Osteria Le Logge

Via del Porrione, 33

53100 Siena, Italy

Tel. +39 0577 48013 

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | OCTOBER 18, 2018

Food:

Salmon, avocado ceviche, greens, kiwi

Vitello tonnato, Ponzu sauce 

Fried zucchini flower filled with tomino, bagna cauda, summer truffle 

Tortelli filled with basil pesto, mozzarella and mussels 

Faella spaghetti with onions, pancetta and Pecorino

Stuffed rabbit, blueberries, prosciutto, purple carrots, fermented cherries 

Wines:

Tuscany is littered with dozens of exceptional and even world-class wine estates. When it comes to dining, though, things get much more dicey. It is not always easy to cut through the plethora of anonymous restaurants serving indifferent fare to the unsuspecting tourist crowd and find places that excel with both delicious, well-prepared food and a carefully thought out wine program.

Salmon, avocado ceviche, greens, kiwi 

Located steps away from Siena’s Piazza del Campo, Osteria Le Logge is one of the bright spots in Tuscany’s food and wine scene. The Osteria is owned by the Brunelli family, who are probably best known for the wines they make at their Montalcino estate, Le Chiuse di Sotto. Outdoor seating makes for a relaxed vibe in the summer months, while the ambience is far cozier during the fall and winter, when only the small interior rooms are open. Readers will find a menu composed of both updated interpretations of classics and more modern creations. The Osteria is not the place to go to for super-traditional Tuscan fare, but the ideal choice once you have had your fill of pappa al pomodoro, pici and the other tried and true classics of the Tuscan kitchen.

Fried zucchini flower filled with tomino, bagna cauda, summer truffle 

General Manager Mirco Vigni oversees a breathtaking wine cellar that is well worth a visit on its own. Guests will find a dazzling array of wines from all over the world, although naturally the focus is on Tuscany. On the night I visited, Vigni was especially proud of a collection of older Brunello di Montalcino he had just bought for the restaurant.

Tortelli filled with basil pesto, mozzarella and mussels

A series of small (in reality not so small) tasting portions makes it easy to sample across the menu. There are plenty of highlights. I adore the salmon appetizer. It is a perfect warm weather starter. Fried zucchini flowers are one of my favorite summertime foods. Le Logge’s version scores plenty of points. The vitello tonnato with Ponzu sauce is both tasty and light. And then there are the pastas. This is Italy, after all. The tortelli stuffed with basil pesto and mozzarella and then topped with mussels, is surprisingly light, the effect enhanced by an unusual combination that works far better than I expected. Spaghetti with onions, pancetta and Pecorino is not especially creative, but then again, Italian food is always about the ingredients first and foremost. The pasta is cooked and seasoned perfectly. It is also fabulous with the wines.

Faella spaghetti with onions, pancetta and Pecorino

I know, I know, the 2012 Chablis Les Clos from Dauvissat is too young. But it is also not exactly the kind of wine that is easy to find on a restaurant list. I normally would not drink French wine in Italy (Champagne does not count), but simply can’t pass up a chance to drink the 2012 Clos. It is fabulous, just as it has been every time I have had it before. Powerful, tightly wound and sizzling with both energy and depth, the 2012 is a wine for the ages. I can only hope to taste it again with a few more years of bottle age! Poggio di Sotto’s 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is just as striking today as it was when I tasted it from barrel and then from bottle when it was first released. Still powerful and richly textured, the 2005 possesses superb depth and tons of pure pedigree. The aromatics are only now starting to open up and show the first signs of development, and yet the 2005 remains rich, brooding and not yet ready to show all of its cards. Readers lucky enough to own it can look forward to another two decades of exceptional drinking. At the end of dinner I go back to the Dauvissat. I am reminded once again of just how profound great white wine can be. That memory lingers into the balmy summer evening.

Readers venturing into Tuscan wine country should plan on having at least one meal at Osteria Le Logge. The food, ambience and service are all top-notch, while the wine program is one of the best in all of Italy. Don’t miss it.