This first-course option offered during a recent visit to Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy, featured tortelloni filled with spinach and topped with grated cheese. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Italians are known for many things. Fashion sense. Fine wines. A long history dating back to ancient times.
But perhaps more than anything else, Italians take pride in their food.
My wife’s Italian hairdresser once told her that the country’s inhabitants “suffer” when they travel abroad as they often have to settle for lesser fare at the table.
So restaurants in Italy have a high standard to maintain.
That makes family-run Allo Storione restaurant in Ghirano, about 17 miles from Aviano Air Base, even more impressive.
It is currently run by father-son chefs Giacomo and Pietro Buzzi, and the restaurant was founded in 1950 by Giacomo’s mother, Maria.
Storione translates into sturgeon in English. That particular fish is still served at the restaurant, but usually only in June. Sturgeon are rare in the country today due to environmental changes and overfishing.
An appetizer featuring Italian ham from San Daniele and pickled artichokes was one of a handful of options during a recent visit to Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
An appetizer featuring polenta and asparagus was one of a handful of options during a recent visit to Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
A first course of spaghetti with pigeon sauce was one of a handful of options during a recent visit to Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
During a recent visit, the menu featured locally produced products or specialty items from farther away, such as prosciutto from San Daniele and ham from Spain. Baccala (dried cod) with polenta — a dish famous in Vicenza — is another frequent option.
Several other courses are a bit more exotic to many American palates. Recent offerings included an appetizer featuring chicken livers, first courses of gnocchi with a sauce made of chopped chicken organs and spaghetti topped with a pigeon sauce. A second course dish was snails with celery.
Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy, has been operated by the same family since it opened in 1950. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Diners sit near a fire at one end of the large dining room at Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
This first-course option of gnocchi topped with a sauce of chicken organs was one of a handful of choices during a recent visit to Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Bean soup with a bowl of croutons was one of a handful of first-course options during a visit to Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Sometimes translations can be a bit awkward. This second-course dish at Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy, was called a rabbit stew. It was probably closer to leg of rabbit, with some other rabbit parts and a slice of grilled polenta. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
This small sample of a second-course option at Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy, featured pheasant and polenta. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Dessert anyone? This freshly baked cake dotted with chocolate chips and served with a dollop of cream and sliced strawberries was one of the after-dinner options during a recent visit to Allo Storione in Ghirano, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
We tried a few of these. My daughter likes spaghetti but was hesitant about the pigeon sauce. She later asked if it had any feathers. It didn’t. It was well cooked and — unsurprisingly — tasted pretty similar to chicken. My son, who is generally open to eating just about anything, had the gnocchi and gave it a thumbs-up.
A second course called “rabbit stew” didn’t strike me as much of a stew. The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned. But it was a bit difficult navigating the small bones. The waitress offered us a “tasting” portion of pheasant with polenta. It was excellent and would be my choice on another visit.
Diners shouldn’t expect an inexpensive meal. Allo Storione uses high-quality ingredients and meals can be pricey. But for those looking for a change of pace from the restaurants near base, Ghirano is only about a 30-minute drive away.
Address: Piazza Mazzini 11, Ghirano, Italy
Hours: Lunch from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays-Fridays and Sunday. Dinner from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Closed Mondays.
Menu: Traditional Italian fare based on availability of fresh ingredients. Appetizers, first courses, second courses and desserts all prepared on site. Changing menu posted manually outside will otherwise be recited by staff. Some English spoken.
Information: Online: ristoranteallostorione.com. Phone: 0434-626028 (reservations recommended).
