Jenkins and I were feeling particularly lazy one evening and did not want to make the 10 minute walk down the hill into town for dinner. It had rained quite heavily earlier that day, and we were also a bit afraid of getting caught in a torrential downpour. As a result, we made the decision to just eat dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was still chilly that day so the outside terrace was not open for dinner but here was the view from the restaurant:

As usual, we started with our bottle of fizzy water. The tap water in most of the places we’ve been to in Europe is safe to drink as is, but we specifically read in several guide books that the Lake Como tap water is not good for drinking.

The bread we were served wasn’t very good but the packaged items weren’t bad (breadsticks in pink and mini toasts in yellow).

Unfortunately, as we browsed through the menu, we discovered that there wasn’t a restaurant-sized kitchen in the hotel and most menu items had been pre-made earlier and was simply reheated for dinner. Although I wish I had known this before I sat down, I did appreciate that the fact certain items were pre-made was clearly stated on the menu.

I looked through the menu for something that wasn’t pre-made and decided to start by sharing a charcuterie platter with Jenkins. I discovered this during my last trip to Europe, where a friend living in Paris introduced me to the wonders of saucissons, cured meats, and the like. Ever since then, I always order the charcuterie platter a few times throughout our trips to Europe.

The charcuterie platter contained a variety of Italian cheeses, prosciutto, cured beef, panchetta, and saucissons (start at the cheese and go clockwise). I enjoyed all the items on my platter quite thoroughly. I normally eat this with the bread that’s provided. Although the charcuterie went very well with the breadsticks and toasts, I wish the fresh bread had been fresher and more tasty.

I had the roast duck with potatoes and vegetables. Even though it was pre-made, it was surprisingly tasty and had a nice crispy sin that wasn’t too oily. The vegetables were finely chopped and slowly cooked in a tomato sauce and actually seemed like an Italian version of ratatouille. The potatoes weren’t too interesting in and of themselves but were nice and crispy without being greasy.

Jenkins had the roasted pork ribs with the same sides as my dish. The ribs were surprisingly moist and tender. They were seasoned nicely and had the rustic taste of a home-cooked meal.

Given the circumstances around the hotel restaurant, we enjoyed our meal quite a bit. Oddly enough, there were quite a few local Italian patrons in the restaurant. Jenkins and I wondered if they knew about the pre-made dishes and still decided to go to the restaurant or if it was a surprise to them too. Even though our meal was better than expected, we probably would have gone to a restaurant in town where the dishes weren’t pre-made and just re-heated.

Details:
Via Roma n° 11 – 23829 Varenna Lago di Como, Rome

Summary:
Food: 2.5 out of 5 stars although the charcuterie itself rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
Service: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

Jenkins and I decided to have a nice dinner at Albergo Milano one evening. According to our Rick Steves guide book, Albergo Milano was a great place for a nice evening out and had a nice view of the lake. The menu changes almost daily and always showcases whatever is in season. When we went that evening, our meal was 38 euros, which wasn’t bad for our three-course dinner.

First, we shared a half litre of the house white wine. Because we were both going for seafood items that evening, we figured it would be a good choice. It came in a clear receptacle that our server told us was used to keep the wine cool throughout our meal. I thought it was pretty neat.

The menu allowed for 2 choices for each of the courses. After we made our selections, we were presented with an assortment of breads. I found the breads to be a bit too hard on the outside for my liking so I just stuck with the breadsticks, which were crispy and crunchy all over.

I started with a cured meat platter with a tangy and mustard-y vinaigrette. It was salty but not overwelmingly so and I felt that the saltiness actually helped to open my appetite for the next course. Despite my trepidation with the bread initially, I found it actually went quite well with the cured meats.

Jenkins decided to go for the Tuscan bean soup. It was very warm and hearty – perfect for a cold day. On top was a baked crouton and some Parmesan cheese sprinkled over top. The cheese gave the soup a nice richness and turned out to be quite filling.

I decided to go vegetarian for my main course and chose to have a spinach, mushroom, and risotto ravioli. Sprinkled on top was some tasty and slightly tangy goat cheese. I turned out to like this dish much more than I expected. I’m not usually one for vegetarian main courses but the ravioli was cooked just right. The pasta shell had a nice al dente to it that you come to expect from Italian pasta and yielded a creamy filling inside. The grated goat cheese on top added an extra level of richness to the dish that left me quite satisfied.

