Summer in Europe without leaving Connecticut
Last month, Marsha and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Back then, we had the summer off, so we jetted to Europe for a 10-week honeymoon. With a sketched-out itinerary, a car on order and reservations for just the first city, we flew to Geneva. In our tiny red Fiat 128 with a copy of Arthur Frommer’s “Europe on Five and Ten Dollars a Day” and a bundle of maps, we set out on the trip of a lifetime. For many reasons, we couldn’t repeat that trip now. But with a look around at local options, it was clear we could summon up those distant memories.
Culture, after all, is food, music, costume and countryside. With a little looking, we could find all those close to home. For instance, when you think of Switzerland, what comes to mind besides banking and the Alps? Cheese, of course. At Darien Cheese and Fine Foods, Ken and Tori Skovran stock the finest cheeses from around the world, offering them with the full back story of where, how and by whom they were made. With their advice, we settled on a trio of cheeses from Switzerland that covered a variety of styles. Gruyère is one of the best-known types from the Alps. Ken was very excited about an aged-two-years wheel he had just cracked.
“One of the best in my memory,” he said of the gruyère.
Next was a semi-soft rich and creamy Swiss Abby Wrestler that is matured in the cellars of the ancient Einsiedeln Abbey. A small pillow of Screamer (Swiss creamer — get it?), a bloomy-rind triplecrème with a divine buttery flavor, rounded out the menu. With some crusty bread, a green salad and a bottle of Pinot Bianco from the Italian Alps, we had a delightful supper that took us back to the beginning of our long-ago adventure.
From Switzerland, we drove over the switchbacks of the St. Bernard pass into Italy through Lombardy to Venice, across the boot through Assisi, on to Rome and then Florence. The Roman cuisine of Osteria Romana in Norwalk was just the place to recall those beautiful days. A Mediterranean color scheme, pergolas around the dining room and a Vespa scooter over the bar were Italian enough to set the mood.
An Aperol spritz and an Americano cocktail started off our few vicarious hours in Rome. Spiedino Alla Romana ($12) seemed very
Roman: house-made mozzarella between slices of fresh-baked bread, battered, grilled and dressed with capers and anchovy sauce. With a nod to the ubiquitous presence of the clergy in Rome, Pollo Cardinale ($25) seemed appropriate. The tender chicken breasts topped with prosciutto and more of the house mozzarella were sauced with fresh herbs, olives and demi-glace. Bucatini Amatriciana ($21), billed as a classic Roman dish, featured thick strands of pasta in a bold sauce of pancetta, plum tomatoes and Pecorino.
From Italy, we headed for the delights of Provence and the medieval walled village of Vence. Lucky for us, we could get a reservation at the recently-opened Restaurant L’Ostal in Darien that celebrates that sunny region. The intimate and airy dining room led out to a shady sidewalk patio. The charming French accent of our professional server, Stephane, lent an immediate authenticity to our
evening. He explained that the menu is set up for sharing, with categories that include Beginnings, Cheese & Charcuterie, First Course, Pasta and Second Course.
The daily specials were written on a wall-hung roll of brown paper. A glass of the famous rosé of Bandol, deeply-colored and boldlyflavored, set the stage. Fougasse ($13), a traditional Provençal bread in the shape of a leaf and the chef ’s delicious Country Paté ($17) were shared. Marsha enjoyed the Roasted Halibut ($40) with spring peas and lemon brown butter. At Stephane’s suggestion, I ordered the feathery-light Gnocchi ($27) with wild morel mushrooms and asparagus.
I met chef and owner Jared Sippel as he shaved prosciutto at the vintage Berkel hand-crank slicer in the dining room. Next up: a fun search for local connections to the Loire Valley, Paris and Champagne.