I Conoscenti Cocktail e Cucina

We left Museo Civico Medievale at 2:30p. Time for a late lunch.

With most kitchens at dining establishments that cater mostly to the locals either closed or about to close for siesta, our options were limited. As luck would have it, “I Conoscenti” (The Acquaintances) — just down the portico from the museum — closed at 3:00p, so we didn’t have to go far for our first lunch out in Bologna since arriving on the 25th.

The place lives up to its name. We were greeted as though we were long time acquaintances. We enjoyed the ambiance of the place … small, intimate, friendly, and hospitable.

Arriving at an odd hour pretty much guaranteed that the place would be fairly deserted. The only other table that was occupied had a foursome who were enjoying a lengthy chat … they were still there when we left an hour later.

While the host spoke English, the daily menu was in Italian only … the list of dishes short and sweet Great; not a touristy place.

We ordered two glasses of a red from the Emilia-Romagna Region … made with Sangiovese grapes, and took our time perusing the menu.

We both opted for dishes from the primi piatti section of the menu — lasagna alla Bolognese for me … a premier specialty of Bologna, and often served on Sundays, it was creamy and delicious; tortellini in a cheese sauce made with Parmigiano aged for 24-month for Mui … also delicious. I don’t recall the name or the description of the dessert we ordered, but it came sort of deconstructed … a warm, flaky pastry and a side of chocolate gelato, which melted into a creamy sauce when we combined the two. Our sweet treat was gone in no time.

We will definitely return to I Conoscenti.

The upcoming week is choc-a-bloc with deliveries … some of which are ‘assembly-required’. No matter, soon enough we’ll be settled and enjoying what the city and the country has to offer.Read more