Category: Europe

Sligo, Ireland – Coach Lane, a restaurant

Post author By Tom
Post date November 13, 2018
No Comments on Sligo, Ireland – Coach Lane, a restaurant

Coach Lane, a restaurant
1-2 Lord Edward Street
Sligo, Ireland

Our chubby taxi driver collected us at The Park House B&B in Sligo. The Irish/American relationship is uniquely intermingled. It seems every Irish person has either traveled to the USA, plans to travel to the USA, or has a family member who lives in the USA.

“Lived in the States, drove a horse carriage in Central Park in New York,” the smiling Irishman taxi-man said, “Trump was a pain, didn’t want any horses around his Plaza Hotel. Said horses smelled bad.”

Ireland’s stiff drinking/driving regulations translate that one pint of strong beer may put the driver over the legal limit.

Sligo’s climate offers lots of precip and a narrow temperature range. The yearly mean temperature is 49. Rain is most frequent from October through January. We visited in late October. The high temp never reached 49. The skies poured rain, the clouds spewed hail, the wind gusted at force five; gale strength.

Leprechauns, an Irish legend, were fairies of the Tuath Dé Danann, a supernatural tribe of gods. In fable Leprechauns ruled as Ireland’s deities. The Adventure of Fergus describes leprechauns as mischievous cobblers, possessing great wealth. If a mortal can capture a Leprechaun, he is rewarded three wishes.

If we could capture a Leprechaun; the rain would cease, the air would warm, the wind would still.

Our nightly quest in Sligo Town for food, drink, music . . . and a Leprechaun, required a taxi.

Quote from Owner

The Head waiter at Coach Lane arrived at our table as we finished the meal.

“You inquired about traditional Irish music? Tonight the music is playing at McGlynn’s or Earley’s,” he said.

Sligo lays claim to being the home of traditional Irish music. The night of the week doesn’t matter – great traditional Irish music is played every night by Sligo musicians. Often an impromptu band of merry-makers with “join in as you can” style as they pass the lead from one musician to the next.

Sligo pubs alternate which night they offer Trad music. Sligo pubs featuring traditional Irish tunes nightly include McGarrigles, McGlynns, Shoot the Crows, the Journeyman, Earley’s Bar.

Why Coach Lane appeals to me

Donaghy’s bread arrives at your table first. The loaf starts with garlic-cheese and progresses through pepper, tomato and olives. Slather some of the raspberry-chili jam over the bread, drain a Guinness and prep for the main course.

The Donaghy philosophy, “Source ingredients locally, don’t compromise quality”.

Orla Donaghy, owner of Coach Lane, came by our table as the last of our wine was being sipped. “We moved into the top floor when we purchased the building in 1994,” Orla said.

Orla and Andy Donaghy spent 10+ years in the USA, Andy serving as Executive Chef at Greenwich Country Club, Connecticut.

The Coach Lane building served as a hotel decades ago. When Donaghy’s bought the building in 1994, they began stripping the interior. Room by room renovations were completed. Slowly the hotel/apartment” morphed. Donaghy’s Bar opened on the first floor – later the upstairs restaurant COACH LANE. Donaghy’s preserved a trickle of cash flow in the early years, only moving tenants as renovation began on each unit.

The mid-90’s transformation continued ten years. Interior walls were stripped, exposing 19th century brick underneath. Beautiful old brick, bonded poorly with decayed mortar.

A local Sligo artisan was chosen to restore the decayed mortar and salvage the 19th century brick. Our group ran our fingers along the finished wall of Coach Lane – perfect.

Coach Lane was the name chosen by the Donaghy’s for the restaurant. A small lane that runs parallel to the building once served as the carriage stop at the inn.

How Far Down the Block?

While Coach Lane is centered in the middle of all the action in downtown Sligo, Sligo is 2.5-hour drive from Dublin’s’ airport.

Why you might be nearby?

Golf –links golf- brought us to County Sligo. Four of golf’s most acclaimed links courses lie within a short drive of Sligo.

Rosses Point Golf Club; where Rory McIlroy won two West Ireland championships in his teen years.

Enniscrone Golf Club; a West Ireland design by Ireland’s revered golf course architect Eddie Hackett was celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2018.

Strandhill Golf Club, Sligo’s “other links course has 270 degree overlook of the North Atlantic Ocean from the clubhouse.

Carne Golf Links; Irish golf course architect Eddie Hackett’s final, dramatic gem. Opened 1995, yet some links aficionados call it the best of the best.

sligo, cairn, golf, ireland, county mayo, dining sligo, links, links golf, — The Caddie, an Irish Storyteller

Lesser Known Facts

Sligo in its Gallic form means “a land of shells.” Maybe, down by the seashore. But in town, Sligo is a place of traditional Irish music. Pure Irish music. Sligo Irish roots run deep. Common Sligo surnames include; Gallagher, Brennan, MacGowan, Kelly, Gilmartin, Healy, Walsh, Hart, Feeney, MacDonagh, Loughlin, Connor, Conlon.

