Life little (or big) pleasures

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Noventa Padovana is just a few miles down the road from Padua and it is in fact the connection point between the city and the famous Riviera del Brenta, an area characterized by beautiful villas, built between the sixteenth and the eighteenth century by the noble Venetian families, witness to the power of Venice aristocracy at the time. Noventa Padovana is in this way the last town on the Riviera, located next to Stra, along a beautiful route that leads from the lagoon of Venice up to Padua. This is where you find the restaurant Boccadoro.

Emanuele & Paolo, proprietors of Restaurant Boccadoro, photo by Cibando

I had the pleasure of dining here last Sunday thanks to Cibando (you can dowload their apps for Iphone to help you find good restaurants around Italy) and I must admit that it was a very very nice experience.

We were greeted by Emanuele who, together with his brother chef Paul, is the owner of this beautiful family-run restaurant, situated in a quiet residential area and very easy to find in the province of Padua. The restaurant has its own parking, but also the small street where it is located provides ample parking spaces.

Boccadoro Restaurant in Noventa Pdovana, photo by Cibando

We were welcomed into the main hall of the restaurant, which offer two medium sided dining rooms and a larger room, very well air-conditioned. The decor of the restaurant is very nice, clear and refined, with warm colors and relaxing. The lighting is dim and the tables are very spacious and well spaced. The background music is pleasant, with the volume suitable to allow diners to have a conversation without raising their voice.

Beautiful classy interios at Boccadoro, phot by Cibando

The restaurant menu offers a wide variety of dishes, especially among the starters and the first courses, all part of the Padua-Venetian culinary tradition. The bread basket is filled with fresh bread, bread sticks and homemade bread without yeast, all of excellent quality.

We started with a sample composed of soft polenta with schie (typical Venetian lagoon shrimps) and boiled and roasted octopus with green beans, confit tomatoes and drops of balsamic vinegar, accompanied by an excellent Prosecco wine.  The soft polenta with schie, hot but not scalding, just rightly salted, takes me back to my childhood in the countryside of Veneto, to those evenings at my uncle’s house where we prepared polenta in large pot for more than 20 people and when everyone was expecting with impatience for my uncle coming back loaded with Schie. Amazing how a single bite can magically bring you back 30 years.

Guinea Fowl with Cherries and balsamic vinegar, photo by Cibando

Immediately after our tasting, we were brought an appetizer consisting of steamed zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and finferli (a type of mushroom also known as chanterelles, cockerels, Gialletti) on a stew of scallops and zucchini. Absolutely delicious, delicate and full of freshly picked and well-matched flavors. Already after these two dishes, you can see the attention of Paolo, the chef, for the use of fresh ingredients, local and typical of Veneto.

Immediately after, Emanuele surprises us with another starter, a trio consisting of: Euganean Hills guinea fowl salad with cherries and balsamic vinegar, foie gras and quail leg on a bed of soft polenta. The combination of cherries, and guinea fowl salad with balsamic vinegar is absolutely exceptional and unique to try. Not to mention the foie gras which is quite sweet, almost sensual. All the meat served is locally produced in Padua, specifically for the restaurant owners in the territory of Padua, and therefore of great quality.

Cold Spaghettini with fresh tomatoes and basil at Boccadoro, photo by Cibando

Immediately after the appetizer, we were served a pasta dish which, by the way it is presented, it is obviously the favorite of the chef : “cold” Spaghettini with a base of fresh tomato, basil and boiled octopus. Simple and of great effect, at the same time very tasty and cooked to perfection. Ideal dish for a summer evening. The dish was followed by Tagliolini with flavors of the Mediterranean, that is with a sauce of lamb, marjoram, thyme and capers. Definitely my favorite dish of the evening. The lamb melted in my mouth and it was very tasty and the capers, despite having a strong taste, did not cover the flavor of the other ingredients. One word: perfect.

Tagliolini ai Sapori Mediterranei from Boccadoro, photo by Cibando

With our mouth still full of Mediterranean flavors taste, the main dish was served, consisting of a sandwich of tenderloin veal with wild mushrooms and crispy fries. The meat was cooked to perfection and the mushrooms and potato combination was of course well established. All this was accompanied by a delicious wine from the Padua Hills, a very fruity cabernet. The restaurant’s wine list is incredible, well over 500 wines, both Italian and foreign, and what we really liked is that the restaurant offers the service of  Wine Bag, ie the possibility to take home a bottle of wine opened during dinner in an elegant handbag, an initiative of the Restaurateurs Padovani and an idea in my opinion which is very very beautiful and intelligent.

Always waited by an impeccable service (attentive, but not harassing) trained well in hospitality management skills, we were served the cake: a chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream and white chocolate mousse accompanied by a biscuit base with fresh fruit. Superb.

Dark chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream, white choc mousse and fruits, photo by Cibando

After dinner we had a chat with Emanuele and Paul and we discovered that the restaurant was originally opened in 1974 by their father, mother and aunt and the children now carry on this fine family tradition. The menu is updated monthly, even on their website, depending on the fresh produce available in the area, which is why, for example, that the typical dish of the restaurant, the Galina Inbriaga co tajadele (Drunk chicken with tagliatelle) , is served only during the month of October when all the ingredients of the recipes are available fresh.

Overall it was a culinary experience of high quality, great food, good value for money, impeccable table service and a return to recipes and ingredients typical of the Venetian countryside, but with a vitality and cunning look without though altering them . One last suggestion: definitely try the steak tartare prepared directly in front of your table, simply exquisite.

Ristorante Boccadoro

Via della Resistenza 49 – 35027 – Noventa Padovana (PD) –

tel. 049 625029 – fax 049 625782

Closed: Tueday night, All day Wednesday

Book in advanc on tel. 049 625029