Eat in Verona? Let 's try a good Osteria!

Eat in Verona - Italy, has to be a positive emotion. Visitors in town, mostly famous for Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet tragedy, often wonders where to eat in Verona to enjoy an authentic gastronomic and local style experience. Our suggestion is to find & try an osteria (a Venetian style Inn), the traditional formula for eating in Verona. In this article we'd like to help you in understand how a real osteria it works.

An Osteria has to be a welcoming, warm and familiar place crowded by Verona locals. Just crossed the door, take a look at the"Oste" (bar tender) at work behind the marble or wooden counter, he or she will immediatly salute you with a smile and the familiar italian greeting "buongiorno".

How and what to eat in a Osteria? The culinary experience begins at the counter with a quick standin aperitif: a colored tartina (canape) or some slices of local cured ham, strictly accompanied by a glass of good wine while waiting for your table to be released. It is the best moment to have a chat with your friends,relatives or bar tender.

Once seated it's time for the traditional Veronese cuisine like bigoli (long and thick spaghetti pasta) with duck sauce, potatoes gnocchi with yellow butter and meltin' local Monte Veronese cheese, or the creamy baccalà (codfish) "alla vicentina" served over polenta. For dessert you'll try a Tiramisù or a slice of the world famous "Pandoro", the most loved and well-known Verona dessert.

Innovation cousine or old fashion glory? traditional cuisine does NOT mean "old" or much worse to say ..unhealthy! The modern cooking techniques of preservation and preparation allow to serve traditional but light, nutritious and healthy food. An osteria has to be a place friendly to everyone that's why understand the food needs of customers (celiac disease, allergies to certain products) are key factors in design our menu. There are many local, traditional recipes ready to be use, without depriving our guest of an authentic Verona style food experience.

Quality, home make, local food. A modern osteria must use high quality ingredients, best if organic and produces by local farms and wineyards. Even better process them "in house", so improving the final quality and taste of the recipes. Home made bread, pasta, mustards and sauces are the best point of strenghts of a real osteria.

There is no room for pre-processed or purchased mass market foods. Don't ask for anything less than quality when you sit at a table of an osteria for a sincere and unique dining experience!

Wine, a lot of local wine, what else? For a truly Verona culinary experience, dishes should be paired by (at least) one glass of local wine. Greater the number, better the experience.. :) A good osteria will offer you a selection of local wines, bottled or by the glass. In Verona you'll find a lo of opportunties to taste the premium red Amarone della Valpolicella, local whites as Lugana dal Garda, Custoza and Soave or the superb bubbles of the sparkling Durello. The waiter, has to tell you at least some very easy explanation of origin, terroir, vintage and grape blend.

How is the price for a meal in an osteria? The writer has this opinion: more than the absolute price, what really worths is the correct relationship with the quality provided. The search for high quality local food, a large, qualified and well-paid crew and the high costs of run a business in the old town center impose to be not too much cheap but remember prices are always to be exposed to the customer; there must be no margins of doubts or uncertainties.

We invite you to try the traditional Veronese Osteria Caffè Monte Baldo, in town since 1909, with its traditional cuisine, the wide selection of canapés for apertives and local wines. Our goal? To make you feel in the real "heart of Verona".