At last official count, Sligo had a population of 19,452.

Sligo is not the melting pot of Europe. 84% of Sligo residents declared themselves Roman Catholics. 9% admitted to being Prod or something else. 7% of those polled said, ”Bugger off – I’m not anything.”

Perhaps the rude 7% doesn’t believe, but it’s likely they are lapsed Catholics. So if we round-up for accounting purposes, and add-back those lapsed, almost 90% of Sligo’s residents are/were Irish Catholic.

In Sligo town, traditional Irish music is performed by Irish Catholics.

Local Recommendation

Earley’s Bar was our choice for traditional Irish music.

Teresa smiled at me as she unpacked her fiddler bow at Earley’s Bar.

“Hi,” she said with an Irish brogue. “I’m just a beginner. Been playing at it for three years.”

The session began in a room just off the bar. Declan was tapping the keys of his accordion, pacing the other eight traditional Irish musicians, when in walked a group of businessmen from the UK. The tallest of the men unpacked a pipe instrument from his travel bag and took a stool in the midst of the Irish musicians.

One of our group, Larry the Dancing Dentist (video) sprang to his feet. The visiting businessman started piping in unison and finished as the session’s featured soloist. Our group banged the tables for more music and another pint of Irish brew.

Something for Nothing

The trails of Sligo. The Ben Bulben Loop, is a 5 kilometer mountain trail tour. Benbulben, County Sligo, Ireland, is part of the Dartry Mountains. The geographic focus in “Yeats Country” is Ben Bulbin, rising 1,700 feet.

Tags county sligo, golf in sligo, golf sligo, irish music and golf sligo, larry the dancing dentist, restaurants sligo, sligo, top restaurants sligo, traditional irish music

Europe France Nice; Cote d’Azur, Bus #81,

Nice, France – Bus #81

Nice, France; The Cote d’Azur, Bus #81, cost 1 Euro, 50 centessime

Exploring European cities on the HOP ON, HOP OFF bus is great fun at a fair price. Sometimes a public bus, always featuring the HOP ON/OFF option, expands the adventure.

In Nice, France the city center terminus for Bus #81 is Place Garibaldi, a transportation hub on the north boundary of Nice’s in-city attraction – Old Town (Vieux Ville). Bus #81 makes thirty+ stops on its route along the Cote d’Azur, looping through Beaulie-Sur–Mer and twisting out the Cap Ferrat peninsula. The final stop, Terminus de ligne (end of the line in French) is St. Jean Cap-Ferrat; the legendary winter home to characters popular in early cinema. Palms, eucalyptus and citrus trees define the path of Bus #81.

Once aboard Bus #81, the first stop (Arret de bus) is the Port (Le Port), a square (Place) served by Brasseries and cafes. Passengers step aboard, clutch the overhead hand rail, Bus #81 departs Le Port. Motoring East, coiling along cliffs to the left, pebble beaches below to the right.

Bus #81 slows to a stop at Arret de bus # 10; the Batterie, Princess Grace. The doors open. A few meters from the bus, steps lead down to the Mediterranean; to the Harbor Villefranche. A voice only I can hear whispers in my left ear, “GET OFF HERE, GO EXPLORE.” It’s the same voice that poorly advised me in my teenage years; a voice I hadn’t heard for many years. The bus doors silently fold close. On towards Cap Ferrat.

28 minutes since departing Nice; Arret de bus #18. The sign on Boulevard Napoléon III advises this bus stop is MADONNE NOIRE. The bus doors draw open, unveiling a descending path down Avenue Clemenceau to the Cote d’Azur promenade. A uniformed waiter steps from a café delivering a pint of Kronenbourg 1664 blonde lager. The voice to my left again, “GET OFF HERE.” I’m still aboard as Bus #81 motors on.

Arret de bus #26, the Baie des Fourmis, a shaded pathway leads from the bus stop down to the beach, the Plage des Fourmis. Several attractive women are sun bathing topless along the water’s edge. I want to get off Bus #81, the voice says I should. But I stay.

Passable means tolerable in French. Passable is name of Arret de bus #30. Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild built her palazzo next to Bus Stop #30 in 1905. David Niven lived around the corner. Here the Cap Ferrat peninsula is just a quarter mile wide – the Mediterranean is in view out both sides of

April afternoon, Paloma Beach on Cap Ferrat

Bus #81. Bus #81 stops, my inner voice begs me to get off Bus #81. I stay aboard.

Ten minutes to Port de Saint-Jean, the terminus de ligne for Bus #81.

