Due to over-tourism in Como, it’s pretty much impossible to eat authentically, cheaply and well. The restaurants are overpriced (€30 pasta courses!) and have generic menus of Italian classics rather than local fare, often with other international dishes added. My solution was to get on the C40 bus and head towards the outskirts of town, getting off at Via Crotto del Sergente, and walking a short distance to this lovely spot in the woods…
Crotto del Sergente, www.crottodelsergente.it
Built as a private house in 1770, the building became a restaurant in 1880. Who the sergeant was that most likely owned it has been lost in the mists of time.
I understand there are at least five dining areas inside, upstairs and down, and two outside terraces besides the porch, so they could probably handle a hundred covers at peak capacity.
It was relatively peaceful when I went for Saturday lunch though, with just a few couples and well-dressed groups celebrating special occasions, all local I’m guessing.
The star room is the main cellar or ‘crotto’ seen below. In the Italian and Swiss Alps, a Crotto is a cold, damp room used for storing cheese, hams and wine. My friendly waiter Massimo told me that during the winter, snow and ice would be brought inside to essentially turn the room into a giant fridge.
On this occasion however, I chose to sit outside on the porch as it was such a lovely day.
The interesting bread selection served with homemade butter boded well for what was to come.
I had the Menu Degustazione which should be for two, but Massimo negotiated with the kitchen to make it for just me. It began with the Cestino di Pasta Fillo agli Asparagi con la sua Cruditè e Fonduta di Stracchino delle Valli Orobiche (Presidio Slow Food): a filo asparagus-filled ‘basket’ (pie), served with raw, shredded asparagus salad and a ‘fondue’ of Slow Food Stracchino Cheese from a valley in the Bergamese alps (click link for more info).
Ravioli Artigianali ripieni di Ricotta di Capra dell’ Azienda Agricola La Quintalina e Timo con Ragù di Selvaggina e Scaglie di Asiago Stravecchio (Presidio Slow Food): homemade ravioli stuffed with thyme and goat ricotta (from a local producer), doused with game ragu (venison I think) and topped with shavings of mature Asiago, a rare Slow Food cheese from the Alpine area of Veneto (click link). To my taste, I felt the ragu could perhaps been slow cooked for longer as it tasted quite fresh, but it was still my favourite dish.
Petto d’Anatra Scottato con Salsa ai Mirtilli , Bacelli di Fave Saltati, Spugna al Cacao e Pane Sfritto al Missoltino ed Erbe Provenzali: seared duck breast with blueberry sauce, sautéed broad beans, cocoa sponge and breadcrumbs fried with Missoltino (dried fish from Como lake) and herbes de Provence. This was the weakest dish for me in terms of flavours (couldn’t pick them out), but it was still very nice.
The wine list is extensive and, given the prices, undoubtedly of very high quality, but I didn’t have a clue what to go for, so I went with Massimo’s suggestion of this very serviceable red that was on promotion. At €33 it was one of the cheaper bottles, so it suited my budget well.
I immediately blew any money saved on an extra course of local goat and cow cheeses, which came with slices of fresh pear, grapes, walnuts, raisin bread and small dishes of jams and Linden honey. This was my first introduction to Linden, which I discovered is known as the ‘bee tree’ because it produces so much nectar. The honey has a strong aroma, woody with hints of menthol, and strong taste which is sweet, spicy and a little bitter. Being a huge honey freak, I couldn’t resist buying a jar from the counter when I paid the bill.
And to finish the tasting menu, Fragola & Limone Semifreddo aromatizzato al Limone con Fragole spadellate all’Anice Stellato e Crumble di Cacao: lemon flavoured semifreddo with a cocoa crumble and strawberries sautéed with star anise. I love any kind of semifreddo and the lemon flavour was a perfect match with my first strawberries of the season.
When I asked for a local digestivo, I received a glass from this well-worn bottle. None of my internet searches have found out anything about it, but it reminded me very much of a similar liqueur I’d been given in Erba (see coming post) called Savio Génépi Nature. Génépi is an alpine plant known as Artemesia in English which has a flavour similar to chamomile.
I enjoyed this experience so much that I came back in the evening the very next day!
