In the paradise of two wheels, among nature, art and good food: holidays in Sassello – Part II

After this fine tour we return to the hotel, where, sipping an aperitif, we also have the pleasure of a chat with the owners, Mrs Carla and her husband Ivano Ravera, chef of the Ristorante "Da Ivano" within the property and a true stronghold of the area's authentic flavours. "After his studies at hotel school my husband had many work experiences both in Italy and around the world, but at a certain point he decided he wanted to stay in the place where he was born, in Sassello. For twelve years he ran the Albergo Sassello with his brother Roberto, in the same building where the Amaretti Giacobbe company is today. The great change came later: in 1995, to keep pace with the times, we decided to build the Hotel Pian Del Sole, a new, spacious and modern property that since then has allowed us to do our work while offering services of a different and higher quality than before.

Along with the building of the hotel our son Gabriele was born, and he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps by studying at hotel school. Gabriele has certainly inherited his father's passion for cooking, and after his studies he is now gaining various experiences abroad, from Malta to London. Who knows, perhaps one day he too will choose to work here, in the town he set out from. Over these twenty years we have always been able to count on the precious help of Rina too, the chef's mother, who has always stood by us on our working journey, conveying so much enthusiasm and positivity and embodying an important figure as our image," Mrs Carla tells us. So we discover that we have arrived here at an important period in the hotel's history: 2015 is the year of its twentieth anniversary.

"An important anniversary that we will continue to celebrate with various initiatives in 2016 too, together with our guests. Our twenty-year story, in fact, we have written together with them, and all those who have been our guests over these long years have helped our business grow," the owner explains. The Hotel Pian del Sole has in fact always been the favourite destination of those who wish to spend a pleasant holiday amid nature, taking advantage of the many opportunities that the territory and the surrounding Beigua Nature Park offer to hikers. The hotel welcomes cyclists with a programme designed especially for them, including guided visits along the nature trails and the possibility of storing bicycles indoors, as well as renting them for those who don't have one.

The property is an important reference point also for the many motorcyclists who in the warm season speed along the area's winding roads: bikers know that here they can stop for a rest, leaving their motorbikes safely in the garage. The hotel's versatility means it is loved also by those who prefer a less sporty holiday, made up of afternoons spent sunbathing or doing a few lengths in the outdoor pool, but it is equally sought after by those who wish to celebrate an important event in their life. The large panoramic room with terrace, the "friends' gazebo" where you can dance, and the exquisite culinary specialities of Mr Ivano make the hotel ideal also for organising weddings, parties, ceremonies and banquets. As for the culinary specialities, we too have the pleasure of appreciating them, since we stop here for dinner as well.

As we eat, seated in the large, bright dining room, thanks to the big windows we feel as though we are in a garden. Our gaze ranges over the greenery and our imagination conjures up fairy tales set in the woods, tales that soon become reality as we taste Ivano's specialities made with the exquisite, fragrant mushrooms of Sassello, renowned for their absolutely excellent quality. On the menu we find very appetising dishes based on typical local products: besides mushrooms, also game, meat from local farms and garden vegetables. We start with a turkey carpaccio with pumpkin and amaretti mayonnaise, with balsamic vinegar. We continue with homemade tagliolini with sautéed porcini, and then taste a dish that wins us over both for its goodness and for its originality: the coccio (clay pot) with fresh porcini from Sassello.

It is an oven-baked speciality made up of layers of lightly seasoned porcini and potatoes covered with a thin bread dough. Our friends choose instead an exquisite veal shank with watercress in vinegar and a double-malt beer zabaglione. Finally, we have only to give in to the sweet temptations of the house desserts, including the acacia-honey semifreddo with apple purée, the crème brûlée and little chestnut puddings. If the evening reserved such a wealth of good things for us, the morning is no less generous. On waking, breakfast delights us with a series of tempting homemade specialities, including Ligurian savoury focaccia, cakes, various biscuits, but also homemade jams, cornflakes, fresh and tinned fruit, cheeses and hams, rusks and fruit juices.

Around here they say: "If the world were shaped like a ring, the pearl would be Sassello." After this lovely early-autumn holiday we are sure that the light of this pearl will bring us back here in the future too, and it will always be a joy to find ourselves at the Pian del Sole.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Hotel Pian Del Sole Loc. Pianferioso, 23 Sassello (SV) 019/724255 facebook.com/hotelpiandelsole.it