Quotes from the locals

She sat on the wooden bench at the end of the line, Port de Saint-Jean, waiting for Bus #81 back to Nice. She could have been the woman Barry Manilow called Lola, “At the Copa, Copacabana.” Aging, blonde, wrinkled and rouged. She smiled, “Bonjour.”

Courteous introductions exchanged, she said, “My doctorate degree is in sociology with a focus on cinema pre-1950.” She was originally from Trieste, Italy; an Italian refugee living in Nice for the past twenty years.

“Italians eat better than the French,” she said. Bus #81 pulled up to the curb, doors unfolded. The Cap Ferrat crowd climbed aboard. She continued, “The infrastructure of France is much better than Italy because the French pay their taxes.” Bus #81 departed for central Nice, gliding above the Bay des Fourmis, a harbor on Cap-Ferrrat’s eastern Cote d’Azur shoreline. Stop, bus doors quickly open; the inner voice to my left whispers “COME FORTH.” I stay on Bus #81.

The rougey, wrinkled woman continued, “The US welcomes all people, here in France immigrants remain separate.” Bus #81 reached the Saint Aignan stop, she exits while concluding loudly, “I’m leaving France, relocating to LA, that’s my kind of town. Au revoir.” Bus #81 pulls away.

Why this place appeals to me

The Rose wine of Provence; chilled and served mid-afternoon on a terrace.

The Walk leading to the Prom des Fossettes

A 1.6 kilometer gravel path circles Pointe de Saint-Hospice at the tip of the Port Saint Jean peninsula; the Prom des Fossettes. The Prom ends at Anse des Fossettes. The April sun had warmed to 63 degrees, the pebbles of the beach must have been warmer as 20 bodies lay sunning on along the Mediterranean facing west, looking at the Harbor de Villefranche.

To reach the Prom des Fossettes from Saint Jean, walk SE down Ave Jean Mermoz. Keep the marina on your left. Trudge up a slight hill past the Hotel D’Or. Ahead on your left you’ll look down on Paloma beach. Soon you’ll arrive at the small peninsula of St Hospice; a 5–10 minute walk from the port.

Cap Ferrat is open to visitors in the spring. Many villages along the Mediterranean in Italy have shuttered their doors, waiting for the throngs to arrive in July and August. Springtime along the French Riviera lacks of push & shove. Café hostesses greet you upon entry, wine appears as you are seated. In April it’s hard to deny yourself the 2^nd midafternoon glass of rose.

How Far Down the Block? [mappress mapid=”16″]

The road from the port of Nice to Cap Ferrat is eight kilometers. It lies under the shadow of Mont Boron, along the road tracing the harbor of Villefranche sul Mer.

Why you might be nearby?

You are traveling the scenic route from Paris to Italy via the Cote d”Azur. Leaving Saint Jean the coastal road East leads through the tiny French village of Eze, the country of Monaco and on to Ventimiglia – Italy’s most northern city along the Riviera.

If you’re in Nice, Place Garibaldi, the departure point for Bus #81, is the hub of the city. Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the Italian unification, was born in Nice in 1807. Nice became part of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia (an eventual piece of Italy). The square, designated Place Garibaldi in September 1870, was built in the late 18th century marking the entry gate to the Nice and leading to the capital of Piedmont-Sardinia; Turin.

Garibaldi was fiercely in favor of Nice unifying with Italy. History books report that Nice was given to the French as political settlement. Niceans (Nice citizens) say that the locals were given a choice – and chose to be French.

Place Garibaldi, open only to pedestrian traffic, is a crossroads between the Vieux Nice (old town) and the town center.

Lesser Known Facts

The Cote D’Azur began as a winter escape for the northern Europeans. American expatriates created Cap Ferrat’s winter season in the 1920’s. World War I doomed France’s adherence to the gold standard supporting the French Franc. The Franc declined through the early 1920’s to 10% of its former value versus the US dollar. Expatriate Americans, on the smallest allowance, flocked to France

– declaring themselves writers or artists and living well. And unrestricted by prohibition denying them alcohol.

Something for Nothing

It cost 1Euro50 to ride bus #81 to Cap Ferrat. The ticket is valid for an unusual time of 74 minutes – the one-way bus trip requires 35 minutes, so theoretically your ride back to Place Garibaldi is gratis. But, not to explore Cap Ferrat by foot would be a venial sin; and you would have to confess to your friends back home and your fellow riders on the return bus #81 to Nice.

Abandon the concept of a free return trip on Bus #81. While small, Port Saint Jean requires a pause at a seafront café, a glass of something French and conversation with whoever is seated nearby.

