Come nascono le classifiche gastronomiche?

a volte l'ispirazione per una classifica nasce anche guardando un tappeto dai colori bellissimi adagiato in mezzo a un cortile

Una settimana fa sono andata a mangiare un gelato da Scirocco, gelateria un po' fuori porta che amo particolarmente. Era -incredibilmente- un giorno d'estate quel 23 giugno e così ero andata al fiume per prendere il sole e fare un idromassaggio alle spalle sotto la meravigliosa cascatella. E al ritorno, rito immancabile ogni volta che c'è il fiume di mezzo, con l'Adorabile siamo andati ad assaggiare gli ultimi gusti che Andrea Bandiera ha realizzato per l'estate: caprino con anice stellato e arancio e gelato di pesto, fatto con basilico, pinoli, mandorle, pistacchi e scorza di limone. Buonissimi! Ma insomma, tra una leccata e l'altra di fantastico gelato si parlava con Andrea di una recente classifica sui migliori gelati d'Italia, pubblicata da un sito di gastronomia. Lui si è classificato tra i primi 10. Bravo! Lui era contento ma insomma, un po' dubbioso sul metodo. Perché insomma si chiedeva... in base a cosa hanno giudicato? Non è dato saperlo. I più naturali? I più cremosi? O forse i più simpatici? O magari semplicemente i più buoni...ma in base a cosa? Anche le descrizioni erano frettolose. Insomma... fare una classifica italiana precisa non è facile. Forse sarebbe meglio farla coi giudizi dei lettori. Oppure fare città per città, magari scegliendone 10, i capoluoghi di provincia. Già farla regionale è dura. E comunque mi son chiesta? Ma come nascono le classifiche gastronomiche? Almeno...come nascono le mie? Prendo la palla al balzo dopo aver realizzato per Stay.com (una guida di viaggi online fatta dalle persone che abitano le città e utenti stessi del sito web), la mia classifica dei 15 posti dove mangiare a Bologna. Il criterio è: secondo me. Per essere leggermente più specifica: posti che raccontino la personalità complessa della città che non è solo tortellini e zuppa inglese. Ma questo, forse, l'avevate già capito. Per essere chiara del tutto: è certo che la simpatia per il gestore può influenzare la classifica. Anche se i conti, Bea, li paga sempre.

un pranzo al Twinside dove fanno delle penne al pomodoro da urlo!

Un giorno Stay.com mi ha scritto da Oslo dicendomi che avevano apprezzato il blog e che avrebbero voluto con piacere alcune mie segnalazioni in tema di cibo per una guida, la mia guida a Bologna, insomma. Io ho iniziato a farla mettendoci un po' molto tempo perché avevo capito che doveva essere in inglese e perché ho immaginato che dovesse essere un'indicazione di almeno 4/5 righe. La precisione porta via tempo. Invece ne bastava una (perché poi loro trovavano la descrizione dai siti di riferimento), ma io avevo già iniziato a scrivere e quindi ho deciso di finire qui la mia seconda guida in inglese, buona per la rubrica English Bea. Che in città di stranieri ce ne sono tantissimi. In questi giorni, poi, col festival del Cinema Ritrovato, mi sembra di essere un po' in Inghilterra, un po' in Olanda e anche in Francia. C'è gente da tutto il mondo per vedere 300 incredibili film del passato restaurati! (vi segnalo Hitch muto, il grande Alfred prima del sonoro...mitico). Se qualcuno, leggendola, troverà che mi sono dimenticata delle cose...beh...non è proprio così. I posti che non ci sono li ho tenuti da parte per un'altra guida! Ah, e a proposito di classifiche... eccone una fatta dagli utenti e quindi secondo un criterio preciso. E' sulle migliori gelaterie d'Italia, sondaggi.gastronauta.it. Io ho già votato...indovinate chi?

