My view from Ristorante Nazionale in Piazza Cadorna.

In Good Blood, which takes place in Stresa, and which I read while I was recently in Stresa, a kidnapping has taken place. The young heir to the wealthy and historic de Grazia family has been abducted and ransom information has been received. Meanwhile, buried bones have been found on a nearby construction site owned by the de Grazia family. Whose bones are they? And are these events related in some way?

The star of our novel, the forensic bone detective Gideon, who just happens to be in Stresa at this time, is called in to consult on the case. After a stressful day of investigations and interviews he goes alone to relax, and to think, to the Bar Nazionale in Piazza Cadorna.

From the book:

In the evening, with the rain having slackened off, Gideon had a half carafe of local Barolo at the outdoor cafe across the street from the hotel, and then walked the few short blocks to the cobblestoned Piazza Cadorna, to the Ristorante Nazionale, where he, Julie, and Phil had been for dinner on their first night. He sat outside, on the lively piazza, at an umbrellaed table set among potted flowering plants and ordered what he'd had before: pizza quattro stagione, with artichokes, ham, olives, and mushrooms, each on its own quarter; a salad; and a limonata. As it had been the other time, the pizza was perfectly baked in a brick, wood-fired oven, the crust was thin and tender, with just the right dusting of ash on the bottom, and the vegetables were fragrant and al dente.

A nice descriptive passage from the book. The incredible thing was that I was sitting outside at Nazionale when I read this. What a coincidence! And the description in the book is completely accurate. Unlike Gideon however, I was there at lunchtime, taking some time on my own to read and enjoy the piazza. I sat in an area that did not have the umbrellas open, better to feel sun that shines in this direction at midday. I ate a focaccia con prosciutto cotto e formaggio, basically ham and cheese. It was more than enough, almost too large, with delicious fresh focaccia. Like Gideon, I have found Nazionale to be consistent, a great spot for basic and economical meals and snacks, and in a fantastic location. In the mornings it's one of the spots in Stresa where friends meet for more lingering caffes, or in the summer, Shakeratos. At later at night, with its cool blue neon sign under the arched arcade, it's a quiet corner from which to watch the piazza.