Donatello – I wish I had a Donatello right here across the street

Your guests will be impressed, and you will look when submitting you expense report

For Italians, no matter whether the restaurant is a small little one located on the hills or a famous fancy one located in privileged areas of big cities, what really counts is quality and consistency. Moreover, they evaluate the quality of a meal by comparing it to their parents’ or grandparent’s That been said, for a restaurant like Donatello, that is located in Bologna – the Mecca of the Italian cuisine – being in business since 1903 means they really know what they are doing. Ferruccio Fanciullacci is the manager of this splendid restaurant.

Just by stepping into this elegant restaurant is already an experience. Spotless white table clothes and crystal clear wine glasses are precisely aligned to the dishes, silverware and napkins. The classic decoration of the walls and ceiling, the old light fixtures, the pictures and mirrors takes you back in time.

Browsing their menu gives you a hint of how their kitchen is set up and how fair their prices are. Fresh home-made pasta (by hand!) presented in several ways and shapes. Hard to pick a dish? Well, if you are in Bologna you have to try two traditional classics: lasagne and tagliatelle. I usually order the two of them even if I am by myself (in sequence, first the tagliatelle and then the lasagane), . As for sauce? I recommend another classic: Ragù alla Bolognese (meat-based thick sauce). And when they bring you the tagliatelle, try it first w without parmigiano-reggiano, and then with parmigiano.

Via Augusto Righi, 8 Bologna, Italy http://www.ristorantedonatello.it/

Would you like to try at home? Check my recipes below for: