Emilia-Romagna is the place to eat in Italy for many reasons. It is the home of many of Italy’s most famous products from Balsamic Vinegar to Parmigiano Reggiano. Within the region, I tend to favor Bologna; home to two of my favorite pastas Bolognese and tortellini en brodo. The later is tortellini in a delicious chicken broth. With each bite of tortellini, I can taste the crystals in the Parm. Heaven. Anyway, I decided to check out Antica Trattoria la Grotta dal 1918 on a recent trip to Bologna. It had a very high Google rating and was listed in the Micheline guide. Making a reservation involved sending the restaurant an email, then various Whatsapp messages, a Whatsapp call, and then more messages before the dinner.
Just before the dinner, the chef sent me a menu and various videos of him making fresh pasta and other food. I could tell he was extremely passionate about his craft which is always a good sign. Upon arrival, the chef greeted us and told us about how he was the 4th generation owner of the restaurant, and about all the suppliers they work with and other things related to the restaurant. He was probably the most passionate chef I have ever met. As the menu was in Italian, I largely allowed him to determine our dinner selections for the evening. We started with a Lambrusco which he produced himself.
…and then started with some cold cuts including the mortadella which the menu, and the chef proudly told us won an award for the best mortadella in Italy. If you find yourself in the region, there are two cold cuts you need to have – mortadella and culatello. Preferably with gnocco fritto – pillowy clouds of fried bread. The mortadella you will have in the region is not your deli variety. It is made with extreme care and passion by artisans. Anyway, back to the current meal; the chef wasn’t kidding, it was the best mortadella I have ever had. We also had some burrata and they served some bread and fried pasta with the meat. The fried pasta was heavenly. The bread came with a piece of paper which shows more of the passion of the chef, proudly listing the ingredients of the bread.
For the pasta course, we had a Bolognese and a cut ham and truffle pasta. The Bolognese was ok but not the best I’ve had compared to others in the region. The other pasta was good but not mind blowing that I know exists in many of the restaurants in the area.
For our main course, the chef prepared thin slices of potato with veal in between and some truffle. It was ok, but again, not mind blowing.
For dessert, bergamot ice cream. It was average also.
Overall, the meal was good, the service was good, and it was great to feel such passion from a chef. Unfortunately, other than the charcuterie, the rest of the meal was pretty average. I would 100% return for the mortadella and recommend anyone to try it. However, I would move on to dinner elsewhere. Note that if you decide to eat here, there is an unrelated bar next door with the same name. The restaurant is the one with Michelin signs on the door.