Restaurants: Trattoria Due Piccioni

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Restaurants: Trattoria Due Piccioni

3:21 AM |

Dana Kaplan, Stresa Sights |

Edit Post

When we recently ate at due Piccioni the main restaurant was completely filled. We sat instead in the small, intimate, reception area in which there are only three tables set up. It was like being in a tiny private inn. The main dining room, by contrast, is a mix of traditional design and contemporary touches. For traditional there is a high brick arch supporting the center of the room and old wooden beams on one part of the ceiling. To modernize, the beams are balanced with wide, horizontal taupe stripes along the wall, and tiny twinkling lights add a bit of romance here and there. In sum, it has a light, spacious, and casually elegant feel. ( Continued .... )

The menu changes with the seasons, and prices are reasonable.

The menu on this night. (Click on the photo to enlarge it to see it better).

The menu is, what I have come to call, whether it may be entirely correct or not, regional cooking. I think that what I really mean when I say this, is that the dishes are not just the usual touristic fare of pizzas and pastas. Here we have an interesting selection of ingredients and animals, combined and presented in ways that show the creativity of the cook, the restaurant, and the region. So, what did we have this night?

To start, I had Caprese "alla maniera dei due piccioni" (bufala e pomodori secchi). A young piece of buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes that tasted like tomatoes in the way that only Italian tomatoes taste. The dried tomatoes were softer than those I am used to.

And this is the Terrina di coniglio con salsa ai mirtilli. A terrine of rabbit, like a pate', served with a blueberry sauce. Interesting, no?

For secondi we had the Filetto di lavarello con spinaci pate' d'olive e rapanelli and the Cosciotto d'agnello al marsala con patate al rosmarino.. Lavarello is a local white fish, very light in taste. Here it was dressed with spinach below, and an olive paste salsa on top, see the photo above. Agnello is lamb, which was prepared with marsala, and a side of potatoes with rosemary seasoning.

The wine list also changes, and is a nice selection of local wines. We had a Piemontese house white wine. No dessert for us, but there is a different selection offered daily, all made there in the kitchen.

Bill for two, with a bottle of wine, was approximately 60 Euro.

Trattoria Due Picciono is located on a little corner of via P. Tomaso and Piazza Possi, just a minute from Piazza Cadorna. Since one of my desires for YOU, while you are here, is to try some foods beyond the pizzas and pastas (although you MUST eat those too!) I hope you find the time to visit the Due Piccioni.

Trattoria Due Piccioni

Principe P. Tomaso, 61, 28838, Stresa

PH: 0323934556

all photos are property of Stresa Sights, except restaurant interior, which is courtesy of Trip Advisor.