Europe Italy Siena; dine & dance

Happy in Siena

Siena, Italy, Tuscany, happy, hidden, dancing, wine, Italian food, tom lane, dine, food — "Happy" in Siena

Happy in Siena

Europe Vienna; 7 Stern Brau beerhall

Vienna, Austria: 7 Stern Brau; a microbrewery and eating place in Spittelberg

Post author By Tom
Post date May 18, 2014
No Comments on Vienna, Austria: 7 Stern Brau; a microbrewery and eating place in Spittelberg

Vienna, Austria
7 Stern Brau, a microbrewery and eating place in Spittelberg
Siebensterngasse 19, Vienna, Austria

Microbreweries in Vienna are called Gasthausbrauereien. Gasthausbrau’s feature Zwicklbier; an unfiltered beer, clouded, no preservatives.

The barman stood behind a series of beer taps, drawing a liter. I took a stool at the bar, my preferred dining seat. Nobody else was at the bar, but the dining tables in 7 Stern Brau were filled.

“You speak English?” I asked.
“Of course I do, I’m Alexander,” he stretched his hand across the bar.
“Describe your Wiener Helles beer?”
“Blond, unfiltered, no preservatives,” Alexander said.
Blond, a little dirty and no make-up, my type, “I’ll take one.”

Over Alexander’s head, above the beer taps (bierschenke), stacked upside down and ready to pour, were 10 bottles of Austrian Schnapps; each graded at 35% alcohol. A different fruit appeared on each label.

7 Stern, brau, Vienna, Austria, spittelberg, ratskeller, local, hidden, restaurant, bar, cheap meals, beer, potato, salad, schnapps, price, tom lane, dine, food, microbrewery, garden, purity — “Of course I speak English.”

“Alex,” I asked, “what is the true flavor used for schnapps, real Austrian schnapps.”
“Apple,” he said. The schnapps arrived next, before dinner.

The bar waitress appeared with a Vienna smile; she set a menu on the bar.

“Do you speak English?” I asked.
“Of course I do,” she said.
“I’m Tom, what’s your name?”
“Alexandra,” she said.
“Of course it is,” I replied.

Why this place appeals to me
A food critic once observed that the quality of the food declines as you rise and improves as you descend. I.E. have a drink at the restaurant in the sky, eat in a ratskeller. I descended ten steps to enter 7 Stern Brau.

The sign outside read BIERGARTEN, but the ten steps down? Copper kettles gleamed from behind the bar. Walking through 7 Stern, a rear door led up ten steps to a courtyard with trees, tables and local beer drinkers.

How Far Down the Block?
Spittelberg is a six-block neighborhood just north of Vienna’s inner ring. It is served by the Volkstheater subway stop. The cobblestone streets of Spittelburg will thrill the shopper traveling with you. [mappress mapid=”13″]

7 Stern Brau lies on the edge of Spittlebug. Gasthoff and restaurants, tables set with white linen and flickering candles on outdoor terraces, were mostly empty on a Monday evening in May. 7 Stern Brau was buzzing; filled with Viennese chattering in German. Real Austrian food was being served at prices well below those at the vacant tables of their nearby competitors.

Why you might be nearby? The Museums, the Austrian Folk Theater and Vienna’s English Theater.

Lesser Known Facts
Viennese have great pride in the quality of their water.

“You don’t need to order bottle water in Vienna,” Willy, barman at Hansy Gasthoff said. The Hansy is across town from 7 Stern Brau, just outside the Praterstern subway stop.
“I never do when beer is an option,” I said.
“No, I mean when you want water,” Willy said, “Vienna water is pure, from the mountains.”

Water flows into Vienna from springs in the Lower Austrian Alps, reaching the Austrian capital 36 hours later; no pumps and under strict regulations. Vienna has declared their water White Gold and placed it under the protection of the Austrian constitution. In 1998, the Vienna Water Line Hiking Path opened following the water route from the mountains into Vienna! The head of the hiking path can be reached by public transportation for a leisurely walk back into Vienna . . . for a beer.

Local Recommendation
Drink Green; this concept can be overdone. Pesticides have allowed the US to feed the world, but that’s another tale. The Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law, ensures that beer made only from barley, hops, water, and yeast – no preservatives – can be brewed and consumed on site in Vienna

Ask for a Weiner Helles; a 4.6% alcohol, unfiltered beer without preservatives. 7 Stern’s head brewer is a Slovak; from the land that gives us Czech Budweiser and Urquell.

Eat local; sample the German Potato Salad (kartoffsalat), Cabbage Salad (krautsalat) and Wiener Schnitzel

Something for Nothing
Roam the cobblestone streets of Spittelberg; potentially a free stroll. The shops, alternative restaurants will keep you busy for hours.