Jenkins chose to have tuna with a lemony cream sauce over some red rice. He is normally not a huge lemon fan but the sauce was very light and had only the slightest hint of lemon. The tangy lemon sauce actually went quite well with the tuna and Jenkins enjoyed this quite a bit.

Finally, it was time for dessert. I went for the pear poached in port wine with a vanilla and cinnamon cream sauce. It was very light and was the perfect ending to my rich main course. The pear had a nice port-ish taste to it and matched very well with the cream sauce. I only wished that they had given me two pears instead of one.

Jenkins decided to pick the cheese platter so that we could try the other “dessert” item on the menu. It also came with some pear slices and a relish-like dipping in the middle. Although dessert-wise, I preferred my sweet dish more, I thought the selection of cheese were quite tasty and went very well with the relish sauce. Now that I think about it, I should have remembered to ask our server what kind of cheese we tried so I could hunt for them now that I’m in Vancouver.

There are only about 8 indoor tables at Albergo Milano and since it was rainy the day we went, the patio was not open during the meal. Since the tables are limited and when you book a table, you can have it for the entire evening, reservations are recommended. It is a lovely setting and we tried to time our meal with the evening sunset. Towards the end of our meal, we even got to see a spectacular thunderstorm across the lake. I’d recommend this place for a nice meal while on vacation and a good place to get a sampling of the local cuisine.

Details:
Via XX Settembre, 35, Varenna 23829, Italy

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$$

Because Varenna is quite a small town (population of about 850 people), there were only so many places we could go to for our meals.  Also, because the number of restaurants was relatively low, the prices were in general a bit more than what we usually saw in the bigger Italian cities.  While we were at Lake Como, we tried to stick to cheaper places for lunch so that we could splurge on dinner.  Nilus Bar was located right on the shores of Lake Como and was a reasonably-priced pizza and sandwich joint.

It was a bit rainy the day we were there but we were set on eating outside so we could enjoy the view of the lake.  Luckily, the restaurant had a bunch of tables set underneath large umbrellas with a great view of the lake and mountains so we decided to sit there.  Despite the rain, the weather was still quite warm so eating outside wasn’t a problem at all.

Jenkins and I decided to order drinks first and we both decided on orange-flavoured Fanta.  For some reason, I think the Fanta in Europe is less sugary than what I find in Vancouver / North America and the taste is more similar to the flavoured San Pellegrino drinks.  I’m not sure if my suspicions is true or not but I almost always order Fanta in Europe so I can get my fill before I head back home. 

Nilus Bar has a huge menu mostly focusing on pizzas and paninis.  Jenkins and I decided to order one of each and share.  I picked the crimini mushroom and prosciutto pizza.  I liked the pizzas that I had in Varenna as well as the rest of Italy because they always use the tomato sauce and cheese sparingly.  Although I like cheese, I don’t like it to be the main ingredient in my pizzas so this Italian style of making pizza suits me quite well.    I really enjoyed the mushrooms on my pizza but I felt that the crust from Albergo del Sole was lighter and more crispy.

Jenkins picked a simple prosciutto and mozzarella panini.  The bread was really crispy and had a nice crunch to it.  I enjoyed the sandwich but both Jenkins and I agreed that the pizza was definitely a better choice.

This was our first and only visit to Nilus Bar during our stay but we often walked past it on our way back to the hotel and it always had a steady crowd of customers.  I would peg the food as being only ok but the prices are definitely reasonable especially if you take into account the lovely view you get to enjoy while you eat.

Details:
Riva Garibaldi 4, Varenna, Italy

Summary:
Food: 3 out of 5 stars
Service: 2 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

Jenkins and I decided to stay at Hotel Eremo Gaudio during our stay in Lake Como.  Eremo Gaudio is just outside the main square of Varenna about halfway up a large hill.  It was quite the uphill trek to get back to our hotel each day but we saw it as a good opportunity to work off the day’s calories.

Our hotel offered a free breakfast each morning, which we could have on the covered outdoor patio.  Even though it was a bit chilly in the mornings, it wasn’t too bad if we wore a jacket and eating on the patio gave us an opportunity to enjoy the great view.  The view below is from our hotel room but it gives you an idea of what we got to look at as we ate our breakfast each morning. 

