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Five years ago, Cristina Pazzalia opened up her trattoria, the only one in
Cagli. A trattoria provides an informal atmosphere in which
the prices are less expensive than at a restaurant. It also
gives customers the option of ordering one or two courses
instead of the traditional five-course meal, a recent change.
“Italians usually order the full five-course meal,”
said Gaetana Burani, who is Lanterna’s cook and Pazzalia’s
mother. Trattorias are family-owned, so it isn’t unusual
that Burani works for her daughter. Marco, the sole waiter
at La Lanterna, is Pazzalia’s boyfriend.
“We tried being a restaurant, but it didn’t work,”
said Burani. However, two and a half years ago, La Lanterna
added a pizzeria because the locals wanted it. It was a huge
success.
Now the menu offers 50 pizzas with various toppings. Some
of the most popular pizzas are Margherita, Ortolana, Eco Del
Monte, and Chips, which has mozzarella and tomatoes and is
topped with a fresh mound of french fries. Toppings include
zucchini, four cheeses, shrimp, and even Nutella, a popular
chocolate and hazelnut spread.
But don’t be fooled by the name. A Nutella pizza is
a desert-like dish for which the cook heats up Nutella and
spreads it onto pizza dough. Apart from the pizzas, both the
prices and the menu have remained the same.
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According to Burani, Cagliesi families come to the trattoria
on a regular basis, still ordering pasto completo, which means
entire course. All the ingredients in all dishes are fresh
and the meals are homemade. Italian customers linger for hours
over their dinners. “There’s no real pressure
to change,” said Burani. Over the years, Italians have
been given the option of ordering less than the traditional
number of dishes, but they don’t.
According to Burani, La Lanterna’s busiest time is
the summer because of tourists. “Tourists will usually
order different dishes,” said Burani. Although they
only order one or two courses, she says they seem pretty satisfied
with the selections. However, Burani said that she will accommodate
tourists if they request a particular sauce.
Not far from La Lanterna is the Tre Pozzi Ristorante and
Hotel, which opened in 2003. Owner Leonardo Bravi said that
his restaurant is the strength of the hotel.
“It’s busiest during the spring and summer months,”
said Bravi, “but it depends on what’s going on
in Cagli.” Sometimes actors and actresses will stay
at the hotel when they perform at the local theater.
Tre Pozzi’s menu offers a wide selection of meat dishes
and the traditional sauces. According to Bravi, ragu, a meat
sauce, is very popular in Cagli. “There are too many
mushroom dishes, though,” said Bravi. “But tartufo
is huge here,” he said, referring to one of the types
of mushrooms that local residents prefer. Popular vegetables
include zucchini, eggplant, and carrots.
According to Bravi, tourists are usually pleased with the
menu, but Tre Pozzi will occasionally accommodate lodgers’
tastes if something they want is not on the menu. This is
usually the case for dishes with particular sauces from specific
regions.
“Usually, they like what’s on the menu,”
said Bravi. “Americans are willing to try anything because
they’re very comfortable with variety, and Germans like
a lot of spaghetti.”
Unlike the trattoria, Tre Pozzi is part of a small hotel
chain. But, Bravi, likes to think of his restaurant as a trattoria.
“The only difference between a restaurant and a trattoria
is the name,” said Bravi. “You pay less at a trattoria
and more at a hotel.”
At the restaurant, there is one main cook with one person
to help. According to Bravi, if there is a larger crowd, the
restaurant will get more help. Like La Lanterna, the food
at Tre Pozzi is homemade.
Bravi says the few Cagliesi venture over to Tre Pozzi. “Not
a lot of people like Tre Pozzi,” said Bravi, blaming
the previous owner for a reputation for unsanitary conditions
and poor food.
But, he says, more and more people are staying at the hotel,
and both the hotel and the restaurant are getting good reviews.
The menu at Tre Pozzi hasn’t changed at all, and it’s
not going to anytime soon. “Most people come for the
Italian food, “ said Bravi. “So they are willing
to experiment.”
Bravi finds that lodgers and patrons usually enjoy the Italian
breakfast of yogurt, cereal, and fruit. Italians aren’t
fond of eggs, so breakfast usually goes without them.
However, “Tre Pozzi will accommodate tourists if they
request eggs as part of their breakfast,” he said. This
small gesture signifies how Italian culture and food are slowly
transitioning from traditional ways to accommodate changing
tastes.
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