Un medieval building overlooking the bell tower of the church of the medieval village of Gualdo Cattaneo (Pg) recovered from abandonment now houses the Il Grottino restaurant with adjoining four bedroom resort. A respectful restoration has transformed what was the rectory of the parish priest of the church in Piazza Beato Ugolino into a place of taste and hospitality, in a warm and relaxing atmosphere in full Umbrian style. This is how two Roman entrepreneurs imagined it at first glance Giorgiana Guidi and Raffaele Tomaino, when by chance they came across that village all made of stone, magical and silent. It was not easy to give it back to life and make it a landing place for special guests, with the involvement in a vast inclusive project of the community and local artisans.
Il Grottino restaurant with adjoining four-room resort
Village of Lombard origin
Gualdo Cattaneo stands on a rock that overlooks Foligno and the valley of the Puglia stream as far as Montefalco, home of the Sagrantino and a jewel of art for the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in the church of San Francesco. But the view extends to the Sibillini National Park among vineyards and olive groves.
Of Lombard origin the village it has an ancient history and due to its military strategic position, it was often at the center of disputes and alternating dominations between the lords of Foligno and Spoleto. I bear witness to this many castles of its defensive network, a true open-air museum. Dominated by a fifteenth-century fortress, it is rich in testimonies of the faith such as the churches of Sant’Agostino and Sant’Andrea. From “il Grottino” they can start many itineraries and Giorgiana and Raffaele’s guests are not lacking in suggestions and addresses to experience the land of San Francesco with personalized proposals such as bike rides, horseback riding through the Sagrantino streets and diving into the autumn foliage of the surrounding woods. The toponym Gualdo derives from “Wald” (forest, wood) and Cattaneo from “Captaneorum” (captains, lords in the service of the king).
Beauty and hospitality at 36 °
«This project was born just as a challenge – say the owners – discovering that a Gualdo Cattaneo, a magical and beautiful place, there was no activity capable of welcoming and offering a high level gastronomic proposal. Our goal is to animate this spectacular village, making it a destination to spend a pleasant evening for local visitors and a place to fall in love with for tourists. We make our customers live a 360 degree beauty experience, starting from the stay in our rooms, passing through the aperitif, up to dinner with proposals from the kitchen and the grill. We want life to revive these alleys. For this reason, on Fridays and Saturdays we also offer musical entertainment open to all, with live jazz music performances, of which Umbria is the home of choice. Despite the difficult period of the pandemic that has just passed, which has limited us very much, we can say that our project has been understood and that there has been no lack of answers. A sign that we were in the right direction that we had decided to take ».
Brazier always on
Entering “Il Grottino”, one immediately feels enveloped in a calm and relaxing atmosphere and attracted by the warmth of the large iron fireplace that is always lit. It is cured by one of the trade, the Bracierist Damiano Morici who feeds with different woods depending on how much is entrusted to the grill. Above all the meats require particular and constant attention depending on the quality and cut.
Marco Micucci in the kitchen
Leading the room is Luisa Minrath, who leads a small team of young people attentive to service in detail. In the kitchen there is a long-time chef with a lot of experience even abroad, Marco Micucci, a genuine Perugian who has made food his passion and who has fulfilled the dream of returning home. Son of art, who has always been involved behind the stove, he lets his creative vein and dynamism express himself in a proposal that combines Umbrian tradition with the desire for novelty, also looking beyond regional borders to seek excellence. The menu offers concrete dishes, with intense and recognizable flavors, made from ingredients carefully selected by local suppliers, such as vegetables from Cannara, famous for a special sweet white onion, legumes for soups or the inevitable black truffle, a precious resource of the local woods and also present in other seasonal varieties. Of each production Luisa is happy to explain the origin and the artisanal method of processing and transformation. This goes from appetizers such as the cold cuts platter of the Torre Brado company, from Giano dell’Umbria, specialized in the breeding of pigs in a semi-wild state, to the potato pie with parmesan cream and Norcia black truffle, up to ‘Puffed egg with truffles, prepared in double cooking and served in a copper pan. We then move on to the first courses, where seasonality is the protagonist in dishes such as Maltagliati made with spelled flour and hemp with red wild boar ragout, or Canestrelli with porcini mushrooms, with goat cream, crispy leek and walnut crumble, made with pasta fresh stuffed, coming from the La Spiga pasta factory in Santa Maria degli Angeli, a local reality in constant collaboration with the Grottino cuisine. Between the seconds, bulwark of territorial cuisinetriumphs the Pig Abbracciato nuanced with Sagrantino with crispy bacon: the fillet, just floured and cooked in oil, is blended with the famous Montefalco wine, left to reduce until it becomes a very thick sauce to be garnished with crispy bacon leaves.
The inspiration of the chef and the desire to provide a varied proposal to customers, means that the menu does not miss a dish such as the Heart of Portuguese cod, with panko breading, mango pearls and yogurt sauce: the fish, of the company Jolanda De Colò, is desalted and then passed in egg, flour and bread flakes. The mango pearls impart sweetness in contrast to the savory codfish and also have a tart aftertaste that helps clean the palate, along with the yogurt sauce that helps add a hint of acid.
Grilled meat is irresistible
Grilled meat is irresistible, sometimes marinated with a formula created by the chef, and left a few minutes on the wood for the juices to stabilize before serving. But even before that, it is the maturation which also lasts 60/70 days that makes it special. It comes from Umbrian farms, but there is also an international selection such as the Prussian Manzetta of the Jolanda De Colò company, the heifer aged under 30 months, with a delicate but characteristic taste, bred between Germany and Poland, present in different cuts. from the cuberoll cut, to the rib and up to the Florentine. Then there is the Starj Cow, bred in Eastern Europe: adult cattle of about 5 years of age that give a meat with a more intense flavor with medium marbling and higher fat content.
And again, there is no shortage of the Galician rib from Spain, the Irish fillet and the Tomahawk steak together with the authentically Umbrian scottadito lamb, also enhanced by grilling.
Marco Micucci
The interesting tasting menu
A tasting menu which includes the most interesting offers could be Puffed egg with truffles, Chicken liver paté with ricotta and truffle flan, walnut bread and dark chocolate, Canestrelli with porcini mushrooms with goat cream, crispy leek and walnut crumble, Maltagliati di spelled flour and hemp with red wild boar ragout, Umbrian stuffed pigeon breast with its anise and chestnut scented reduction, on a disc of fried polenta and grilled Prussian beef ribs. Among the desserts, the great classics of the house: the unmissable Tiramisù del Grottino and the shortcrust pastry chest, with pears and cinnamon on hot English cream.
The opinion of Luisa Minrath dictates the law on combinationswho is also a sommelier and is always happy to tell everything that a bottle contains, from the vine to the winemaking process without neglecting the human factor, because often the choice falls on small producers or family-run wineries.
Simplicity and sobriety in the rooms
To reach the rooms and enjoy warm and discreet hospitality, just go up the external staircase of the building. None claim of elegance but simplicity and sobriety in the furnishings. The rooms (two doubles, one triple and one quadruple on two levels) that offer the opportunity to stay and experience relaxing days. Common area is a comfortable reading room. The landscape that can be admired from the windows starts from the heart of the village and opens towards the surrounding hills and invites you to discover this region, defined as the green heart of Italy, mystical and surprising, in an articulated path between spirituality, beauty and gluttony .
Il Grottino – Hosteria & Residence
Piazza Beato Ugolino 5 – 06035 Gualdo Cattaneo (Pg)
Tel 0742 760228
The Grottino in Gualdo Cattaneo, between spirituality, beauty and gluttony