Traditional tavernas in Marche, Italy

Marche is a central region in Italy. There are plenty of reasons to visit it, most known of which, its cultural heritage, its nature, and its coastline. However, food is also essential, so to cut the story short, here are three traditional tavernas in the region you should definitely visit while traveling through the area.

Il Cantuccio Trattoria

It was founded in 1930 by the Romiti family. Born initially as a shop, it became, after World War II, a tavern serving, wine, “cave" drinks and dry seeds. Piadina, a kind of pita roll, was later added on the menu. Today, it is a trattoria that has maintained the traditions of the "peasant" snacks, breakfast, and afternoon card games. The territory is famous for the production of visciola wine, which is made according to an ancient recipe from visciola, a wild cherry, fermented in an excellent red wine.

Taverna della Rocca

The atmosphere in the room brings in mind ancient taverns. The furnishing is rustic and the rooms spacious. There are wooden shelves, fine ceramics, and crockpots. Copper pans and cooking utensils, dating back to the early 1800s, hang on the walls. At the end of the room, there is an impressive stone fireplace, still used for cooking with wood. The activity was founded in 1966 by Ugo Pedana and Edvice Magi. The Pedana family, which runs the establishment since it opened, has maintained over the years the strong sense of tradition and good taste for genuine cuisine from the nearby territory. Among the specialties, the restaurant stands out for its pasta dishes, exclusively handmade, including tagliatelle, gnocchi, cappelletti, ravioli and cannelloni, all seasoned with excellent sauces. Another very popular dish is undoubtedly the tasty “crescia” with sliced cured meat. The meat is strictly cooked in the fireplace located right in the dining room, giving the customer the chance to see the preparation - as it used to happen in ancient tavernas. Everything is served in an informal atmosphere, and with local wines.   At the entrance of the restaurant, there is a grape press for making wine, dating back to 1600 and one of the first coffee machines of the early 1900s.

Vecchio Montefeltro

The restaurant has its original features unchanged: floors in wood and terracotta tiles, along with stone walls. The style of the furnishings is rustic, lot of woods and wrought iron. The business was founded in 1900 by Ezelinda Lazzarini. It is the oldest inn of the ancient village, and it was built at the same time the first craft shops were being built- the blacksmith, the saddler, the cooper. Traditional home cooking and flavors of the products of the past, such as mushrooms, truffles, wild herbs, and game  (wild boar, hare) are the aspects that strongly characterize this location. The culinary history of Montefeltro inspires the dishes: Tagliatelle alle Fave, Beans with pork rinds, Walnut leaf cheese (pecorino matured in oak barrels together with the walnut leaves, where the shapes take on the characteristic aroma) Pecorino di Carpegna, sausages, like the classic Rigatino, and the famous Carpegna raw ham. The game is cooked with the typical grilled cooking that enhances the flavor. The restaurant also offers a service of takeaway gastronomy with baskets for picnics provided with cold meals or hot, side dishes, or full meals.   The cuisine of the Montefeltro is a combination of different regional specialties. The goal is to harmonize at best the recipes of the neighboring regions, without renouncing the typical local products. Photos hang from the walls of the room, with representative views of the local life in the early 1900s.