                                                          piadina at Lestofante

TOP 10

For a coffee or a breakfast, Le Petit Cafè

If you want to have your “coffee experience” in Bologna, that's your place. Le Petit Cafè has a whole existential concept around the famous Italian drink that here is branded Lelli, one of the best name in my opinion. You can chose among Plantation India washed arabica, Parchment India washed robusta, Barahona Santo domingo washed arabica and many others. Good for breakfast but also for a quick pleasure in the late morning or early afternoon.

LePetit Cafè

Strada Maggiore, 25

051 230498

Everyday from breakfast til aperitivo

A quick, supertasty and well priced lunch at Twinside

I love lunches. Alone, with friends, for a “kiss good afternoon” with my boyfriend. And I find Twinside (the bistrot of reputated restaurant Caminetto d'Oro) extremely interesting for dishes and ingredients. Everything's very researched and comes from the best producers of Italy. My top choice? Tartare with marinated salmon, pineapple and pinenuts, pasta with fresh tomato and basil (it absolutely reminds me of that my grandmother used to cook for me when I was a child, a real madeleine), or sandwiches made with homemade pan brioche.

Twinside

via de' Falegnami 6

0519911797

from monday to saturday, sunday closed

The 8 cloves format for the gourmet pizza at Berberè

For those who want to experience the best pizzeria in town... but also the new age of pizza, this is the place to be. The trademark is that of Beniamino Bilali, one of the greatest pizza master of Italy, expert in natural sourdough. The project of Berberè belongs to brothers Aloe, with Matteo, the chef, who learned all his knowledge in the kitchen from some of the best Italian chefs and the pizza's secrets from Beniamino. 48 hours of rising, use of excellent flowers and a gourmet choices for the dressings. Pizza comes on the 19-23table already cut in 8 “cloves” and the best, if you want to taste more and are some people, is to taste one first...and then the others. I like the atmosphere and the place as well.

Berberè

Le Piazze - Lifestyle Shopping Centre

Via Pio La Torre 4/b - Castel Maggiore, Bologna

from tuesday to sunday 12,30-14,30/19-23

closed on monday for lunch

051705715

Bologna la grassa, Bologna the Fat: Osteria Bottega

Osteria, originally, stands for “a place serving wine and simple food”. Bottega means “shop”. These words together want to give the customers the idea of a strong tradition (still, in Bologna, you can really find few original osteria+bottega where to eat and to foodshopping) and the possibility to eat very well and genuine in a nice atmosphere, far from waiters plaster and conformism. That's why the owner, Daniele Minarelli, could be called a “oste”. The breath of genuinity blows over the place but the mood is somehow very contemporary. Directly into your plate: broth tortellini, tagliatelle, cotoletta alla bolognese and the famous “twice cooked” pigeon of the chef Daniele Bendanti. Ah, I do not eat meat, but I trust my friends who say this is the best for typical bolognese food.

OsteriaBottega

via Santa Caterina 51

from tuesday to saturday, lunch and dinner

closed Sunday and Monday

051585111

Italian Fusion: choose Casa Monica

Does it make a difference when you know the chef and when you do not? Well, I think so. That's why I know for sure that, when friends or people I don't know write to me to have a hint about where to eat in Bologna, Casa Monica is always on the guest list... because of the great food but also because of the chef, Monica Cuniberti, who is in the kitchen but also among the tables in the warm room that was once a mechanic. She's a great woman, really generous and warm hearted. Her food is like her and I would call it Italian Fusion, cause raw material and inspiration is Italian with a twist of International flavour Try the little octopus weaped with potatoes, olivs and capers. The cake artichokes with balsamic vinegar, the black ink of squid passatelli with white sauce of sea, ravioli stuffed with ricotta with chard cream or tuna crosted by sesame with crispy spinach, raisins, pine nuts and wasabi sauce. Good choice of wines.

