In Acqualagna, until November 12th, the 58th edition of the National White Truffle Fair is being held, featuring a packed schedule of activities. It's a great excuse to spend a weekend in a part of Italy that is still relatively unknown and less frequented. You can enjoy walks in ancient villages or in the woods, and perhaps bring back a delicious and aromatic souvenir.
Where to Eat in Acqualagna
Antico Furlo
Restaurant. Located just outside the town centre, in a former post station on the road to the Gole del Furlo, this is an establishment with a long and solid tradition. Truffles take centre stage on the menu, both white and black, enhancing dishes like eggs, various fresh pasta shapes, meats, and even some seafood dishes. The restaurant features an atmosphere of understated elegance with multiple dining rooms and a well-chosen wine selection. Comfortable rooms are available if you wish to extend your stay.
Antico Furlo – via Furlo, 60 – 0721 700096 – anticofurlo.it
The top photo and the cover photo courtesy of Antico Furlo
Braceria Plinc
Grill Restaurant. Located right in the city centre, it's the perfect place for a hearty meal of quality meats and dishes featuring truffles, both white and other varieties. Here are some suggestions: bite-sized donkey sausage with polenta buttons, homemade passatelli with yellow squash, gorgonzola, and crispy ham; braised beef cheek in Marsala. You can purchase guaranteed-origin truffles and cuts of meat, cured pork salumi, and specialties at the family butcher's shop.
Braceria Plinc – vicolo Trebbio, 1 – 0721 798997 – braceriaplinc.it
La Ginestra
Restaurant. A garden on the banks of the Candigliano River, an elegant dining room overlooking the greenery, and, above all, the white truffle of Acqualagna and prized black truffle in their peak seasons. But there are also mushrooms, homemade fresh pasta, high-quality cured meats. They bake their own bread and desserts. The restaurant is supported by a well-stocked cellar, with a focus on regional wines. La Ginestra is also a hotel with 10 comfortable and peaceful rooms: take advantage of it.
La Ginestra – via Furlo, 15 – 0721 797033 - ginestrafurlo.it
Where to Eat in Cagli
La Gioconda
Restaurant. Gabriele Giacomucci is the chef and owner of this excellent restaurant, housed in the ancient cellars of the seventeenth-century Palazzo Brancuti. A skillful renovation has created cosy dining rooms where architectural elements of the past blend with modern furnishings and details, in a very pleasant setting. The cuisine offers a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional recipes, with dishes full of flavour and carefully presented. In season, there's plenty of truffle. They also make their own bread and desserts. The wine selection is excellent.
La Gioconda – via Brancuti, 4 – 0721 781549 – ristorantelagioconda.it
Where to Eat in Fermignano
Trattosteria
Trattoria. A versatile establishment, offering a quiet bed and breakfast with every comfort, a wine bar, and a tavern, all in a beautifully restored village house. The culinary offerings draw heavily from the wide range of typical local products, including truffles. Moreover, where possible, everything is homemade, from preserves to desserts and hand-rolled pasta. The wine cellar is surprisingly well-stocked, featuring regional and national labels.
Trattosteria – via Vittorio Veneto, 54 – 0722 331541-349 3268263 - casatrattosteria.it
Where to Eat in Fossombrone
L’enosteria
Restaurant. Managed by young enthusiasts, this is a truly interesting place. The furnishings and table settings are carefully thought out, the welcome is warm, and the offerings are fully satisfying, starting with the aperitif, which pairs well-chosen wines with quality cheeses and cured meats. The menu changes frequently, with each dish featuring excellent ingredients, extra virgin olive oil above all. The wine cellar has around 200 labels from regional and national wineries, with a few options from beyond the region.
L’enosteria – via La Peja, 3 (via Roma, 15) – 0721 1798408 – lenosteria.it
Where to Eat in Mercatello sul Metauro
La Grotta dei Folletti
Agriturismo. Reservation is required to dine at this cosy farm stay with an organic farm just a few minutes from the town centre. Guests are seated in rustic-style dining rooms with wooden beams on the ceilings and stone walls, where they can enjoy genuine and homemade cuisine, mostly based on ingredients produced on-site. Pasta, bread, focaccia, and desserts are all homemade, and during the right season, local truffles take centre stage. Comfortable rooms are available, and you can make gourmet purchases at La Dispensa.
La Grotta dei Folletti – località Bruciata, 29/A – 0722 89120-340 3281079 – lagrottadeifolletti.it
Where to Eat in Sant’Angelo in Vado
Vin Italy
Wine bar. A place to remember that caters to both wine enthusiasts and food lovers. Visit for an aperitivo, to purchase a good bottle, with a selection of regional, national, and international labels available. If you want to eat, there are excellent dishes with a traditional base on a frequently changing menu. Currently, you can find offerings such as truffle crostini, various types of fresh pasta with truffles, and cuts of meat and fillets, all with truffle. They also serve homemade desserts.
Vin Italy – via Mancini, 44 – 0722 818478 – Facebook
Where to Eat in Urbania
Casa Tintoria
Restaurant. In a beautiful farmhouse along the banks of the Metauro River, you'll be welcomed by Giorgio and Donatella, with him in the dining room and her in the kitchen, in a very pleasant setting adorned with contemporary art and pieces of peasant craftsmanship. The simple and genuine flavours of these lands are enhanced by the chef's creativity and the aromatic herbs she cultivates in the adjacent gardens (where you can also sit for an aperitif or dinner). The wine selection is focused on their offerings.
Casa Tintoria – via Porta Mulino, 4 – 0722 317412 – casatintoria.com
Where to eat in Urbino
Osteria L’Angolo Divino
Restaurant. Chef Tiziano Rossetti, after experiences across Italy, has found refuge within the walls of the historic centre and here he offers his high-level, classically-inspired cuisine. You can start the meal with a beef tartare, then continue with the delicious dry passatelli with butter, Parmigiano, and white truffle, perfectly prepared risotto, or homemade stuffed pasta, beef ribeye, and braised lamb. There are also occasional forays into seafood. The wine list offers a good selection.
Osteria L’Angolo Divino – via Sant’Andrea, 12 – 0722 327559 - www.tizianorossetti.com/osterialangolodivino