Just opened Lucio Pompili's new venue, Foraging. The food proposal is simple: cooking only on the wood stove and the embers of the fireplace. You eat a 4-course Italian menu decided by him. It is an unforgettable experience.
A few days ago I get a message from Lucio Pompili, asking when I would return to my native Marche. Reading this incipit you may be wondering: what’s the big deal? What was strange was that I had not heard or seen Lucius in about 25 years and did not understand why he had sent me that message. If you keep reading you will understand it as well, just as I understood it.
Who is Lucio Pompili
That devilish Lucio Pompili is, historically, the first great chef from the Marche region. He has been cooking for about 55 years, always at a high level. His is the celebrated restaurant Symposium of Cartoceto (PU), a true reference point for all sentient gourmets, especially those who love game, truffles and important wines. È also a great wine expert and know that he took the AIS course the same year as Daniele Cernilli-they are practically the same age, sharing only a year.
Lucio, over the years, has become also a wine producer, especially Sangiovese-based. But I will tell you about this adventure on another occasion.
Right next to the winery, Lucio has opened his own wine shop with kitchen:
Foraging
. A place where they sell their wine and serve “something to eat”……
Welcome to Foraging
About 40 seats, on two long rectangular tables in the center of the one room. A fireplace, a wood stove, a counter, a refrigerated display case for absolute levels of food products, and walls of bottles.
The food proposal is simple: cooking only on the wood stove and the embers of the fireplace. No stove, oven, roner, probes, foams or siphons. You eat a 4-course Italian-style menu (appetizer, first course, main course, dessert) in which the paying customer can decide absolutely nothing. He decides everything When he goes shopping in the morning. The client should simply make a reservation (mandatory to do so: +39 335 6445032).
But the absolute beauty and warmth of the place, the fact that everything is practically Prepared and cooked live, with Lucio setting plates, serving tables, and continually going to the stove to check the various pots and pans, the raw materials, herbs from the surrounding fields and woods, flours, potatoes, woodland apples, homemade pasta, etc. etc., give you a chance to eat very well And to enjoy an experience that is difficult to recount. I experienced such strong and moving feelings that it was almost alienating. So nice that I couldn’t help but help carry the dishes, my own way of participating in the show. With joy talking, laughing, reminiscing and drinking.
An unforgettable lunch
We had an appetizer of donkey salami, Carpegna ham, pata negra lard, chunks of aged pecorino di fossa cheese, and a plate of endive with wild herbs, mountain potatoes, herring and anchovies in oil, and Tropea red onion marinated in vinegar.
Then some maltagliati of chestnut flour and highland wheat flour with a tail ragout.
Then some ravioli made with the same flours and filled with wild herbs, melted butter and camembert.
Then livers of chicken, pork, veal and tripe cooked separately and served with forest melons and fennel. And finally a very good ice cream homemade.
Everything, I repeat everything, cooked on the stove, as well as the drink made of chicory, star anise and spices, served instead of coffee.
Mysterious message revealed
And here we come to the mystery about the message Lucio sent me: his invitation to visit him concealed this lunch, which was basically the dress rehearsal before the public opening. To think that I learned about it after the fact, while we were eating!
- Foraging is not yet listed on any search engine or Google Maps but with my directions you will get there. The address is Via Cartoceto 36, Colli al Metauro – Cartoceto. You cannot go wrong.
Lucius Pompili on social media
