Oct. 18: Laundry, Lazy & Dinner

It was good to have a day without a hike. We needed to rest our bodies and do some laundry. Finding a laundromat was challenging. Google Maps doesn’t always work and this was one of those times, but we finally made it. Le Chic was a small laundromat, very clean and very comfortable. A nice woman helped us figure out how to use the machines and after about an hour or so, our clothes were washed and dried. (And forgot to take photos!)

We went out to find some lunch but were blocked by the siesta, which seems to extend even longer on an October Monday. It was a good time to really explore Montefalco, which is a walled city with five arched gates for entry. The walk up from the gates is steep and every road leads to the main plaza. The views from just outside the wall are beautiful. And it’s fun to relax on the main plaza and people watch.

I had done a little research on the restaurants and found one with fantastic reviews and creative food. Locanda del Teatro was just lovely. We were met at the door and offered our choice of the open tables, which was really nice. Betsy is seldom happy with the table offered when we enter a restaurant and prefers to choose her own. This is a good trait as otherwise we would often find ourselves by the kitchen or bathrooms.

Then we were given glasses of champagne. Clearly, we were going to have a great dining experience. Tammy, our server, was from the UK so there were no communication challenges. She was wonderful, so kind and helpful.

We were presented amuse bouche from the chef to start things off. It was a creamy purple cabbage soup, not quite two ounces in beautiful little serving bowls. It was just enough to taste the cabbage and garlic and oil.

Tammy encouraged at least one of us to try a dish with fresh white truffle. It’s winter white truffle season here. White truffles are the most rare and sought after truffles and can cost hundreds of dollars per pound. They only last for three days after gathered and they must be served fresh. Typically, they are micro-planed over a dish, not cooked. She brought out a small piece of white truffle wrapped in a cloth for us to smell. If you don’t like the smell, no point ordering it. We did like it. We love mushrooms and this was similar, yet more pungent. It was the last piece they had in house but it could be used on multiple dishes since little is needed.

I ordered the fresh made tagliolini egg pasta with white truffle. They brought it under a dome so that when lifted, the scent of the truffle filled the air. It was delicious. Betsy ordered the potato gnocchi with tomato, also delicious.

We skipped the starters and after the pasta course, we split a beef course. We’re learning we aren’t that fond of the way beef is prepared here. Even in this wonderful restaurant it was a little tough and not salted to our taste. It was highlighted with black truffles, also in season and more readily available. We ate just a few bites, wanting to save space for desserts.

The desserts were fantastic. Betsy had a spiced apple pudding served with an ice cream made out of a local red wine, Sagrantino. I ordered the chocolate option which was the best ever molten chocolate cake with raspberries, but it was described as Chocolate Fondant Pudding with Fresh Red Fruits.

Today, we hike again. We’re off to Bevagna. It is said to be an easy walk a little over 6 miles. It will be good to stretch our legs again. We’re in hopes for a better room at the next stop. I reached out to Macs Adventure, the tour company in charge of our trip, and expressed our disappointment with the current room. I asked for better rooms at the next three stops. We’ll see.