We can’t believe it is gone by so fast, but here we are on our last night in Orvieto. We hang out at the apartment for a while, blogging and fighting with the internet. it’s crazy, it really stinks during the day – can’t do a darn thing – but at night, like after 9pm, it’s fine. Weird, and annoying. I give up completely, but Ed valiantly soldiers on.
We decide to hit the Blue Bar before dinner to hang out with Anthony one last time. He is so sweet and fun – we get there and chat for a bit, his girlfriend and son show up for a few minutes, then leave, and then his “best friend” arrives – a British guy who owns a house with the “best lawn” in town! Who knew? it’s always lively in the Blue Bar and Anthony is the life of the party as always. We just hang out with our beer and wine and end up talking to 3 folks from Austin – late 20’s – who quit their jobs and are traveling the world for a year. Fun group, full of spunk, we spend a good half hour talking about travel and comparing Asheville to Austin (pros and cons). We finally tear ourselves away to go to dinner at Ristorante Il Cocco – a recommendation from Francesca.
We had read reviews about this place and a few had said the service was “snotty",” so we didn’t know what to expect, but the menu looked great and we figured we could handle snotty if need be. However, those reviews were so far from our experience, it wasn’t even funny! From the minute we walked in – with the owner who obviously spoke no English – to the waiter and everyone in between – the service was warm and friendly and all around excellent. And the food was the same.
Ed started off with an “artisanal” beer (only 1 Euro more) – which he really enjoyed.
For food, we started with a shared Antipasti complete with excellent crostini, the tomatoes so fresh they melted in your mouth.
For our mains, Ed chose the lamb stew, which was incredibly good with just the right amount of spices, and tender as butter.
I had to have the pork stuffed with prunes – and it did not disappoint. One of the best dishes I had all week (and that’s saying something, since everything has been fantastic). The sauce was sweet and savory at the same time, with wonderful red wine after taste. The pork was tender and the prunes stuffed inside a wonderful complement to all the flavors. I know I’m waxing prosaic over prunes and pork, but it was that good! I’m already researching recipes to try to replicate it when we get home.
As we were eating, who walks in? But our Austin friends! It is a small town after all. After we got our check, we said goodbye to our new friends and walked the last walk through the deserted narrow cobblestone streets to the apartment. Almost hate to leave, but we have a ship waiting for us tomorrow.
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