In the spring of 2013, Henderson Productions was proud to travel with the experts from the restaurant chain, Olive Garden to explore as much about food and Tuscan life as possible.   We’ve created this series of blogs which, like the region, should remain relatively timeless.   Bon Apetito.

“Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance” – Epicurus

Sienna skyline

It takes about a half hour on twisty little roads with horn beeping at tight curves as a warning to any oncoming vehicles, to get to the highway and then another half hour to arrive at Sienna city center.    We have visited this charming city before and really enjoyed wandering for a couple of hours popping into shops and taking pics of architecture and people in the lovely late afternoon sun.   Busy and active when we arrived at 4 pm, moving into the rush hour of people headed home with groceries and then quiet and atmospheric at 9 after our lovely dinner.

Dining underground in Sienna

Our dinner had been arranged at literally an antique restaurant with four levels of catacomb seating below street level.    Antica Osteria da Divo on Via Franciosa is HIGHLY recommended.   (I can’t tell you if it’s affordable, but it would be worth it even if it’s not.)    We began with a creamy risotto served in a parmesan round, moved on to mushroom stuffed puff pastries and then the secondo piatti of sliced beef over scalloped potato with arugula and sliced pecorino Tuscano over that!    Good LORD.     We finished everything off with a not-so-sweet apple tart.

Sienna’s famous Campo and tower after dark

Near the University of Sienna

Sienna central square is great for people watching

Thank goodness we had parked so far from the restaurant for a good stretch before back to our one- hour drive home – those twisty roads in the dark are AWESOME! – and literally FELL into bed.   I slept like a rock.

http://www.osteriadadivo.com/?lang=en