Tags 7 Stern, Austria, bar, beer, brau, cheap meals, dine, food, garden, hidden, local, microbrewery, potato, price, purity, ratskeller, restaurant, salad, schnapps, spittelberg, Tom Lane, Vienna

Europe Florence; Oltrarno enoteca favorites Italy

Florence, Italy: Enoteca Pitti Gola; food and wine in the Oltrarno

Post author By Tom
Post date May 18, 2014
No Comments on Florence, Italy: Enoteca Pitti Gola; food and wine in the Oltrarno

Pitti, gola, enoteca, florence, italy, oltrarno, wine, local, hidden, ponte, vecchio, dine, food, meals, tom lane, Italian, tasting — View of Pitti Palace from the terrace of Enoteca Pitti Gola

Florence, Italy
Enoteca Pitti Gola, food and wine in the Oltrarno
Piazza de Pitti 16

“Hey, you’re back,” Zeno called from behind his bar as I entered Pitti Gola.
“Back for a glass of Italian wine,” I said, “You choose.”
“Ciao, you’re back,” Edoardo, Zeno’s older brother, popped up the stairway leading from the cellar of Pitti Gola.
“You need some of my money,” I said, “I read the Italian economy struggles.”
Edoardo shrugged, “Maybe some places in Italy are struggling, we are doing OK.”

Why this place appeals to me.
On 2008 New Year’s Eve Edoardo, Manuele and Zeno purchased the Enoteca. In February 2009 I spent three weeks in Florence. The guys were all single then, they are all married now. Edoardo and Zeno are brothers, Manuele is a longtime friend.

The three owners are serious about their wine. I’m half-serious; serious about sipping, preferring wines at half price.

Pitti Gola is not Off The Map. This enoteca has been discovered. The ambience is low key; casual wear works. The wine is delivered in high style. Describe to the guys what you like to sip and let them choose. They pour the wine, describe the grape, the location of the vineyard and what’s happening in Italy.

Pitti Gola serves Tuscan bites and plates. The outdoor patio seats 8-10, inside is seating for 6-8. The small cellar can accommodate a party of 10-12. Zeno loves to talk wine, when he leads dinner conversation in the cellar, time flies.

How Far Down the Block?
Cross the Ponte Vecchio on foot, south into the Oltrarno; leaving the throngs of tourists behind you. It is a direct 250 meter stroll directly south, towards the Pitti Palace. The shops along Via De Gucciardini will thrill those who believe Black Friday is their day. [mappress mapid=”12″]

Bus D, a Florence short bus, stops directly in front of Pitti Palace, and Pitti Gola. Bus D runs from the Santa Maria Novella train station (the main station) along the entire Oltrarno, from Ponte Vespucci to a terminus at Piazza Ravenna.

Why you might be nearby?
Theorem #1 – You’re touring the Vasari Corridor, yawning, looking out an ancient porthole and realize you’ve crossed the Arno and are now free to roam about. Look for a secret escape; Dan Brown in his novel, Dante’s Inferno, described where the hidden escape from the Pitti Palace is located. Brown didn’t reference it, but by my calculations the escape is within 75 meters of Pitti Gola’s wine sanctuary.

Theorem #2 – Your in line at the Pitti Palace; an hour from gaining entrance. Across the street, under the street side awnings of a small enoteca, people are chattering, laughing. You make a choice; wine trumps art.

Lesser Known Facts
Once across the Ponte Vecchio and into the Oltrarno, the two block walk south to Pitti Gola on Via De Gucciardini is a fascinating shopping street. High quality wares, presented with an absence of name brands and absence of name brand prices. If your partner is chirping about shopping time sacrificed while you pursue an afternoon glass of Italian wine, common ground can be achieved in this neighborhood.

Within Enoteca Pitti Gola, wine fills the walls. Alongside the wine bottles, small glass vessels hold soil samples from the Tuscan vineyards where the grapes grow. Down the block from Enoteca Pitti Gola, the guys maintain a wine cellar. Zeno ran to his wine cellar to retrieve a special wine.

“You need more space,” I said.
Zeno replied, “I share my space with the wine, the wine is what is important.”

Local Recommendation
The Boboli Gardens, behind the Pitti Palace, directly across the street from Pitti Palace, might be the nicest outdoor meander in Florence.

Something for Nothing
Once inside Boboli Gardens, access the adjacent Bardini Gardens from an unadvertised gate in the high NE Boboli corner. Boboli has the best sculpture and foliage, Bardini has spectacular views over Florence. Take Dante’s Inferno and read the passage where Robert Langdon and Sienna Brooks scale the Boboli walls at night, using the garden to avoid their pursuers

Tags dine, enoteca, Florence, food, gola, hidden, Italian, Italy, local, meals, oltrarno, pitti, ponte, tasting, Tom Lane, vecchio, wine

Europe Italy Siena; dine & dance

Siena, Italy: I Terzi, a local enoteca

Post author By Tom
Post date May 18, 2014
No Comments on Siena, Italy: I Terzi, a local enoteca

I Terzi, siena, italy, tuscany, enoteca, wine bar, restaurant, local, hidden, bar, food, chianti, tom lane

Siena, Italy: I Terzi, a local enoteca
Via dei Termini 7, Siena, Italy

An enoteca features wine. Many Italian enotecas have introduced food to accompany their wine. Often the wine touted by the enoteca has been pressed in the surrounding hills; and the accompanying food harvested from the same local region.