There was quite a selection of items for breakfast and most of it was fairly standard for most hotels we’ve been to in Europe.  I really enjoyed the toasted mini croissants.  They were light and crispy but not overly oily.  I also liked eating the mini crunchy toasts that can be found all over Italy (pictured below in the green package).  They go great with a variety of spreads, including pate, creamy yogurt, jam, or Nutella.  My favourite treat each morning was the cappuccino machine and the opportunity to make my own cappuccino each morning.  I’m not a regular coffee drinker but I never pass up an opportunity to have a cappuccino or latte when I’m in Italy. 

Overall, we enjoyed the breakfasts at Eremo Gaudio quite a bit.  After all, who can complain when you have such a great view to enjoy while you’re eating? 

Details:
Via Roma n° 11 – 23829 Varenna Lago di Como – Ramo di Lecco
Tel: 0341/815301

Summary:
Food: 3 out of 5 stars
Service: n/a

For the first leg of our trip, Jenkins and I stayed in the small town of Varenna at Lake Como.  Lake Como is one of the many lakes in the northern part of Italy just south of the Italian-Swiss border.  If you have been to Las Vegas, you’ve probably heard of the Bellagio Hotel, which is actually named after one of the towns on Lake Como of the same name.  Bellagio also gets more press than Varenna, partly because of its most famous resident, George Clooney. 

Jenkins and I decided to have pizza for our first meal in Varenna.  We are big fans of the pizza made in Italy because we like the light crispy crust and how the ingredients are all assembled more sparingly on the pizza than what we are used to in Vancouver.  We heard that the Albergo del Sole was one of the best pizza places in town and conveniently located right on the town square so we decided to give it a try.

First off, we ordered a bottle of mineral water with gas.  We normally just drink tap water when we travel through Europe, but we read specifically that the water in Lake Como was not suitable for drinking.

Jenkins and I decided to start by sharing a small plate of trofie pasta with pesto.  Pesto sauce actually originated from the nearby region of Cinque Terre (which I’ll blog about later) so we figured sticking with the trofie would be our best bet pasta-wise.  We also learned that trofie is specially made to be eaten with pesto because it picks up the sauce in its ridges better than other pasta shapes.

The pesto had a very earthy and slightly woodsy taste to it.  It was different from some of the creamier based pesto sauces I have had but I really enjoyed the strong basil taste.  The trofie was also made perfectly al dente and I liked how it picked up all the pesto sauce and didn’t leave a puddle of pesto at the bottom of my dish. 

Albergo del Sole had a very extensive pizza menu.  It took us a while to figure out what we wanted but I settled on Sole pizza, which I guess was their house special.  It had Parma ham with fresh mozzarella cheese and an egg in the middle.  I suppose it may be odd, but I really like pizzas with egg.    The pizza crust was light and crusty, just what I had hoped for.  It was also slightly chewy and made for a nice texture contrast with the almost creamy texture of the ham.  The egg was barely cooked and I spread the runny yolk over the pizza, which offset the saltiness of the ham.

Jenkins opted for regular cooked ham and cheese on his pizza.  His crust was a bit less crusty than mine and we suspect it was because our server thought he would eat his pizza and trofie separately and our two pizzas were probably made at the same time.  Although Jenkins enjoyed his pizza, he told me later that my combination of toppings was tastier than his. 

By now, we were quite full from the pizza and the trofie.  However, we had to order dessert since it was our first evening in Italy!  Jenkins chose the chocolate profiteroles, which were cream puffs smothered with a creamy chocolate sauce.  As you can see below, it wasn’t much to look at but was actually very tasty!  The chocolate sauce was light and airy – we could actually taste the bubbles on our tongues as we took each bite.

I knew before even arriving in Italy what dessert I was going to have when I got to Lake Como.  My friend Janice had just gone to Italy shortly before me and came back raving about the affogato.  Affogato is simply two of what Italy does best combined together: vanilla gelato drenched with espresso.  As soon as I took my first scoop, I could understand why Janice was so crazy about it.  To this day, it is one of my favourite desserts and it’s super easy to make at home too.  The espresso cut through the creamy coldness of the gelato and went great together.

Albergo del Sole is actually situated on the ground floor of a small hotel and had a steady stream of customers throughout the evening.  As with most small family-run establishments, they only had a couple of servers on hand throughout the evening so service can be a bit slow at times.  This wasn’t a problem for us though because most meals in Italy take their time through the evening and you can definitely see people relishing their meals.  Even though I think the servers spoke some English, my broken Italian was clear enough for them to understand what I was trying to order. 

Details:
Piazza San Giorgio 17, Varenna 23829, Italy

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 3 out of 5 stars