A lovely Sunday in Ornica

It happens once in great while when a Sunday arrives on the dawn of a beautiful alpine morning that begs to be enjoyed outdoors no matter what. Well such a day it was this past weekend, and we jumped in the car to visit the tiny hamlet of Ornica after having read about a cooperative called Donne di Montagna (mountain women). The village is located in the far northern reaches of Bergamo's alps, and the women play a part in welcoming and introducing guests to the rural atmosphere by way of the albergo diffuso or decentralized hotel stays. Website in italian and english. Of course, where there be hardworking women, there must be excellent food, yet little did I know how satisfying lunch would turn out to be.

You won't find Ristorante Ruffoni in any guidebook and a written menu doesn't exist, so be prepared for what will be recited by voice. The offerings are simple and portioned just right. We took up our server's suggestion of a bis (pronounced biss) on both 1st and 2nd plates. For the pasta course: fresh tagliatelle with wild herbs and some pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta with potatoes, butter and the local cheese). The tagliatelle with herbs was simply wonderful, with a hint of of something in there that is not on my list of savory garden plants.

As a main course, braised pork shank and veal roast on polenta taragna. Tender, moist and flavorful in all the right ways that a great cook would know how to prepare it. What looks like carrot sauce (it was so orange-y) tasted like a basic reduction of meat broth and aromatic vegetables, lending the meal an extra touch of juicy flavor to mop up with a piece of bread. I could barely finish my plate because we also ordered 2 contorni (vegetable sides): potatoes with mint and a type of wild spinach called paruc (pronounced pahr-uke) that was braised with onions. Che magnata! The restaurant is located on Via Fratelli Calvi, 47.

As much as we would've liked to continue, there was no room for cheese or dessert. A half liter of the house red, water, 2 coffees and a grappa came to 52€, coperto/cover charge included. Service was very friendly, in fact our waitress was able to explain a little about the Donne di montagna as the office was closed for lunch. Apparently they also organize local events and there's a Music & Cheese tasting coming up in less than 2 weeks.

I already liked Ornica upon first sight, but a stroll around the cobblestone paths revealed several historical buildings, fading frescoes and a bold-colored mural depicting women at work. Steep mountains and hillsides flank the village on both sides of the stream flowing through it. We witnessed a man using a scythe to cut grass on a mean slant, and in another area, a donkey, goat and sheep lazily made their way through precipitous terrain, nonchalantly feeding on young leaves in their own piece of paradise on earth. The plum tree image at the very top? Those were on the side of the road....ripe for the picking!

Gelato break at San Pellegrino

Feeling cheated for not having had any room for dessert, we stopped at San Pellegrino Terme (of Pellegrino water fame) as it's on the way back home. La Gelateria is smack in the middle of town with a fantastic assortment of flavors. I was intrigued by the chocolate without milk and also the soy milk flavor for those who are lactose-intolerant. No I don't have issues with particular foods, but if my mother (rest her soul) could suddenly suffer from the intake of lactose, I'm aware that it could also happen to me. That said, the chocolate had a nice, deep, smooth flavor but as you'd expect, no rich mouthfeel from gelato made with milk and cream. The soy was okay but nothing special. A good thing I added spagnola which has cream and amarena cherries, otherwise I'd still be feeling cheated.

La Gelateria
Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII, 27
San Pellegrino Terme, BG