Sunday Lunch in the Tuscan Countryside

One of the many delights of living in Tuscany is having a pranzo di domenica (Sunday lunch) with friends.  Even better when one of those friends is a local chef who knows just where to find a special place in an out of the way little village.  Rule # 1: always let the chef pick the restaurant! I was lucky enough to enjoy such a lunch recently, in the tiny village of Colognora di Compito, a lovely drive of about 6 miles, 15-20 minutes through the countryside from Lucca.

 At first glance the restaurant, La Cantina di Alfredo, seems to have been dropped down in the middle of nowhere.  It sits in tiny village along a pretty stone lined stream.  The unassuming building that houses the restaurant (in business since 1965) barely hints at the lively atmosphere and wonderful flavors to be found within. 

The first thing to reach my senses, before even opening the door, was the smell of the wood ovens.  A very nice welcome and a hint of the flavors to come.

Next, the sound of Italian chatter reached my ears.  Families with children of all ages filled the restaurant, happily interacting and sharing a meal.  Not one cell phone or other device in sight.  Sharing a Sunday lunch with friends, surrounded by a roomful of Italian families, is always a treat.  La Cantina di Alfredo provided the perfect Sunday atmosphere.

There are house specialty antipasti that get the meal off to an abundant start.  I have to admit (with only a pinch of guilt) that between the three of us we shared several of them, almost a meal on its own.  I blame my chef friend, who ordered for us – cancel that – I meant to say that I THANK my chef friend - because each bite was delicious.  First, we shared a board of cured meats including prosciutto, salami, other cured meats, and lardo (a buttery soft cubed pork fat) served with thin wedges of herb-flecked wood fired oven baked focaccia. 

Alongside that came a platter of bruschetta featuring fegato (a liver paté) on bread or squares of fried polenta, “meatballs” made of chopped mushrooms, and a pile of pasta fritta.  Pasta fritta is addictive – small bites of hot, fried, salty dough. How bad could that be?   Topped with a slice of the prosciutto it was delicious.

Having eaten a very big antipasto course, we skipped the primi selections (first courses) and headed straight to the main dishes. 

The house specialties include meats grilled in the wood oven, especially Florentine steaks and other cuts of beef. And the big piles of meats waiting to be cooked in one of their two wood fired ovens looked amazing. 

 In addition to beef, other dishes are prepared on the grill as well, including as fish, pork, and chicken.  And a second, even hotter, wood fired oven is reserved for pizza. Both of my companions ordered the Baccalà alla Brace (alla brace means on the grill) while I opted for the Rosticianna alla Brace (grilled pork ribs). 

Alongside we shared a dish of fagioli al forno (oven roasted beans).  Cooking beans in a wood oven turns them from ordinary into something special.  Creamy on the inside but a touch crisp on the outside, drizzled with good olive oil, they were perfect with both the fish and the pork.

Much too full for a dolce (sweet), we finished our meal with coffee (and a doggie bag for me - those ribs were hefty).  Leaving the restaurant by way of a small stone bridge, it was worth the short detour to see the small church with its unique short bell tower and mosaic decoration.  And then it was back in the car for the short drive back to Lucca.  

Good friends + a drive in the Tuscan countryside + a fabulous lunch = a perfect Sunday in Tuscany.

 La Cantina di Alfredo, Via di Colognora, 32.  Colognora di Compito Capannori

Phone: +39 058 3980192.     Cell phone: +39 331 3876800

Email: info@lacantinadialfredo.it

Closed Monday & Tuesday, open Wednesday – Sunday 12 – 2:30 NS 7 – 11 PM

Early Spring in Lucca

The first wisteria of 2025 in the Giardino degli Observant.

As March heads into April there are definite hints of spring in Lucca.  While the weather is still unpredictable, there have been some days just sunny enough to feel a touch of spring warmth on our faces.  I haven’t put away my warm coat and scarves (or my umbrella) just yet, but I can feel the day coming when I will be able to pack them away until next fall.

In my mind, two things mark the early spring season in Italy.  First is the appearance of blossoms. March’s Magnolias fade quickly but are soon replaced with Wisteria. The Wisteria are just beginning to bloom with the first sprays of flowers appearing last week. This past week also saw the first white rose along the path I walk when heading for my language lessons at Lucca Italian School. Soon the whole path will be lined with them. In the past few days I also came across a bed of white calla lilies, something I had not seen before in Lucca.  Gorgeous!

Calla Lilies in bloom at the entrance to the Casa di Cura Santa Zita

Flowers are also blooming in window boxes and on terraces throughout Lucca, spots that will become even more colorful after the spring Verde Mura which is scheduled for the first weekend in April. The annual garden show showcases flowers, herbs, fruit trees, and anything else needed for the garden. 

The second sign of early spring for me happens in the markets.  Agretti is the first to appear (sometimes as early as late January / early February).  This past week asparagus and artichokes were in abundance. Pots of herbs arrived at the Ortofrutta this week too.

