Our journey through Italy was not as thoroughly planned as other portions of our trip. I specifically made it that way so as to have the option to make a decision last minute on a whim. After spending three hot days in Florence and Fiesole we were ready to make a move and had 5 days to discover anywhere in Italy we wanted before returning to our planned itinerary in Rome. Predictably, we rented a car and made our way south through the scenic region of Tuscany.
With no destination in mind we took the suggestions of a fellow international foodie based out of Tuscany and ended up in Montalcino in Southern Tuscany. Luckily enough we made it in time for the region’s jousting competition dating back to medieval days. Ms. Foodie International was a wealth of knowledge and introduced us to her neighbors, local olive farmers who generously welcomed us into their home on an olive farm. The experience was truly out of this world and really confirmed my premonition that last minute trip planning can lead to amazing adventures.
This post is dedicated to what I can only describe as being one of the best meals in Italy. In the UNESCO World Heritage town of Pienza the smell of pecorino cheese was overpowering, great for cheesemongers like me, not so much for those who aren’t a fan. Many recommendations were made for where to eat and buy some locally made products. However, with the tiny streets and unfamiliar roads (and no knowledge of Italian) we could not find the recommended restaurant and had no reservations for the other, however, we found a place that would go down in our foodie history books.
La Buca di Enea di Enea was a tiny hole in the wall treasure ran by a husband and wife team with the best most hospitable service and down right delicious food. And it is is found only a few steps off of the main street of Pienza, Corso Il Rossellini, on the quaint side street of Via della Buca.
The menu was extensive and offered many traditional tuscan dishes including a variety of meals made with the local pecorino cheese. We ordered a cured meat tray of bresaolo served with shaved pecornio and arugula. So fresh and extremely good.
Next, I ordered my all time favorite Italian dish discovered in our very own Philadelphia: Cinghiale con Pappardelle. The meat was cooked in an aromatic range of spices making each mouthful a bite of heaven. The pappardelle cooked to perfection. I will forever dream of this meal. 
Next was the regional specialty, baked pecorino topped with pine nuts, walnuts and honey. What a simple yet beautiful dish and one that stayed in our memory throughout our European journey. If only I could recreate this meal. Sadly I know that in order to do so I will need to take a trip back to Pienza for only those local ingredients and the love and passion of the local people can lead to such amazing and memorable flavors. 
We left the restaurant completely fulfilled and felt like we had a true tuscan meal. Staying on a tuscan oliver farmer’s farm, eating in the kitchens of locals and driving through the vast beautiful land that makes up Tuscany we knew that we had made the right choice to make Tuscany our destination. 
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I love that pappardelle dish! I think I ate it twice in the three days I was in Firenze and multiple times around Rome. One of my favorites.