Foodie Friday: Trattoria Montepaolo

Tucked away almost in the middle of nowhere exists a restaurant so charming and so lovely that you’re happy it’s almost a secret. Walking into Trattoria Montepaolo in Dovadola, Italy, you’re transported to another time–a simpler and rustic era. The views of the rolling green hills invite you in, the Victorian-era-meets-farmhouse decor welcomes you, and the fresh, Italian scents implore you to stay.

I was lucky enough to visit Trattoria Montepaolo as part of the Buon Vivere tour, which highlighted some of the best ways to enjoy life in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. We stopped in for lunch one rainy afternoon and were treated to the chef’s specially-prepared foods from the region: Fossa cheese, mushrooms, arugula, and pomegranate salad; pumpkin ravioli with parmesan, bacon and leek; passatelli cream of leek and Fossa cheese; and tagliatelle with Chianina beef sauce. All of this incredible food was perfectly paired with a variety of regional wines.

Our lunch at Trattoria Montepaolo wasn’t the end of our time there though. After spending a few hours exploring the region, we headed back for what was one of the highlights of the whole trip for me: a pasta- and piadina-making class! They didn’t hold any punches, bringing out the wine, cheeses, cured meats, and various types of bread while we all ate and drank ourselves into stupors as we watched the chefs prepare the foods their region is known for.

Piadina is a simple, but wonderful flatbread. It can be eaten plain; topped with cheese and meats; or filled with your favorite foods. (I had a piadina gyro later on in the trip! It was so amazing.)

After the piadina lesson, we headed back to the main room to watch more pasta making. The Emilia-Romagna region is home to several different kinds of pastas, and the chef was kind enough to lay them out on the table and tell us what they were. And I created this little diagram for all of you!

On the way out that evening, I noticed a heart with Italian writing on it hanging from an arch over the walkway. It read “segui sempre il tuo cuore,” which means “always follow your heart.” Drunk on fine wine and the festivities of the evening, it really hit home for me as it was following my heart (and quitting my job to travel) that brought me to Italy in the first place.