There are also fresh spring peas, perfect raw in salads or added to a pasta primavera.  And zucchini flowers!  While they are wonderful stuffed and fried, I never actually go to the trouble to prepare them in that way (isn’t that what restaurants are for?).  But, chopped along with the zucchini itself they make a tasty addition to a frittata. Big bundles of Tropea Onions, available year round from southern Italy, add a splash of color to the Spring market.

From southern Italy come bright red, flavorful strawberries.  Topped with a whipped combination of cream and mascarpone they make a delicious yet simple dessert. Crumble a few amaretti cookies on top for an extra treat.

As early spring progresses to the warmth of late April and May, Lucca will provide an evolving parade of opportunities to enjoy the colors, blooms, and tastes of Tuscany.

Wandering in Lucca

The courtyard of Palazzo Santini, Lucca

 The time between the end of Carnevale and the beginning of April is pretty calm in Lucca – it’s as if everyone and everything is just holding their breath waiting for spring.  

There is one annual March event that is special - the celebration of the camellias blooming in and around Lucca.   This will soon be followed by wild poppies, wisteria, and roses.  I can hardly wait!

In Lucca, the historic center has been quiet, especially on weekdays.  This has given me plenty of time to wander about town. As I’ve walked. I’ve been thinking of the ways in which Lucca has changed over the years.  It was a much quieter place when I first visited back in 2012 – fewer cars, fewer tourists, just one general grocery store in the historic center.  Today Lucca is much busier and, during peak travel season, a definite tourist hot spot.

This wonderful little shop closed for good last year.

 An unwelcome change is the closure of some of the oldest shops and restaurants in town. 

One of my favorite small shops, Il Mercatino, home of delicious caprini (no, not small goats, but a mild marinated cheese log) closed last year.  It left a vacancy along Via San Paolino.

And now two more of Lucca’s iconic shops are closing.  One is the Ferramenta e Mesticheria Di Barsanti e Marlia, also on Via San Paolino.  This small hardware shop, in business since 1949, has one of the best windows in Lucca.  On display are all sorts of specialized knives and kitchen tools, including rolling pins designed for hand cutting pasta of various widths.  Inside are a variety of tools, pans, brass fittings, etc.  It is hard to imagine a stroll down Via San Paolino without stopping to look in the window and imagining just how one might use forbici da pecore (sheep scissors).

Ferramenta e Mesticheria Di Barsanti e Marlia

Polleria Volpi, closing after Easter

The most shocking one to me is the upcoming (just after Easter) closure of Polleria Volpi, the beloved “chicken shop”.  Run by sister butchers Caterina and Valentina, they have the best poultry in town.  And boy do those ladies know how to wield a cleaver!  They gave me my first lessons in how to order chicken parts in Italian, offered large roasting hens to stand in for Thanksgiving turkey, and taught me how to cook their little rolls of rabbit meat wrapped around lardo.  They also stock lots of food items and wonderful seasonal treats, like Christmas Panetone and Easter Colomba cakes in gorgeous tins by Dolce & Gabbana.  In business since 1973, it is hard for me to conceive of a future without a stop at the Polleria to do some shopping. That all three of these closures are on the same street, one that funnels lots of tourists into town, I have to wonder about the role that the many day trippers (who rarely buy anything) have on the ability of these unique places to remain viable.

Easter goodies in the window at Polleria Volpi

While thinking of these closures makes me sad, some of my wanderings around Lucca have been more inspiring.  In the past week I’ve wandered into some places that are outside of my everyday routes, marveling that Lucca still holds surprises for me.

First, I was directed to pass through the courtyard of Palazzo Santini (above), a detour made necessary by some work being done on a nearby street.  The 17th century palazzo now houses city offices. The courtyard connects to two streets, Via del Moro and Via Cesare Battisti. It is filled with bikes and people coming and going from the offices these days, but has remnants of its former life as home to the wealthy Santini family.  The columns support broad arches, old worn doors lead to unknown places, and the vaulted ceilings have faded frescoes.  It made for a very pleasant detour.

Chapel of Madonna del Sasso, in the church of Sant’Agostino

On one of my wanders, I passed by the church of Sant’Agostino, built in the 1300s right up against a section of the ancient Roman theater.  I had never been inside but the nun standing in front of the church, one of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit who maintain the church, invited me to enter.  The church seems very plain at first glance, but there is a wonderful side chapel, The Chapel of the Madonna del Sasso, off to the right. After admiring the altar, paintings, and statues look for the grate in the floor – legend has it that it connects straight to hell.   Ornate and frescoed, the chapel is a surprise in the otherwise plain interior. 

Large displays around the church explain the founding of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit (Suore Oblate dello Santo Spirito) by Elena Guerra in 1959.  Don’t be surprised to find her body below the main altar in a glass sarcophagus. 

