Constantly in search of a unique dining experience, I found it in the most unexpected place; the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. Bocconato Trattoria is a gem waiting to be discovered. We had been “warned” that there was no menu and the chef would create a meal for you….. interesting.
Also that the food was very good, an understatement, and to make sure when seated that you gave a price range you wanted to stay in if you were price conscience. We found the prices to be very good for the quality and time it took to prepare each dish. You will spend a decent amount for dinner and make sure you allow several hours (we were there for 3 hours) but it will be worth every penny and minute you spend. If you are looking for quantity over quality, this is not the restaurant for you. This is a foodie lovers dining experience!
Sheri greeted us warmly and explained the no menu style of dining and that her husband, Chef Giovanni, would prepare any combination/style of meal we would like. We told Sheri we had eaten a late lunch and she suggested 2 antipasti, 2 en salatas and 2 pastas. Once we tasted the antipasti, we wished we had known before lunch about this amazing restaurant and arrived with an empty stomach. Every bite was one to be savored! Giovanni is a culinary artist! We had Duck Breast on Apple Rings and an Italian Breading Pudding with Gorgonzola Sauce. The flavors were all subtle enough to recognize and obvious enough to appreciate exactly what you were tasting.
That is the talent of the Chef coming through in his food. You can taste his passion for food and his heritage in all of his creations. Most Italian restaurants or any restaurant for that matter, tend to be heavy handed and lack finesse and consistency. That was not the case with our entire meal. Finesse and attention to the smallest details came out in all of the selections we enjoyed. Next we had a watermelon radish salad and a pear and walnut salad with a divine dressing, followed by 2 pasta dishes of fettuccini with a 3 cheese sauce and ravioli pillows filled with a pumpkin puree that was to die for! The pasta was light as only homemade pasta can be and cooked perfectly – al dente.
We were fortunate to be the last people in the restaurant that night and Chef Giovanni and Sheri had time to share their wonderful adventures and food philosophy with us. They take a small group to Italy each year and they cook with families, grandmothers and local chefs gathering new ideas and showing them that it is not a myth about Italian families and their love of food and wine. Giovanni then brought out a huge wheel of Fontina cheese from their last trip and sliced off pieces for us to enjoy. The cheese was nutty and creamy but it was the spontaneous sharing of the cheese that touched our hearts. That is the magic that is Italy and that Giovanni and Sheri bring to all their guests at Bocconato Trattoria!
Our dinner turned into the closest thing you can get to an authentic Italian meal without going to Italy. It was just as you read about in a book where the people are warm and friendly, they want you to love their food and country like they do and even the most simple dish has the most amazing flavor. Our evening was truly impossible to adequately describe with words, you have to experience it for yourself. I have learned that it is not how much I eat but the quality of what I eat that gives me the most pleasure. And this was a foodie spiritual experience!
Ciao Bella until we have the pleasure of dining at Bocconato again!
Bocconato Trattoria ~ 7915 Fairplay Rd ~ Somerset, CA 95684 ~ (530) 620-2492
