I don’t know what I did here–forgot to say at Pizzeria di Scala, I couldn’t resist a salad with burrata and summer tomatoes and a summer pizza special: burrata, eggplant, sauce of yellow datterini (little tomatoes). Yes, double burrata, double tomatoes. But given that it was late July, ordering the summer specials seemed wise.
I can eat a lot, but I only go out to dinner or a real sit-down lunch every other day or so. I usually just snack on the intervening days.
No idea where to next. What about you? Spain?
Isernia, Molise
Isernia is a quickish drive from Naples, maybe 2 hours, easy driving.
I had never been to Molise before but my research suggested that I would be able to explore some lesser-known sites (including Sannite ruins) and enjoy shady hikes with waterfalls, all in an untouristy part of Italy. Still, I was a little afraid that there wouldn’t be enough to keep my interested, so I combined it with a longer stay in Abruzzo, where I had been, albeit briefly, nine years ago.
While Molise is sleepy and doesn’t even exist, it seems to be growing in popularity as there were plenty of Italian tourists enjoying this beautiful region. Cheeses, meat, fish feature prominently on the menus.
First dinner was at Existo Osteria Molisana, where I took a primo “Le Origini”, a secondo, the Uruguayan beef (replaced potatoes with broccoli)–ordered this because I guy at a nearby table was eating it and clearly delighted, and a dolce (a cake with cherries and pistachios). No small portions here! I didn’t think the ravioli worked, in particular because of the dusting of black pepper–just too much. In fact, if I were to fault Existo, I would say it’s the creative flourishes that let me down. The steak was excellent, the dessert decadent, the vegan amuse of lentils with a red pepper cream and a little fried onion, very nice. But the ravioli, for me, no.
Excellent local olive oil with decent bread to start.
Vegan amuse. Tasty.
Too much black pepper!
6 Likes
There are two upscale-ish restaurants in Isernia proper: Ausa, which is vegetarian, and Distinto. I booked Distinto, which features a modern dining room smack-dab in the historic center of town.
The chef and his sister, who works FOH, are both from Isernia and opened the restaurant at the beginning of the pandemic, the realization of a long-time dream. The menu consists largely of creative/modern interpretations of Molisan classics, with a heavy emphasis on local products and local wines. (I should mention that until arriving in Isernia, I had never tried a Tintilia wine before. Thumbs up!)
Having had a full day of hiking, waterfall swimming, and town-hopping, I decided to simplify my life with the shorter tasting menu (40E) with wine pairing. Highlights for me were: housemade bread and grissini, the fantastic olive oil, the mini fried polenta with cheese and mini arancino, the egg croccante in a fonduta of caciocavallo di
Agnone, the maccheroni with sugo + local cheese, their version of panzarella, which was served with a healthy portion of Molisan cheese (of course). Way, way too much food for me. A great bargain, though!
After the sister seated me, she brought me their version of a spritz.
Even salad gets a hearty, HEARTY addition of cheese in Molise.
Pork tenderloin, cooked at low temperature, with pickled red onions, a currant/apple (?) conserve, and jus. I don’t care for pork tenderloin in general and compared to some of the earlier dishes, this didn’t “sing” to me. Comfort food, but not my kind of comfort food.
Mignardises of chocolates, meringues, and caramels, accompanied by fruit sauces and nuts which you can paint on.
Although Isernia appears to be up-and-coming as a tourist destination, I’m not sure it can support two higher end restaurants. I was there on a Saturday night and although the town itself was hopping, I was one of only two occupied tables. And the cooking and service are terrific! I suspect most Italians head to Molise for a taste of rustic life.
This family are so kind, so warm and welcoming, cooking at a high level using top ingredients, so I hope they can hang on.
4 Likes
About town.
Isernia was bombed by the Americans on September 10, 1943, in an effort to hinder retreating Germans. The majority of those killed were civilians.
View from where I parked my rental car.
7 Likes
Carpinone and its cascate about a 20-minute drive from Isernia. Unless you’re me, then it takes 45 minutes.
Small-town humor.
who’s up for a renovation project?
Yes, the water was cold!
5 Likes
..and for yours truly, the drive would take an hour!
Leely, really, this is one fantastic report, with great photos! Good for you!!
I love that salad of cubed vegetables…with the ample dollops of cheese! Lots of chopping but it certainly looks great.
1 Like
erica, the salad was delicious. I actually added that course, perpetually in search of vegetables. It’s panzanella–not sure why I misspelled above–so it also featured large croutons made of the house bread underneath the veggies.
Also, to be clear, the tasting menu was 40E, and wine pairing (all Molisana wines) was additional. A tremendous value. The 60E menu includes fish courses too.
1 Like
I hope you checked out Slowfood snail Viva Lo Re in Ercolano? we had a great meal there a number of years ago and daughter and partner last spring. We were impressed by Herculaneum too.
Catching up. This pizza!
1 Like
Unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out to have either lunch or dinner in Ercolano. Next time!
My last night in Isernia I asked for a recommendation for something simple, not too much food, not too heavy. Got sent to a fine-not-fab pizza restaurant, everything good enough, except maybe the service. Next day on my way out of town, I stopped at Panificio Blanz, which I had read about in Gambero Rosso.
Pizza again, Panificio Blanz
They were unfortunately out of the morbidone with chocolate, what I was most hoping to find. This is a plain morbidone. Morbido means soft in Italian. Yes, this is a big soft bun, brioche-y. If you stop at Panificio Blanz, go early for more choice or go big and try the crazy sandwich thing they specialize in–too big for me, after the past few dinners.