Outside I Terzi at 8:15 pm one guy sat at the deserted table on the terrace; the temperature was 50 degrees. His wife and two teenage daughters were inspecting the menu posted outside the entrance. He called,

“Have you been to this place before?” It was almost dark, he wore a ski parka.
“No,” I said, “but those I trust recommend I Terzi over some of the more highly touted ristorante that surround Piazza del Campo and the Duomo.”
“OK, sounds like an endorsement.” Charles, an attorney from NY City gathered his clan, “We’ve only got one night in Siena,” he said as they entered I Terzi.

Why this place appeals to me

Michele, one of two partners in I Terzi, hails from Bari, in the south of Italy on the Adriatic coast. Michele’s grey hair flowed over his ears. He and his partner, Sergio, launched the enoteca in 1995; they added food in 2001. The marble counter at the entrance serves as both the welcome/reservation counter and as the carving board for the huge Bistecca Fiorentina.

Michele and his partner, Sergio, seem to know each guest arriving at I Terzi. Michele recognized me from my earlier visit to reserve a seat. As Michele conversed at a nearby table, he caught me eavesdropping. He turned to me,

“We attended university together,” he said.

The wife of Michele’s longtime friend tossed me the look (lo sguardo) indicating she had been the audience for their remembrances before.

How Far Down the Block?
Via Banche di Sopra is the north route, leading to Piazza del Campo from the train station and the bus station. I Terzi lies east and downhill, one block from Via Banchi di Sopra. [mappress mapid=”10″]

To reach I Terzi visit Nannini at Via Banchi di Sopra 24, departing the front door go straight(east), one block, down the alley Vicolo Beato Pier Pettinaio, turn left on Via dei Termine – you have arrived.

Why you might be nearby?
Siena evolved from the convergence of three ridges leading to the city center; the Piazza del Campo. I Terzi refers to the three ridges that carve Siena into thirds. Each of the three ridges is served by a main thoroughfare. From the north, visitors arriving by bus and train walk along Via Banchi di Sopra towards the center of Siena. Eventually you’ll find yourself amongst these throngs tramping towards the Piazza del Campo.

Lesser Known Facts
I Terzi’s building once known as Torre Rossa, housed Siena’s Ballanti family.

Local Recommendation
I Terzi revises their menu every 15 days. Each day the enoteca offers five starters (antipasti), five first courses (primi) and five main courses (Secondi). Black Cabbage soup (cavalo nero) is a specialty.

Siena lies within Tuscany, and the wine choices cover some of Italy’s best. Chianti wine, produced in the region immediately north of Siena, is frequently dismissed by Americans.

The Chianti is defined by Florence on the north and Siena on the south. Vino della casa, the house wine, is usually Chianti in Siena. It is local, it is pure; relatively free of preservatives, and the first sip is hard to believe. Local fattoria, a country wine merchant, distinguish the fermentation/aging processes as Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Reserva.

The house wine usually has a story; a relative from the country who produces the wine that arrives in a large glass flask (fiascha) ready for delivery directly to your table. The second time you order wine at I Terzi, ask Michele or Sergio to guide you through their selection of 1800 bottles.

Something for Nothing
Take an after dinner stroll through the cafes and lights of Piazza del Campo, host of the twice annual Palio di Siena; a horse race contested by the 17 neighborhoods (contrada) of Siena. Piazza del Campo is only 200 meters from the entrance of I Terzi.

Tags bar, chianti, enoteca, food, hidden, I Terzi, Italy, local, restaurant, Siena, Tom Lane, Tuscany, wine bar

Europe Florence; Oltrarno enoteca favorites Italy

Florence, Italy: La Fiaschetteria; a local wine sipping place

Post author By Tom
Post date May 17, 2014
No Comments on Florence, Italy: La Fiaschetteria; a local wine sipping place

La Fiaschetteria, Florence, Italy, oltrarno, fiaschetteria, drink, local, hidden, undiscovered, bar, tom lane, river, Italian, artesian, wine, bridge, pitti, language, English

Florence, Italy
La Fiaschetteria: a local wine sipping place
Via de Serragli 47r, across the Arno River, the Oltrarno

After dark in April 2013, in the Oltrarno section of Florence, Italy, four blocks south of the Arno River, I’m saying goodbye at La Fiaschetteria.

(Translated from Italian)
“Arrivaderci Luca, see you next year. Each April, for five years, I drink your wine here at Fiaschetteria. We speak in Italian only. You say no English is spoken at La Fiaschetteria. Study while I’m gone. Next April we’ll speak English. Ciao Luca.” The next day I would travel home to Michigan.

