MILWAUKEE-NYC-ITALY-GREECE AND A DAY IN LONDON BLOG POST THREE

ARRIVALS AND MILESTONES

We've lost track of the amount of times we've driven up the gravel road and pulled up to the gate at the Agriturismo Frattoria Armena. The first time was when Emmy was three; she's now twenty-two. There were no gates when we came for the first time. The pool was an above ground version with a ladder you had to climb up in order to get into it.

The barns were a bit messy and our current apartment hadn't been built, yet we knew from that first moment that this would not be the only time we'd come here.

From the hundreds of possibilities we had before us there was destiny in our choosing Armena.

The unexplainable sense that you've found your place in the world happened then and over the dozen or so times we've returned there's been no doubt that this place is our home. Nestled in the arms of our acquired Italian family, the Saracenis, we've found our heaven on earth.

This trip was particularly significant for me. It coincided with my birthday. I'm not one who looks forward to these milestones. I was devastated when I turned ten and had to move into double-digit territory. So now I no longer count the years but celebrate time well spent.

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Dylan Thomas
I'm not on death's door but I do believe that it's best to always go forward with defiance and passion in search of laughter and new adventures.
Let the world marvel at who you are and what you can do.
I was not of a mind to demand or want any big celebration but a quiet dinner with family and friends was what I was hoping for and my family and friends did not disappoint.

Eight o'clock reservations at Boccon Di Vino in Montalcino, a hilltop restaurant we'd been to several times.

The view is spectacular and the food is a religious experience. The menu for Saturday night is catalogued below:















A GIFT

Our first surprise was a tomato, bread and Parmesan puree with toasted bread chips, a gift from the restaurant owners,

longtime friends of Stefania and Giulio Saraceni, the mother and son team who joined us for dinner. We would be dining with the rest of the family the following day when we were to celebrate Stefania's sister's birthday.












ANTIPASTI

Crispy hot bread filled with bacon and pecorino cheese then topped with wild herbs and garden grown cherry tomatoes.

Raw prawns from Mazara del Vallo plated with Burratina served in a fluted crispy bread bowl and a smear of green tomato jam.

Molded chicken liver pate with homemade toasted bread and apple compote served in a separate cup.
















PRIMI PIATTI

Pappardelle alla Carbornara with prawns, crispy Tuscan bacon and 100% Arabica coffee powder.

The famous house onion soup.























SECONDI PIATTI

Beef duck breast with Moscadelo in fig sauce accompanied by roasted vegetables and pistachios.

Beef stewed in black pepper and Brunello wine on a bed of organic chickpeas with drizzled rosemary oil.

Codfish cooked at low temperature with beetroot cream, wild poppies, breadcrumbs and shaved almonds.





















DOLCI

A pistachio birthday cake with dark chocolate wafers.























DOLCI VINO

A bottle of Moscato Fior d'arancio spumante as a parting gift from the restaurant owners and staff whom all raised their glasses in one last toast.  The perfect end to a perfect birthday in a place I'll always love.

Cin Cin!