Along the Via Emilia, among art, poetry and good food: a day in Reggio Emilia, part two

We remain wrapped in the old charm of the district during our dinner too, at the Ristorante La Casseruola, on via Vezzani, a few steps from the basilica of San Prospero. Set in a seventeenth-century palazzo, the restaurant, loved by devotees of good food since 1974, is today an elegant, warm and at the same time family-like place, where you can spend evenings conversing in tranquillity, without noise, savouring the specialities of the area, sometimes imaginatively reworked while always keeping a lively link with tradition. Welcoming us with great kindness in the rooms furnished in a refined style and with attention to the fact that every table can keep its intimacy, is Mrs Diana, the owner who has run the restaurant for thirty-four years. 'The place was restored ten years ago, paying the greatest attention to the historicity of the premises.

In fact, the columns, as well as the exposed wooden beams, are the authentic seventeenth-century ones,' Mrs Diana explains as we take our seats. The menu, which changes periodically also following the seasonality of the products, offers, besides meat and fish starters, always-fresh home-made pasta, while among the dishes the grills stand out, the true pride of the restaurant. 'The table is the heart of human relationships; it is almost always there that important conversations take place, whether in the family, among friends or even during business dinners. That is why it is essential to make the people who sit at the table feel good. They must relax, enjoy the dinner and in a sense have fun. In fact, "I had fun" was the finest compliment anyone has ever paid me for the restaurant,' Mrs Diana continues her account.

Our dinner begins with a reworked gnocco fritto, served not with cured meats but with an exquisite grana cheese cream and ham cut into julienne strips. We also taste a tasty courgette parmigiana with prawns and some scallop slices. Next, we give in to the irresistible first courses made with fresh home-made pasta, including the mugnaia with sage, vegetables and chicken, truly a fitting idea for reworking the traditional ragu sauce. Our friends choose the pumpkin tortelli, while some opt for the typical cappelletti in broth. The chitarra, prepared with cuttlefish ink and seafood, is also much liked, and the pistachio pappardelle wins fans too. And so we come to the highlight of the dinner, the grills, which it is no exaggeration at all to call fabulous. In fact, thanks to their quality, variety and abundance they draw people from outside the city too.

On a large platter the gypsy-style skewers, the chicken, beef and pork grills arrive at our table, along with plenty of vegetables: a Pantagruelian course, like those depicted in certain paintings from Ariosto's time. As an alternative to the grills, some of our friends choose a tasty chicken breast with blackcurrant and pineapple, or the sliced beef with a delicious braised cherry tomato and rocket sauce. Fish lovers, on the other hand, cannot resist the salmon with pepper cream and prawn chips. Finally, we gladly give in to the sweet temptations of the house, tasting desserts made with originality and imagination, starting with the Seno di monaca, a meringue on a base of mascarpone cream, moving on to the almond cakes and finishing with the deconstructed boero, with the rum, sour cherries and jams served separately.

After this lovely day that had us enjoy ourselves both around the city and at the table, we are sure we will gladly return along the ancient Via Emilia and will always stop with pleasure in Ariosto's 'contrada'.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante La Casseruola Via Vezzani, 1 Reggio Emilia Tel.: 0522/453837 Facebook: La Casseruola Ristorante