One year later, April 2014, at the front entrance of La Fiaschetteria in the Oltrarno of Florence.

(Translated from Italian)
“Ciao Luca, it’s me, Tom. It’s been a year, I return to speak English with you my old friend.”
In English, I continue, “Have you been studying English the past year?”
Luca says in Italian, “No Tom, non ho studiato Inglese. Parliamo quest’anno in Italiano.”

The Oltrarno of Florence for centuries has been home to the artesians of Tuscany; cobblers, frame-makers, artists, jewelry-makers, lace-makers and musicians.

Craftsmen and bohemians are served by several trattorias, bars, and just one fiaschetteria. Local residents arrive at La Fiaschetteria each evening to chat and fill their empty wine bottles.

Why this place appeals to me
“At La Fiaschetteria we only speak Italian,” Luca has been telling me for six years. His small fiaschetteria holds only 8-10 people inside. Luca’s patrons flow out the door and into Via de Serragli. There are no other Americans to be found amongst the 7 pm crowd. Luca’s customers, locals who live in the Oltrarno, across the Arno River, hear Luca proclaim that again this year we will be speaking in Italian, seize the opportunity to improve their English. Assisted by wine, we begin to communicate.

A woman enters La Fiaschetteria with an empty wine bottle, hands it to Luca and says, “Rosso di Montalcino; riempirlo e un bicchiere.” Luca pours her a glass of wine from the spigot, exchanges the glass for her bottle, places her empty bottle under the tap and fills it with red wine. Her bottle is quickly corked with a barely noticeable press hidden behind the counter. Luca returns her bottle, full of Tuscan red wine and says, “Tre euro.” Translation four dollars.

How Far Down the Block?
Cross the Arno River on the Ponte alla Carraia (the Carraia bridge) heading south, leaving the Duomo and Piazza Repubblica behind. Walk directly ahead (south) 400 meters. One block from the bridge the street becomes Via de Serragli. [mappress mapid=”11″]

Why you might be nearby?
a) You’re in line at the Pitti Palace facing a one-hour wait outside the main gate. It’s getting late in the afternoon. La Fiaschetteria is four blocks away, b) Your wife, tired from shopping, is napping. You’re not tired.

Lesser Known Facts
La Fiaschetteria came to life in 1947 from the ashes of World War II. Luca’s father, with a hand from his grandfather, began serving Florentines. In Florence’s Oltrarno a post war fiaschetteria provided bulk wine for local folks to carry home, a glass at the counter, a place to chatter, smoke and imagine a better world.

The great Florence flood of 1966 damaged all Florence. Water stood knee-deep in La Fiaschetteria. After Luca’s father died, his mother, Vittoria, ran La Fiaschetteria. In 1985, Luca, then 27 took over. He expanded the Tuscan wine selection stocked by La Fiaschetteria, stabilized the small interior and carried forward the Oltrarno tradition.

Local Recommendation
Luca shuts down the lights around 9:30 – 10 pm. Stop before dinner.

As La Fiaschetteria closes, consider Ristorante Al Tranvai, a small Oltrarno legend, located on Piazza Torquato Tasso just three blocks away.

Something for Nothing
Italian Language lessons; local Italians congregating at La Fiaschetteria from 5-9 pm plunge into conversation with limited English. An American guest can plunge right back with limited Italian. Add wine and everyone is fluent; no charge.

Maybe Next Year
Filli, blond, buxom and smiling stood alongside the counter as Luca poured the evening’s final glass of wine. It was 10 pm, La Fiaschetteria was closing.

(translated from Italian)
Filli said, “Luca and I will marry in May. We honeymoon in London.”
“But, Luca doesn’t speak English!” I said, “How will he manage in London?”
Filli replied, “Luca will learn English, so will I.”
Luca grinned as he wiped down his bar, ”Si, Tom, next year we will speak in English, Ciao, Tom. Ci vediamo”
“Ciao Luca, next year,” I said and waved goodbye to Luca and Filli.

Tags artesian, bar, bridge, drink, English, fiaschetteria, Florence, hidden, Italian, Italy, La Fiaschetteria, language, local, oltrarno, pitti, river, Tom Lane, undiscovered, wine

Europe Italy Siena; dine & dance

Siena, Italy: PRÈTTO; a local place to eat

Post author By Tom
Post date May 13, 2014
No Comments on Siena, Italy: PRÈTTO; a local place to eat

Pretto, Siena, Italy, Tuscany, restaurant, trattoria, prosciutto, locals, hidden, undiscovered, walk, wine, dining, grappa, cheap meals, pasta, salami, price

Siena, Italy
PRÈTTO; a local place to eat
Via dei Termine, email: tamara.pacini71@gmail.com

Places to eat in Italy have historically been tiered by description, loosely ranked from fine dining to in front of the stable; Ristorante, Trattoria, Osteria, Pizzeria, Locanda, Mescita, Bar, Salumeria, Convivio, Pasticerria, Birreria

The waiter at La Torre, a ristorante two steps off Piazza del Campo, the centerpiece of Siena, tossed the pasta on the table within two minutes of being seated.

