Aug-11 - Al Boeuc

As the Rough Guide says, Orta San Guilio is the cat’s whiskers. So is Al Boeuc for drinks. A cosy little nook of a wine bar, just off the main square in Orta. There is no wine list. Wines are sold by the glass and there is a blackboard at the door listing them. If you want a bottle, you simply choose it from the racks on the walls. Prices vary from around 15 Euros right up to over 150 Euros. We had a 40 euro Cabernet Barberesco blend. Fantastic!

Al Boeuc provides platters of food to munch with your wine. Don’t go expecting a menu or a traditional meal. The food is fresh snack food prepared there and then.  We had everything going. Firstly a large platter of bruschetta with tomato, basil and oregano, radicchio cooked with balsamic and mushroom with truffle oil. This was followed by a fonduesque affair of cream, anchovy paste and garlic in olive oil,with assorted vegetables to dip in. It was good but not spectacular and we probably wouldn’t go for this option again. It just didn’t feel right dipping lettuce into this hot goo. Finally, we had a platter of ham and cheese with mint infused honey on the side and a basket of bread. BH was in heaven. The hams were heavily smoked, sweet, tender and absolutely delicious. The cheeses were thinly sliced local choices which went well with the hams. A good choice for an evening of wine and snacks.