CasaMonica

via San Rocco 16

051522522

open all evenings

Tradition remixed at Trattoria Serra

The first time I entered this trattoria I felt like being at home. Yes, this is the atmosphere you find at Trattoria Serra, named after the street it lies on in Bolognina neighbourhood. Great selection of genuine products from our Emilia land, knowledge of our food tradition to start and slight contamination of contemporary vision to handle certain dishes with care. The owners, Flavio and Tommaso, are totally kind and thoughtful, especially when you call to book a table and they “have” to tell you it's sold out. Something that happens frequently. So, I suggest you book in advance!!! Mostly for meat eaters, some options are for vegetarians...better ask.

TrattoriaSerra

via Luigi Serra 9/b

0516312330

closed mondays and tuesdays

wednesdays and thursdays open for dinner

fridays saturdays sundays open lunch+dinner

Chatting, drinking, vintaging at Camera con vista

You enter in the space and everytime you want to change place and try all the decor possibilities. Camera a Sud is like this. Comfortable, cosy, easy going. You can stay seated the whole afternoon and nobody will bother you. But this is not because it's mainly a student place. This is trans-generational. And very adult, so to say, in the choice of wines, in the care for food, in the friendly art of waiting the tables. White, rosé, red or sparkling? Or just a coffee and a chat with your best friend? In winter time better phone to reserve a table. In summer, from tuesday tiol friday you can have a drink outside, in the small piazza Biagi.

Cameraa Sud

via Valdonica 6

0510951448

From mondays to saturdays 12pm-1am

sundays 5pm-1am

Bologna and a whole Region in da plate with I Matti della Polenta

A more or less open kitchen, a small room with seats. That's it. The most famous food format in Bologna town. But, be careful, the substance, the “filling” of the idea should be brilliant. Just like when talking about I Matti, their love for bolognese food and especially polenta: coarsely or finely ground yellow or white cornmeal boiled with water or stock into a porridge and eaten directly or baked, fried or grilled, as wikipedia suggests. One of the owner, Roberta (together with Alessandro she shares a story of sacking and restarting a new foody life) will entertain you with great stories and recipes about food. Prices are really good, a fast food for gourmets. Gorgeous! In summertime I Matti is closed in July and moves to a beautiful place called “Il ponte della bionda”, just a bit outside the town's old walls, in the land. You should visit it and also eat crescentine.

I Matti della Polenta

via Sant'Isaia 84/a

0510391646

in winter open all days, from morning til dinner

A food rave to know people and experience great chefs for free at Le Club des Pirottines

Le Club des Pirottines is my kitchen club. I really mean it. I started it with my friend Simona, an art curator, inside her art gallery 2 years ago. Every month we invite a famous chef to teach us a recipe. They all come for free and nobody pays anything. This school is a knowledge exchange project and sometimes also the pupils, called “le pirottine” or “i pirottini”, can teach their best recipe. It's like a “carbonaro” circles where a certain idea of a food revolution is going on, with kindness. You can sign up on facebook. Search for Le Club des Pirottines, ask and you'll be part of the band!

Leclub des Pirottines

one monday a month

from september to may

My favourite aperitivo in town is Lestofante

I admit I don't lik aperitivo time so much. This ritual of drinking and eating, usually standing, from 7 pm to 10 pm in bars. Usually I don't like it because I love to eat properly, sitting comfortably, tasting genuine products. But yes, this can happen at Lestofante (swindler in English), a little and cozy bar in the center of the town. Everything is really small here. Tiny and soooo sweet. And you find young and adult people in a generational mix that tells the story of a part of citizens in my beautiful Bologna. I belong to this people, spiritually. Even if I go everywhere with no real relational problems. What I love in Lestofante, to tell about food, is the aperitivo with excellent product from Romagna. Piada (a special bread with no yeast), great cheese from romagna farm, genuine salami and ham and the wines of Ca' Montalbano from Brisighella. Gentle table waiting and great prices.

Lestofante

via S. Petronio Vecchio 15/b

from monday to friday 3,30pm-1am

saturdays 5pm-1am

closed on sunday