This time I sat in the atmospheric crotto and was again served by Massimo who was very happy to see me back. Having ticked off the tasting menu, I decided to go à la carte so I could try the first two courses which had been recommended to me by other restaurateurs. I began with an antipasto of Lardo Nostrano con Miele di fiori di Castagno di Lora e Castagne secche lessate: local lardo with boiled dried chestnuts, served with chestnut honey from the neighbouring village of Lora. The resulting melange was very original, well balanced and completely delicious.
The thinly-sliced lardo was served with raisin bread again, which I was interested to learn from Massimo is called Pan Tramvai, as it was traditionally sold at tram stops in Milan, along with the tickets, and sometimes given in lieu of change. It’s also known as as “panettone dei poveri” as it was generally made with cheaper raisins and no candied fruits, unlike the festive breads enjoyed by the wealthier classes.
Then came the star dish of both my visits, Risotto Carnaroli Riserva “San Massimo” Mantecato con Crema di Asparagi, Fonduta di Pecorino allo Zafferano e Petali di Cipolla in Agrodolce: Risotto made with Carnaroli rice (produced on the San Massimo nature reserve near Pavia) ‘mantecated’ with creamed asparagus, and a fondue of Pecorino cheese and saffron, and finally garnished with sweet and sour onion and diced grilled asparagus. It should only have been ordered for two people, but again Massimo had kindly negotiated it just for me.
It’s a shame the verb ‘mantecating’ doesn’t exist in English and I had to invent it. In Italian “mantecare” refers to the process of creating a creamy, emulsified sauce by vigorously mixing in butter or cheese into a hot risotto (or pasta), at the end of cooking. I adore asparagus and this was pretty much my favourite risotto ever.
For the second course, Selvaggina del Territorio con il suo Fondo, Asparago Verde Arrosto, Cipolline Borettane in Agrodolce e Crema alle Carote: local game served with roasted green asparagus, sweet and sour onion and carrot cream. After I followed the menu instruction to ask the waiter for the daily game selection, which Massimo told me it was venison, my favourite. With yet more asparagus and some delectable stewed baby onions (wish I knew how to do these), this was another winner for me.
My default affordable red in the north of Italy is always Barbera, especially from Asti in Piemonte. Here they serve it by the glass as one of their house reds, from huge 5 litre bottles (somewhere between a Rehoboam and an Imperial at just under seven normal bottles!) so the waiters get a good workout every shift! This one was a perfectly serviceable Barbera called Casareggio.
To go with dessert, I moved on to a glass of Soldoré Benaco Bresciano IGT Passito 2021 which I was surprised to learn was made around Lake Garda. The best Italian sweet wines come from the Sicilian isles which have a much warmer climate, but this northern version was very pleasant with its notes of peaches, apricots and honey.
For dessert, Bavarese di Caprino, a base di Caprino fresco servito con un fondo ai Frutti di Bosco. Bavarian cream is a French dessert (‘crème bavaroise’ or ‘bavarois’) consisting of an egg-based cooked custard and a setting agent of gelatin or isinglass, into which whipped cream, and in this case, fresh goats cheese is folded. After the mixture has been set in a cold mold, it was served with a sauce of wild red berries. Very light and fresh, which is just what I needed.
And finally I had a grappa to go with my espresso. Barrique grappas can be hit or miss, but the ‘stravecchio’ Diciotto Lune from Distilleria Marzadro, a blend of Marzemino, Teroldego, Merlot, Moscato and Chardonnay grapes aged in wood barrels for 18 months, pressed all my buttons. I loved the fact the giant bottle has a little spigot at the bottom.
Naturally none of this was particularly cheap, I spent an average of €110 over each visit, so in terms of money spent, it wasn’t that different from a restaurant in old Como. However I had the full works, on both occasions, and felt I got a lot more for my money at Crotto del Sergente that I did elsewhere. The menu isn’t hyperlocal, but it’s Lombardian and Alpine, with a few international influences. They also take pride in promoting local Slow Food producers and list them in the menu. And of course the service, atmosphere and location are second to none.
Crotto del Sergente will remain a much treasured memory for me and I definitely recommend it to anyone in the area.
This restaurant and many more can be found on my Google map. If you’re not going in the daytime, I’d recommend arriving by car or taxi as it’s off a busy road, parts of which have no pavement, and buses can be unreliable, especially on Sunday evenings. I went on the C40 bus, but the internet tells me the C43, C45, C47 and C49 buses also go there. Ask at the bus station in Piazza del Popolo for advice.
Eating out in neighbouring Erba next!