ETA: Here is an Instagram link to a story where they delve into the insanely gigantic and decadent Molisana sandwich (panonta di Miranda) that Panificio Blanz makes. Hearty appetites only.
3 Likes
LOVE how you used flaneur as a verb. I have done that too it my blog. Such a great word.
Great pics, too.
I got so busy with work-the holidays-then work again, that I was off this site so long I got logged out and forgot my password. In any case, not too many notable meals for the rest of the trip, though the trip itself was fantastic.
Much of the drive from Isernia to Scanno, where I was booked for my next stop, took me through the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise. If you think you’re the kind of person who would like this kind of place/trip, I highly, highly recommend it!
Had an excellent peach after hiking up to the “top” of Barrea (was cool and rainy when I arrived, but cleared up).
Unfortunately, I had to keep rambling on because of a hotel reservation in Scanno that evening, so missed what might have been a fantastic show in Barrea.
Lago Barrea
I stopped at Civitella Alfedena, fingers crossed I might see wolves at the wolf sanctuary there–no such luck. Poked around the town, took a short walk in the woods, had a coffee and moved on.
Made it to my lovely, traditional hotel (with parking!) in Scanno by the afternoon.
5 Likes
thank you so much for continuing - what a beautiful area!
1 Like
Scanno was the first touristy-ish town I had been to since leaving Ischia and Naples. I knew when I saw signs for public bathrooms.
Among its sites, are the dual steps that inspired Escher’s Street in Scanno.
Scanno is beautiful, compact, surrounded by green hills, immersed in a fantastic park. But kinda difficult to drop into dinner on a Monday night in August sans reservations. Those of you who roadtrip–and probably many of those who don’t–can understand the hesitation to make dining reservations. Who knows how we will feel about having lunch or dinner on any particular day? What will we want to eat and at what time and when? Who is to say???
So we roll the dice.
I tried Gli Archetti and it was pretty good ! The whole town was packed with families, hikers and cycling groups, but I found the service warm, responsive and correct. I explained that I didn’t want anything too heavy (tough in the countryside), so my server recommended the bignè with broccoli rabe, alici and straciatella.
Not that light, right? But it was tasty. The cheese in Molise and Abruzzo is just heavenly. Pastry perhaps a little overdone/rustic.
Skipped the primi and ordered duck breast with a honey & balsamic sauce as a secondo. This was paired well with the bitterness of the roasted radicchio.
Too full for dessert, yet managed to scarf down quite a few of the biscotti served with espresso.
August is party time, so after dinner I was able to enjoy a free concert in one of the piazze.
6 Likes
For those of you more dedicated food tourists, there is a cheese farm started by the late, great Gregorio Rotolo by that offers lodging quite near Scanno.
I had seriously considered spending the night and having dinner there, but it appeared there was no AC, I couldn’t figure out if they were serving dinner in August…and in high summer in Italy, I didn’t want to risk it. I can deal with heat, but a hot sleepless night when I need to drive through mountains the next day seemd like a bad idea. As you can see by all the folks in jackets and scarves in the photo in the post above, AC was not needed (at all!).
Heading out of Scanno, I felt taking one of the many hiking trails around and then up to view Lago di Scanno would be an excellent use of time.
It’s a cute lake, with little beaches, spots for picnics, a couple lakeside hotels here and there, etc. The trail to the punto panoramico is called the Sentiero del Cuore, because Lago di Scanno is heart-shaped.
After a fairly sweaty but thankfully mostly shady hike up to the viewpoint and then down again, I stopped for a panino at one of the cafes at the beach. Bread okay, prosciutto good, cheese and olive oil fantastic!
6 Likes
The drive leaving Lago di Scanno to my next stop, Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the heart of the Gran Sasso, is BREATHTAKING, particularly the Gole di Sagittario (Gorges of Sagittarius, near Anversa degli Abruzzi). I was fortunate to be stuck behind an extremely slow truck that sometimes had to back up to navigate the hairpin turns, so although I was driving, I had many opportunities to gawk at the views. No photos, obviously–I’m not reckless.
On to the Gran Sasso. I stayed, for the second time, at Sextantio di Sessanio., an albergo diffuso that tries to recreate the decor of village life in the 30s. I think.
This trip I requested a room not on the ground floor. In 2016 I woke up and there was a scorpion on the wall next to my bed. Yes, could happen anywhere, but I reasoned less likely upstairs.
Like Scanno, Santo di Sessanio is buzzing with holiday makers in season. It’s a great location for those who want to explore this part of Abruzzo, whether to seek out the many historical villages or to hike, bike, and so on.
Reward for tearing myself away from beautiful Scanno and driving to beautiful Santo Stefano.
5 Likes
Leely this is one fantastic report! I am going to try to plan a return to Abruzzo to re-visit Scanno and include some of the places we missed. We were in Scanno during the day in October and there were so few restaurants open–none of those I had marked. I have to look up what day of the week this was… We did have a nice lunch in a rustic place where we met more Canadians. I was surprised at how many Canadians visit Abruzzo; many had family members who did not emigrate until the 1950s, later than the big waves that came from Sicily, Campania and Calabria.
2 Likes
erica, that’s interesting–I didn’t meet any Canadians, but did encounter some Americans in Pacentro, who stay there a few months every year because they still have family and close ties to the area.
