Palmabella's Passions

The day we first arrived in Follina, we decided to have a nice lunch at Ristorante Al Caminetto. We were served appetizers, which were more than enough for a hearty meal. It was such a hearty lunch that we actually skipped dinner that night, and had dessert in the hotel's lounge/terrace instead!

There were huge arrangements of fresh flowers everywhere!

The restaurant's central feature was a glass enclosed fire where meats were grilled and FABULOUS loaves of crusty bread were kept warm. I almost NEVER eat bread before a meal...not even a breadstick. But as I sliced the loaf for Brad, the scent was amazing. Here's the deal...if I am going to eat bread, I need BUTTER! Lots of it! So I don't eat the bread. As far as I am concerned, it is a vehicle for fat or protein. I know they only serve butter in Italy at breakfast, so I don't even ask. Well THIS bread smelled SO good, and I wanted some with my prosecco, so, I asked for "burro". "Certo, senora!" The waiter quickly returned with...

BUTTER! At least a pound of it! The bread was as good as it smelled!

The antipasti plates began arriving. House-made sopressa salumi and a plate of prosciutto, soft cheese and strudel-like slices of puff pastry, with melted cheese and porcini:

Next came a wonderful platter of roasted peppers, fennel, cauliflower and stuffed tomatoes.

Finally, a plate arrived that I THOUGHT was mushrooms and onions with a creamy white polenta. Brad and I both tasted it and said, "Wow! These are really MEATY mushrooms." Followed by, "I don't think they're mushrooms at all." Now, I'm not usually a fan of liver and onions, but THIS "fegato alla Veneziana" was amazing. And look at that beautiful white polenta!

You can see why we decided against dinner! About 8:30, we felt like a small snack, so we selected a dessert from the tea room: chocolate torta for Brad and a berry tart for me.

We listened to beautiful music on the bar's terrace and relaxed completely! THIS is what vacation is supposed to be like: WHAT you want, WHEN you want it in a gorgeous setting with no thoughts of home or reality! La dolce far niente!