“Not yet,” I said, “I haven’t decided.”
The waiter replied in Italian, “This is the way we’ve done it for 60 years.”
Change of plan, time to head down the block.

Earlier in the day, Easter Saturday afternoon, PRÈTTO, a hole-in-the-wall prosciutteria, had their door open. Danielle, waived an invite, delivered a carafe of PRÈTTO’s house white wine while assessing life in Siena. She was from Florence. The Sienese and Florentines have a history.

Now it was 9 pm, Easter Saturday evening; the door was still open and Pretto was buzzing.

“Ciao, Welcome back,” Daniele called from behind the glass food case, “Accomodarsi; take a seat.” She pointed at a table just vacated. Cured prosciutto hanging from the beams, salame being sliced, ragu heating – perfect. The aging furniture is beyond damage, having previously served at an Irish Pub.

Why this place appeals to me
PRÈTTO is either a Prosciutteria, a Mescita (a tap room) or a Convivio (a banquet hall); depends on what wall you read.

Emmanuelle and his wife Tamara own PRÈTTO. Emanuele explained, “Pretto, in Italian, can mean priest. But in Tuscan dialect, pretto means pure; faithful to the origins, food without chemicals. It was my grandfather’s nickname. He was PRÈTTO.”

Emanuele continued, “Pure like our Sangiovese vino, the vino we offer here at PRÈTTO, our house wine,“ he said. “My neighbor, 83 years old, he was a friend of my grandfather, he still watches over as the wine is made. Makes sure it is pretto, pure.”

Each day PRÈTTO posts a hand-written menu just inside the door. Food choices are few, everything local. Focus is on the meats; salame, prosciutto, heaping platters (affattati) carved in sight and served on wood planks accompanied by Tuscan cheese. Four choices of homemade pasta are offered each evening.

Emanuele returned, “My grandfather wrote poetry. He inspired me when I was young to try new adventures. Here is one of his poems.” The first two lines read

There is another path, and soon I’ll set off
Opportunity lies ahead but, I must choose the route.

How Far Down the Block? [mappress mapid=”9″]

Siena evolved on the top of three ridges leading to the center, Piazza del Campo. Each of the three ridges is served by a main thoroughfare. Every day throngs walk the three routes, into and out of, Siena. Via Banchi di Sopra is the north route, leading to Piaza del Campo from the train station and the bus station. PRÈTTO lies east and downhill, one block from Via Banchi di Sopra.

Siena, hidden restaurants, Tuscan dining, local dining — Front room at Pretto

To reach PRÈTTO, visit Nannini at Via Banche di Sopra 24, exiting Nannini’s front door, go straight (east), down the alley called Vicolo Beato Pier Pettinaio, one block. Turn left on Via dei Termine – you have arrived.

Why you might be nearby?
a) You’ve had it with the pigeons on Piazza del Campo and got caught in exodus on Via Banche di Sopra, b) Your tour guide is explaining the significance of Piazza Independenza, just 100 meters from PRÈTTO. When the group moves on to Piazza del Campo, lag in the rear and escape to Prètto.

Lesser Known Facts
Emanuale and his wife Tamara formerly operated an Irish Pub in Siena. PRÈTTO just opened April 12, 2014.

There is an Italian gelato chain Pretto; and it’s pretty good. It is not related to PRÈTTO Prosciutteria in Siena.

Local Recommendation
Choose the house wine (vino della casa). After dinner sample Siena’s ricciarelli cookies, or try Florence’s cantucci and dip it in Vin Santo, a sweet wine. Grappa to close the evening.

Something for Nothing
The cafes and lights of Piazza del Campo, host of the twice annual Palio di Siena, the horse race by the 17 neighborhoods of Siena, are only a 200 meter stroll from the entrance of Pretto.

In his poem, Emanuele’s grandfather continued to search for opportunity, he ends;

After a small drop of wine, as my journey resumed,
What I sought in my travel, awaited at home.

PRÈTTO is a place where you feel comfortable.

Tags cheap meals, dining, grappa, hidden, Italy, locals, pasta, Pretto, price, prosciutto, restaurant, salami, Siena, Tom Lane, trattoria, Tuscany, undiscovered, walk, wine

Coach Lane, a restaurant1-2 Lord Edward StreetSligo, Ireland

Quote from Owner

Why Coach Lane appeals to me

How Far Down the Block?

Why you might be nearby?

Lesser Known Facts

Local Recommendation

Something for Nothing

Coach Lane, a restaurant
1-2 Lord Edward Street
Sligo, Ireland