By Catia Giorni
Have you ever smelled the truffle before you even saw the dish? It happens every time you enter the “Trattoria Lea”. We want to tell you the behind the scenes of a place where past and future mix like flour and eggs on a pastry board: the story of a trattoria that is home, heart, and laboratory of typical Umbrian cuisine in the heart of Città di Castello.
Valley Life: Let’s start with the history of this place. What can you tell us?
Cristiano and Marco: “It was 1986 when it all began, in Via San Florido, thanks to mom Lea and dad Antonio. At the beginning there were only a few, just forty seats: as time went by, the restaurant grew with us. Every restoration, every expansion – and there were at least four, if memory serves us by it – had the flavour of a new challenge, but also of a party. Then, in 2017, the big turning point: the move to Piazza Matteotti, the only Renaissance square in Umbria. A leap that gave us visibility, of course, but also a new energy. It was not easy to leave the old place, but the square welcomed us with its wide and bright embrace. From forty seats we have gone to eighty, ninety inside, and up to a hundred outside, between the square and the veranda. The tourist clientele has increased, but our soul has remained the same”.
Valley Life: And this ‘soul’ is found first of all in your dishes, starting with those based on mushrooms and truffles, which are your signature ones.
“Yes, without a doubt, those based on mushrooms and truffles are our symbolic dishes. They are the ones who have made us recognizable, who bind us to the territory of the Upper Tiber Valley and who continue to bring people from all over the world. The truffle-based menu is almost a ritual: bruschetta, eggs, tartare, fondue, tagliatelle, gnocchi, lambs and selected meats. And the beauty is that here, in Città di Castello, we are lucky enough to work with all types of truffles, from the fine white to the black of Norcia, up to the summer scorzone.
And another of our specialties is handmade pasta. We still remember when, as children, we saw our mother kneading tagliatelle on Sunday mornings. It was an almost sacred ritual that is repeated even today, in our laboratory, where we continue to prepare fresh artisan pasta every day. Tagliatelle, gnocchi made with potatoes from Pietralunga, cappelletti in broth (the ‘original ones of Lea’, which have become a must for those who know us), agnolotti and ravioli. The laboratory, which is in via San Florido where the historic restaurant was, is open to the public, and you can go there to buy both homemade pasta and other ready-to-take away dishes (for example, dough for croutons, vitello tonnato, etc …)”
Valley Life: Hand-made procedure, therefore, which is combined with a very strong attention to the quality of raw materials.
“Yes, each course is designed to enhance the selected raw materials, which we choose with great care. The meat, for example, comes all local: the lambs grew up under Monte Santa Maria, on a farm that works only for us. We can’t advertise it enough, but those who taste our lamb immediately understand the difference. And vegetables? Only fresh, seasonal, harvested in the fields of the area. No frozen foods, no compromises. Typical Umbrian cuisine is made of truth, and the truth can be felt on the palate. It must also be said that, over the years, people’s tastes have changed. Once upon a time, people ate more salty, stronger. Today, we have learned to lighten the recipes, to make them more delicate, without ever losing the soul of traditional Umbrian cuisine”.
Valley Life: A great kitchen, therefore, which goes hand in hand with a very attentive service, thanks to all the people who work here.
“Yes, the strength of Trattoria Lea lies right here: in a close-knit team, which has remained stable over the years. There is Federica, ‘Chica’, who with her cheerfulness and her voice brings a smile to anyone. His birthday serenade has become a small ritual, a gesture that transforms a lunch or dinner into a special memory. In the kitchen there is Hergis, known to everyone as ‘Gigi’, who has been with us for six years now. And again Gigi’s partner, Gigia, Monalisa and all the other boys and girls who have become part of our extended family. It is not just a matter of sympathy. It is also organization, attention, respect for the time and needs of those who sit at the table. Even on busy days, waiting times remain short. It is not magic, but teamwork, experience, and that care that can be seen in the details: the dishes that arrive together, the smiles that never fail, the ability to listen and advise. Our trattoria has also become a point of reference for those who want to organize events: baptisms, communions, weddings, birthdays, business dinners. The spaces are versatile, both inside – where the warmth is that of a home – and outside, in the unique setting of Piazza Matteotti”.
Valley Life: At the entrance, there is a poster with the words “La Lea around”: what is it exactly?
“This is one more opportunity that we give to those who love our cuisine and want to bring it to a particular location. A catering service that allows us to come wherever you want: a high-quality service, suitable for groups of no more than 50 people. Precisely to best preserve our flavours and guarantee the same quality that you have in the restaurant, we are very careful in choosing the contexts in which to go. Because in the end, the secret of Trattoria Lea does not lie only in the recipes handed down, in the fresh mushrooms or in the fine wines. It lies in the ability to make anyone feel welcomed, listened to, part of a story that continues to be written every day. And in a world where everything runs fast, finding a place like this, where the table is really warm, is a great little privilege”.
Info: Trattoria Lea, Corso Cavour 8, Città di Castello (Pg), Tel. 075 8521678 / Follow the instagram page @trattorialea
