waiter got nervous and told me to stop. I understood very soon why
The two starters alone would have been enough to fill us. “Baffo con Salvia” (porkcheak with Sage) is a classic Umbrian dish, bt normally 25% the size and much more sage. I think they sliced an entire Porkcheak -:). I enjoyed it and we finished it. But: why this terrible glace from vinegar instead real vinegar, which this plate needs to contrast the fat!
Then we decided immediately to eat only half of the mixed starters and to make “da bao” with the rest. Luckily the waiter understood “da bao” and brought us a container to bring home what we did not eat.
Now the pasta dishes
It was a lot and it was not bad. But quantity seems to be more important than excellence. Yhe quality of the pasta itself was excellent in both dishes- Main taste delivering agent was again in both dishes and again “guanciale” pork cheek., what I like, but there was missing a taste kick.
We concluded with two ordinary desserts, a lemon filled with ice cream and a cheese cake with frutti di bosco,dishes as they are served a like in thousands of Restaurants.
I insisted to try the red wine from D’Amico, which was on the menu We had seen it for 8 € in a local shop and the Restaurant sold it fo r 12. I thougt with d’amico wines, one cannot go wrong. But the wine was without any character and we left half o f the bottle. Nixy not even drank it.
But to be honest: I will go back to this place, because I want try their beef, mentioning portions that are too big is much more appreciation than telling that you went hungry home! And the overall bill was 78!