The painted double ceiling of Santa Caterina

My last wander for the week took me to the tiny Church of Santa Caterina. Once the chapel for workers at the now shuttered tobacco factory, it is rarely open. Restored several years ago by FAI (Fondo per L’Ambiente Italiano, an Italian organization which restores and cares for historic properties), it was opened this past weekend for a special FAI event.  With its beautifully frescoed and decorated interior it is a jewel box of a space.  Looking up at the frescoed ceiling, the illusion of great depth is due to an oculus that opens to the even higher painted second ceiling.   

Such amazing gifts a quiet weekend in Lucca brings ! 

March Skies in Lucca

The first half of March is an unpredictable time here in Tuscany.  Sometimes it feels like just another few very long weeks of winter.  It roars in like the proverbial lion with wind, rain, thunder, and cold.   

Early March is when the Magnolias bloom along Corso Garibaldi in Lucca. March 1, 2025

Clear blue skies over the old Mercato and the Torre Guinigi, March 2, 2025

Other years March arrives more gently, with mild temperatures and sunny skies. The Magnolias, which bloom in early March in sun or in showers, provide a bit of a spring tease.

Above all, early March is fickle. A couple of lovely days, just enough to make you believe spring has arrived, followed by a quick return to cold and wet weather.

 This year, it seemed like someone flipped a switch on the first day of the month.  Where February had been especially cold, gloomy, and wet, March 1st brought several days of blue skies and gorgeous weather.

Heading towards the Torre delle Ore, Lucca’s historic clock tower. March 10, 2025

The weather changed again the second week of March. By Friday March 14th Tuscany was under a weather alert that brought winds and rain, enough to cancel schools for the day.

Clouds building over Lucca’s historic walls, March 11

March 14th, cloudy and rainy in Lucca with high water levels and local flooding along the Arno from Pisa to Florence.

Gathering clouds over Piazza San Francesco, March 11

Sadly, by that evening the Arno (which runs through Pisa and Florence) was at dangerously high levels with some areas of flooding.

I’ve spent a lot of time watching the skies over Lucca these past two weeks.  From bright blue to partly cloudy, from moody to threatening, each has had its own beauty. The threats of heavy rain and damaging floods have dampened the joy of sky watching these last few days, but hopefully we will return to blue skies over the next few days.

Soon April will arrive and bring true spring. Until then, I’ll be looking up to watch the clouds. But I’ll keep my umbrella handy.  Happy mid-March from Lucca.

A February Week in Lucca

The last week or so here in Lucca has been mostly cold, rainy, and windy.  Some days saw just a slow drizzle but others were seriously rainy.  One night brought drama with thunder, lightning, hail, and brief periods of flickering lights.  Mixed in were periods of cloudy, chilly weather with breaks in the rain.  The rare days of sunshine felt like a gift with blue cloudless skies and some sunshine!

 Despite the less-than-ideal weather, there is a bit of buzz in the air. The long weeks of January are over, and the days are getting longer.  February is short and will land us one month closer to spring.

It is a time to make the best of breaks in the weather, go for walks about town, and see what might be new to discover.  Camera in hand (well, my IPhone camera) each bit of clear sky was a chance to set out and explore.

One walk last week brought a surprise encounter with a local group of Steam Punk enthusiasts.  All in costumes, they make for compelling photographic subjects. 

A lovely Steam Punk lady!

 Walks around Lucca last week also provided a chance to see Valentines Day themed window displays.  Look closely at the typewriter in the photo below – the brand name is most appropriate.

 A lot of the buzz in the air had to do with the start of Carnevale, an event that will go on until the beginning of Lent.  Viareggio is home to most of the Carnevale action, but the themes, masks, confetti, and  paper mâché creations spill over into Lucca in many ways. 

Last week it was in the arrival of the Skull Parade, a collaboration between Viareggio and Mexico City.  The large paper mâché creations reflect Mexican Day of the Dead culture with a splash of Italian Carnevale.  They are scattered throughout Lucca so you never know when you might stumble onto one.  Searching for these teschi (skulls) was good motivation to go out for a walk, even when an umbrella was required.

Other Carnevale related arrivals included a huge Gorilla mask, created by the Cinquini brothers, under the loggia in Piazza San Michele.   Could his eyes really be following me?  Indeed they can!

 A Carnevale event just for children on Saturday was a blizzard of confetti thrown by costumed kids.  It was a fun kind of chaos. A stilt walker threw streamers for the kids and the unicycle rider provided bags of confetti.  Give a kid a bag of confetti and just watch what happens.

Inside the Piazza Anfiteatro, the oval-shaped piazza that follows the outlines of the old Roman Amphitheater, nightfall brought Carnevale themed projections on the buildings.  It was just warm enough to sit outside in a cafe (cozied up to the gas flame heater), sip a glass of wine, and enjoy the light show.

 All this in one week! And what will next week will bring? More Carnevale events and hopefully some drier weather.