Il Borgo di Colognole Restaurant

In the heart of Rufina, at Fattoria di Colognole, Chef Orlando Jordan and his wife Ana D’Andrea offer simple, traditional cuisine with creative touches due to the chefs’ different origins, he from Veneto, she from Brazil.

We are in the Tuscan Apennines along the course of the Sieve River, on the border with Mugello, under the protection of Mount Giovi. Colognole is an ancient and very green farm owned by Countess Spalletti Trivelli Coda Nunziante. We are in the heart of Rufina, and to enjoy the breath of the place just look out onto the terraces of the restaurant Il Borgo di Colognole, a short distance from Pontassieve and the town of Rufina, but at an altitude of 400 meters. The conformation of the hills and vineyards set among the woods is striking, and the airiness of the view accounts for the high quality and elegance of the wines produced here. Ancient wines, the first in the world to receive Denominazione di Origine status with the 1716 edict of Cosimo III dei Medici and whose crowning glory today are the Terraelectae-branded Chianti Rufina Riserva dedicated to the very best of these Sangiovese vineyards.

Great wines call for great cuisine, and here at Fattoria di Colognole we find two characters who are out of the ordinary in terms of professionalism, helpfulness and friendliness: Orlando Giordan and Ana D’Andrea, he from Veneto, she from Brazil.

Orlando, after experiences in Belgium, France, Spain, and Brazil, where he met and married Ana, moved to Mugello, at Il Passeggere restaurant in Firenzuola and then settled in Colognole. Ana, who has a degree in architecture, devoted herself to pastry and baking in São Paulo before following Orlando to Italy. The two characters represent a perfect marriage of creativity and tradition, in a context where the tradition is that of the country of landing, Tuscany, but mediated by those of their respective countries of origin and residence. Case in point: the Lollypork, a fun stick with crispy pork or the exquisite Picanha that competes on par with the cuts from home.

The menu is strictly seasonal, but there is never a shortage of classics such as ribollita or cod fillet, dressed with Colognole’s Laudemio, pressed from olives from the trees surrounding the restaurant’s terrace.

Fresh pasta is a constant presence while experimentation and tradition result in a mouthwatering winter tortello al bardiccio, the typical pork and liver sausage from Pontassieve. Meats are one of Orlando’s strengths, starting with Vitellone dell’Appennino Centrale and Cinta Senese, even in lesser cuts.

One caveat: Orlando is overwhelmingly likeable and enthusiastic, on par with his skill in the preparations. One must proceed cautiously through the captivating offerings, not getting carried away, especially to get to the sweet finale by Ana, pastry chef. Just as sympathetically, Ana will lead you through refined spoon desserts or cakes made from the fruit picked and processed on site.

The cellar is well stocked especially with the wines of the area, Colognole in primis, but with an interesting selection of Chianti Rufina with special emphasis on the new Terraelectae, the vineyard crus of local producers.

For the new 2023 summer season this is Orlando and Ana’s proposal:

Among the appetizers not to be missed are the Fegatini brûlé in crostini. The fine-cut Roasted Lonza with garden misticanza and fresh fruit is excellent, as well as selections of high-quality Tuscan cured meats and cheeses.

Among the first courses, the choice falls between homemade pastas, tagliatelle with Tuscan ragout, cannelloni, guinea fowl ravioli with zucchini and fresh turmeric (delicious) and mouthwatering Pici. There is an interesting homage to the cuisine of the De’Medici family with the Insalata di Caterina, green leaves with pecorino cheese, hard-boiled egg, anchovies capers, and a chef’s surprise.

Meats are the mainstay on the list of main courses: excellent and succulent Grilled Picanha with golden potatoes and fagioli all’uccelletto, while for aficionados we recommend booking a splendid Florentine T-bone steak of Tuscan scottona. These are ideal dishes to accompany the Chianti Rufina Riserva available in the cellar. Alternatively, Orlando offers Grilled Pork Fillet or Roast Beef with various sauces. For vegetarians there is the summer proposal with the Cheese Quiche served with fresh leaves and sautéed cherry tomatoes.

Also nice is the “Easy Proposta” for shared dishes, including Angry Tomato Pici with Colored Peppers or Frittata with Zucchini and Ricotta.

From the enunciation, one may get the impression of an all-too-familiar and simple cuisine, but the choice of raw materials, meticulous attention to every detail, and millimeter-accurate cooking make Orlando’s dishes unique and thoroughly enjoyable.

The same concept applies to Ana’s desserts, among which the “Tiramisu in our interpretation” and the Tuscan English Soup with real Alchermez are not to be missed.

To conclude, a few words about the solution devised by Orlando and Ana to get through winter, a critical season for the Apennines. Outside of traditional public holidays, January February and part of March drastically decrease visitor attendance on the Apennine peaks. Orlando and Ana, after two years of experimentation, have found the squaring of the circle: Giordan Chef Gastronomia will be the winter retreat, the new project, where Orlando and Ana will prepare their take-out delicacies in Florence. Stuffed pastas, game stews, seasonal side dishes, all the way to the Brazilian Panino con Formaggio (Pão de Queijo) excellent hot or cold with stracchino cheese and with fruit jam, and Ana’s shortbread, cantuccini and truffles. In October we will know the location of the new store.