23-11-2017
Vincenzo Di Grande, chef at the new Osteria del Guà in Lonigo (Vicenza)
Guà is a Venetian river, some 40 km long; its name comes from the Italian word “guado” (ford), because a long portion of it could be forded; according to a different theory, it comes from “gue”, the branches a river grows when it overflows. Indeed it’s always been a capricious, turbulent river, so much so locals think Guà is connected with “guai” (troubles), because it has caused many over the years. Yet it flows across a beautiful land, and the powerful Pisani family from Venice, local land owners, chose this place, close to Lonigo, to build their countryside estate and commissioned the project to young Andrea Palladio in 1542. It is for this reason that since 1996 it is included, together with other Palladian villas in Veneto, in the Unesco World Heritage List. And because of overflows, this is also the only building, among those by the great architect, to have a large kitchen on the piano nobile and not on the ground floor, to guard it from water.
Villa Pisani Bonetti, designed by Andrea Palladio...
...and, next to the villa, the colonnade, now transformed into a relais
The interior
The dining room
Gnocchi with beetroot, raw and cooked tiger prawns, tarragon
Orange and litchi soufflé with litchi sorbet (photos by Tanio Liotta)
Smoked quail filled with foie gras with emulsion in sauce of truffle and a purée of potatoes with truffle
Pigeon and Marsala with sweet and sour vegetables
Fegato alla veneziana 2017
Tortelli filled with pumpkin and ricotta with salted cod tripe in the style of Vicenza
Osteria del Guà de La Barchessa di Villa Pisani Via Risaie 1/2 - Bagnolo di Lonigo (Vicenza) Tel. +39 0444 831207 labarchessadivillapisani.it Prices: starters 18 euros, first courses 17, main courses 28, desserts 8 Tasting menus for 55 and 65 euros Opened only in the evening from Tuesday to Friday, both at lunchtime and in the evening on Saturday, only at lunchtime on Sunday
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief