A Feast for the Senses
Regional home of grappa and birthplace of Diesel, the medieval walled-city of Bassano del Grappa is an intriguing mix of historic significance, gorgeous fashion and, oh, the food…
“Try this.” A glassy-eyed barman thrusts a white platter toward us, on its surface three squares of doughy, fresh focaccia topped with a subtly rich liver ragu that looks like braised mince but tastes like heaven. “And you must tell me you like it, because I made it.”
It’s Saturday night in Bassano del Grappa and La Colonne, a chic modernist tapas bar overlooking the medieval Piazza Liberta, is jammed with Gucci and Diesel-clad locals gossiping, laughing, drinking, smoking and eating. The vibe is brilliant, manic – and far removed from the stereotypical image of regional Italy as a place of donkey carts and headscarves.
In the heart of the Veneto region, Bassano’s history as a fortified town protected by Venice and once inhabited by Napoleon has been well-preserved; the marble arches of Via Matteotti, the bell tower of Mares chapel overlooking the banks of the river Brenta, and the famed covered wooden bridge – the Ponte degli Alpini – are lasting reminders to the town’s 45,000 inhabitants of their deep ties to a municipality dating from 1000 AD.
But of equal interest to the historic sites is the modern story that has been allowed to develop alongside the well-tended monuments of the past. This mix has resulted in a stately patchwork of architectural history, an intriguing tapestry of old-style delicatessens intermingled with fashionable eateries and minimalist boutiques, creating a vibrant, pulsing and relevant environment for Bassano’s modern residents.
It is those aforementioned residents that are now lining the long, galley-style bar at La Colonne, sipping local wines from elegantly-stemmed balloon glasses and accepting tasty titbits from Tomasso, the now pickled waiter, who, as it turns out, is not a waiter at all.
Tomasso, as our friend and tour guide Giovanni explains, is both a businessman and La Colonne’s well-loved owner; running his family’s industrial refrigeration company during the week, he set up the bar 18-months ago as a place to indulge his passion for food and wine. From Friday night to Sunday he drops in to work the bar, whipping up the odd tapas treat between drinks and conversation. By night, his joie de vivre attracts the crowds, but come morning it is his sugar-dusted, patisserie-cream-filled cornettos that lure back last night’s revellers – the recipe, bought from an elderly couple keen to retire their popular bakery, a prized possession.
But for that we must return in the morning, Giovanni suggests, before bundling us out the door. The night is young and we have time for one more aperitif before dinner. And so we find ourselves heading toward the old bridge and the three-storeyed Nardini café, a bar dedicated to serving the fiery and potent grappa for which the region is known. Named for the venerable Bartolomeo Nardini, founder of the family’s now world-renowned grappa distillery, both building and bar date back to 1779, though it is evident that time has done nothing to diminish its popularity.
Such are the crowds it is difficult to push through the door. Young men (grappa bars are traditionally a blokey institution) are lined six deep, yelling their orders at the three barmen frantically filling glasses from the dozens of bottles of grappa lining the back wall. We take ours with seltzer in an effort to soften its kick; even when distilled with honey, this Italian brandy fermented from the twigs of grape vines is very nearly too potent for the uninitiated. “This is where my grandfather would come to drink,” explains Giovanni with pride, “and ninety years later I am here doing the same.”
This deep respect for epicurean history is a strong theme in Bassano, and one that guarantees some truly authentic dining experiences. Like Da Michele in nearby Molvena, where chef and owner Michele spends six days a week serving the food traditions of the region to an appreciative audience. Keen to impress the foreign visitors of his local friend (though the nearby Diesel headquarters ensures Michele is well-used to international custom), we are plied with plates of irresistible treats; speck, a soft, smoky cured ham produced only in north-east Italy and Austria, is topped with in-season radicchio grown in the nearby hills, while locally grown porcini mushrooms are flash-fried in a light batter and served alongside funghi misti (fresh sautéed wild mushrooms) and salty squares of polenta. And that’s just for appetisers.
Over two hours, we go on to fill ourselves with homemade pumpkin gnocchi (“once you eat this,” warns Giovanni “you will be spoiled for any other gnocchi for the rest of your life”), flat sheets of pasta with more mushrooms, and rigatoni with sautéed pork mince and sage. We can barely touch the rare, sliced boar and rosemary roasted potatoes, valiantly gathering ourselves to finish with chestnuts picked up from the forest floor and roasted in an old pan in the dining room’s open fireplace.
The next night brings a similar eating odyssey at Ristorante da Gerry in nearby Monfumo. Waistlines pinching stomachs, we vow to practice restraint only to be seduced by antipasti of sopressa (a regional salami speciality eaten with polenta and radicchio), tagliolini topped with a ragu of shellfish, black truffles and pumpkin, tender lamb and a decadent fondant-y chocolate torte served alongside coffee gelato.
Fortunately, Saturday morning heralds the bustle of the weekly market to the main piazzas, and with it the opportunity to walk off the past nights’ excesses. Around 5000 people live within the city’s medieval walls and it appears everyone of them are strolling the old alleyways and open courtyards making up Bassano’s commercial centre. Stalls are heavy with leather boots, eclectic clothing, odds and ends, plants and errant antiques. On the sidelines, cafes are overflowing with parents sipping a mid-morning Campari or glass of vino, kids digging eagerly in to cups of gelato despite the chilly autumn weather.
At the top of Piazza Liberta a line is growing outside La Bottega del Pane, and the waft of fresh pastries and breads emanating from the interior leaves no doubt as to why. Unfortunately the previous evening’s food fest leaves little room for a morning stop-gap, though a web address containing recipes (www.bottegadelpane.com) allows us the option of recreating our own Bassano pane at home.
Of course good bread is deserving of accompaniments of equal quality. As a precautionary measure – just in case that bread making bug does bite – Giovanni whisks us to Venzo, an Aladdin’s Cave-style food emporium dating back more than 120 years. “I come here with my basket every Saturday and fill it with cheeses, fresh bread and proscuitto.” It’s something only a six-foot-plus, hunky Italian male can say without fear of questions arising over his masculinity. “They vacuum wrap, too,” he adds helpfully, “so you can take some with you.”
Which is precisely what we do, but not before tasting the difference between winter and summer Asiago cheese (“the cows feed on fresh grass in the summer,” Gio translates, “so it is a little sharper.”) A splodge of gorgonzola is creamy and delicious, though too runny to pack, we decide, while a comparison between Italian and Austrian speck has us buying up a few hundred grams of the latter; Austria’s higher altitude produces a cured ham of smokier flavour. At Giovanni’s insistence we submit to one final taste – a sliver thin slice of lard that is traditionally shaved fine and laid upon fresh, toasted bread as a meaty, rich, buttery topping. It’s not bad, though the smallest piece is sufficient to hint at the extreme power of its artery clogging properties.
Deluxe grocery shopping complete, we leave with every intention of visiting the Museo della Grappa but are instead waylaid by the dozens of fashion stores bustling with sharply dressed locals. Catching up on Italian style trends is a chance too good to pass up. Later, as the lunch hour rolls around, our shopping-abused bodies require rest and sustenance. Consoling ourselves with the notion that grappa is best tasted, not studied, we resolve to partake in an evening aperitif, leaving the immediate future free for wine and a plate of pasta at Osteria Terraglio.
Looking over Piazza Terraglio on the hill above the main piazza, the osteria is run by a husband and wife team offering up a small selection of market-determined daily specials. The vibe is intimate and relaxed. Like all Bassano, it is a blend of old-style and new; the traditional setting with its wood floors, beamed ceiling and basic tables, is lightened by the modern place settings and cool soundtrack (it’s worth asking about the jazz nights, held most Wednesday’s throughout the year). There is no menu, just the day’s maître d’ reeling off a list in startlingly speedy Italian. We give up deciphering and ask for the house specials, resulting in a light lunch of salad with mozzarella and al dente pumpkin ravioli scattered with poppy seeds.
The rain is falling now and the streets are empty; come 3pm the town has retired for siesta, which is exactly where we are headed. It’s just a 1km walk from the centre along the banks of the river Brenta to Ca’ Sette, the 18th century house converted to a four-star hotel attracting a well-heeled, mostly-Italian clientele.
Built in the 1700s as a summer residence for the Venetian family Golini-Sette, and later used by Napoleon’s troops during the battle of Brenta as shelter against the invading Austrians, the villa’s first modern incarnation was as a restaurant which fast became a reference for the Bassano and European elite. (The restaurant still attracts the crowds, though we failed to experience anything other than breakfast.) Forty-four years later, in 2001, the hotel itself was inaugurated, a haven of frescoed-ceilings, stones walls, wooden beams and fantastically modern bathrooms – who needs a bath when you have a showerhead with the force of a fire hose?
Keen to show us the best of Bassano, Giovanni booked us the Napoleon suite, the largest of the hotels 19 bedrooms spread over three buildings. We lasted five minutes; with its dining table, tri-level living space and 10,000 foot ceiling (well, that’s what it felt like), it was a little like the help crashing the master’s bedroom – too big, too grand and leaving us too much in awe. No problem for the concierge, however, who promptly downgraded us to a smaller, still gorgeously spacious, though cosier suite. Windows opening on to the manicured gardens below, senses filled and bellies replete, it was impossible no to be lulled by the somnambulic quiet of a drizzly autumn afternoon.
Way to go
Getting there
BMI flies direct from London Heathrow to Venice airport, while British Airways runs direct from Gatwick to Venice, prices for both airlines ranging from £80 return depending on travel dates. It is about 85 kilometres from Venice to Bassano del Grappa, with Jet Service (+39-335-8318806 or info@jet-service.it) offering a convenient chauffeured taxi service between the two cities.
Where to stay
Just one kilometre out of the centre, the modern grandeur of Ca’ Sette offers the full Bassano experience (www.ca-sette.it). Double rooms start from €170 with a family suite for 4-5 persons from €250 including continental breakfast. Hotel Al Castello (www.hotelalcastello.it) is the best semi-budget option in town, situated at the top of Piazza Terraglio in the heart of Bassano against a tower of the half-ruined castle. Largish rooms with good amenities – ask for room 10 with its flower-filled balcony. €80 double, breakfast €6.
When to go
The white asparagus festival, held April to May, celebrates the spring harvest of Bassano’s famous vegetable and is a good time for visiting gourmands (info +39 424 228 651). The pressing of olive oil begins in November with festivities occurring throughout the month, while the summer opera festival takes place in Bassano and surrounding towns during July and August.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Bassano official website:
http://www.comune.bassano.vi.it
Official website for the Veneto region:
http://www.regione.veneto.it
Informative websites:
http://www.bassanoweb.com
http://www.puntobassano.com
http://www.bassano-del-grappa.it
http://www.museobassano.it