In the floodplains of Papadoli, that is, the river Piave floodplain area in Cimadolmo (Treviso), two prestigious gastronomic itineraries intersect: the Strada dei vini del Piave (a route in the heart of the best wine production of Eastern Veneto), and the Strada dell’Asparago bianco di Cimadolmo IGP, which extends northeast of Treviso in a territory of eleven municipalities, rich in spring areas that make the cultivation of the white asparagus particularly fruitful and productive. This asparagus was the first in Europe to receive IGP certification in 2002, acknowledging the uniqueness of the places and landscapes traversed by the route. At the center of this happy combination of wines and agri-food products, since 1987, Giorgio Zanardo and his family have been welcoming food lovers at the Ristorante Alla Botte in Cimadolmo, set in a spontaneous grove typical of the river floodplain. Trees that in the hottest season offer a very fresh “umbrella” to those who settle down in the beautiful outdoor terrace surrounded by greenery. However, the origins of the establishment date back to 1965: in this beautiful corner of the floodplains, groups of young people and families would meet for picnics, where they mainly enjoyed watermelon, cooled in the refreshing waters of the river. Then it was three friends from Cimadolmo who took the initiative to give the picnics a less temporary “home,” setting up a frasca that only operated for six months a year (entirely open, without fixtures). The only characteristic piece of furniture was a barrel of wine, used as a cash register. On the menu, of course, there was not only watermelon but especially grilled meat and typical traditional products. Only the name of that original frasca remains today, “Alla Botte,” after the transfer of management in 1987 to Giorgio Zanardo and his brothers (owners of a farm that produced typical Piave wines), who took over from the three partners and turned it into a proper restaurant, open year-round. Over twenty years later, amidst the riverine forest, one finds a renovated restaurant that takes the surrounding environment into account (lots of wood, exposed Piave stone walls, large windows), but that has maintained the same “cooking philosophy,” specializing in grilled meat and skewering with natural wood (only hornbeam), in summer as well as in winter. Giorgio, with his great passion for wine, oversees the rich cellar, a large space in the center of the restaurant kept at a constant temperature, where important Italian wines, European (especially French), and non-European wines “rest.” The king of the kitchen is the first chef Michele Viola (who arrived at “Alla Botte” in 1999), responsible for quality control throughout the kitchen. In the dining room, the management is entrusted to the attentive service of Giulia, Giorgio’s wife.
As for the gastronomic offerings, the restaurant in Cimadolmo has always, even when no one else was talking about it, sourced locally at Km 0. That is, all the seasonal vegetables that end up on Michele’s plates come from the gardens of the Treviso area: of course, the IGP white and green asparagus, fresh salad greens, cutting radicchio, eggplants, zucchinis, pumpkins, green beans and shelling beans, red radicchio, tomatoes, and peas. Only for what is not produced locally does the journey of food extend, starting with autumn mushrooms; the rice produced in Vercelli (on some special weekends, as much as 40 to 50 kilos are consumed), and of course, the meat cooked on the grill or skewer. The restaurant guarantees full traceability of the meat: fresh lamb from Ireland; filet from Argentina; Irish Angus beef, but the pork comes from Italian farms, as do the poultry. The flagship dish, which has been attracting food lovers since 1987, is risotto with asparagus, a true must when in season (from April to June) that requires careful preparation of the vegetable so it can be tasted whole. This is overseen by Mrs. Giulia with an assistant: three hours a day are spent peeling chili and chili of white and green asparagus, which can be served with eggs (a classic) or raw (if fresh) dressed in a salad with raw baby spinach, cheese, and extra virgin olive oil from Umbria, the only one used for dressings. The desserts are homemade, from dry biscuits to ricotta and chocolate cakes, up to strudel. Giorgio is famous among his customers for the valuable Pata Negra, the prized Iberian acorn-fed ham that the restaurateur from Cimadolmo “discovered” years ago on a trip to the Estremadura region.
Cut into knife-sliced pieces, Pata Negra is always present on the tables of Alla Botte, served on generous slices of warm bread. “I am one of the biggest consumers in Italy of this extraordinary ham – says Giorgio Zanardo – in my place, only the best quality arrives, produced from pigs that eat 100 percent acorns, slaughtered from November to February.” Passion, tradition, uniqueness, and attention to primary ingredients are, therefore, the credentials behind the ongoing success of Ristorante Alla Botte, at the heart of one of the most beautiful natural areas of the Marca.
