The Chalet under the Stars

“We opened a year ago,” Valerio the owner tells me, “and we have already become a must-go venue for breakfast, lunch, dinner and après-ski. The strong point of our restaurant is definitely in the raw materials which we select from, above all, small local producers. We are also just a few metres from the slopes and many people take the chairlift up and after skiing stop at the Chalet to eat (well).”

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The Sosta del Gallo Viandante (Rest of the Wandering Rooster – Da I’Babbo)

“I’Babbo”, born in 1964, does not limit himself to small talk, but immediately wants us to discover his best specialties. It begins with the ‘Mezzone’ (for the Florentines) or ‘Il Bastardo’ (for the Sienese) made by ‘norcini’ butchers – who, when they had leftover stuff, put together beef and pork fat to give it that unique and exceptional flavour.

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La Torricella: a story of family commitment and passion

Carolina Cipriani had the same foresight in 1992 when she, having reached an important crossroads in her life, decided to invest in the Torricella farm which was then a rather decadent rustic farmhouse. But she, in that old farmhouse to be restored, had seen something more, despite knowing that it would take a lot of effort and resources to make that dream come true. Although she was then a young forty-year-old with two teenage children, she did not stop in the face of obstacles.

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Restaurant Enoteca Berghi

The atmosphere is familiar and informal, but also extremely elegant: the beautiful veranda on the course of Sansepolcro during the Christmas holidays is adorned with lights, the atmosphere is even warmer, there is the desire to take a break from the working rhythms and enjoy a typical Tuscan appetizer, a good wine, a cut juniper and rosemary… But also a cod and shrimp difficult to find in the other restaurants in the area, because the cook Nicoleta has a great skill in cooking fish and in combining its flavors with those of the Tuscan tradition.

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I Due Cippi, the school of meat

The great knowledge of traditional products and old-fashioned recipes here offers unique dishes with true flavours that enrich the menu with originality and refinement. All raw ingredients used are carefully chosen and selected with attention to their source of origin  ̶  in the first place the succulent Chianina meat which, depending on the season, is accompanied by very high quality ‘side dishes’ such as porcini mushrooms and local truffles.

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Casina Kitch: to be eaten strictly hands-on

The format and concept of Casina Kitch is that of a gourmet Hamburger joint: high-level hamburgers starting from a personalized bun recipe, with local low-food-miles products  ̶  an effort  that Gabriele takes care of personally and daily: “I designed the place without ever thinking of having a freezer”, he tells us as he employs an uncompromising express cooking concept.

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Borgo di Celle, enchantment in the green

The restaurant is open every day and always offers an à la carte menu. The chef provides classic Umbrian cuisine using only the best fresh seasonal products, carefully selected and of the highest quality. Each dish is beautifully prepared and designed to bring out local aromas and flavours – brilliantly accompanied by an impressive wine list, drawn up by professional sommeliers.

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Osteria del Mare, the essence of cooking in Castiglione

And so unique dishes emerge such as Black Linguine cooked in Mussels Impepata, with Pecorino and Frigitelli, Octopus Lampredotto, Panini with Tuna Porchetta with Beans and Onions and Blue Fish Meatballs with Matriciana. Their ideas takes shape and substance and are immediately appreciated and enjoyed. It can only culminate in great success. In 2011 they won the Gambero Rosso ‘Innovation Award’ and ranked in the top places among the Best Restaurants in Italy for professionalism and quality, subsequently winning the Bib Gourmand.

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Villa di Piazzano, an oasis of grace

At the end of the Val D’Esse, nestled under the hill separating Tuoro and Lake Trasimeno from the countryside below Cortona sits the tiny hamlet of Piazzano.  Just inside the border of Umbria, it is surrounded by farmland, olive terraces and woodland.  This ancient area may have gotten its name during the famous battle between the Carthaginian general Hannibal and Roman consul Gaius Flaminius in 217 B.C.E. when it is thought the Roman contingent set up a military camp there with a “piazza d’armi” or a parade ground.

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The Centro Volo Serristori

Driving across the flat plain which stretches between Castiglion Fiorentino and Marciano with its fields and sparsely scattered farmhouses, we come across a vast, open stretch of land, eleven hectares in all, home to the Centro Volo Serristori. Here all manner of light aircraft can be seen coming and going, particularly on the weekends – ultralights and small touring planes such as Pipers and Cessna.

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