20/05/2024: I recently had the pleasure of dining at "Schiacciala", a restaurant that promises to bring authentic Tuscan cuisine to the heart of the city of Bra. From the entrance, you perceive a welcoming and refined atmosphere, with elegant rustic furnishings that recall typical Tuscan farmhouses.
The service was impeccable: the kind and professional staff welcomed us with sincere smiles and demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the menu, advising us with passion and competence.
To start, we chose a mixed Tuscan starter, which included local cured meats, crostini with livers and cheeses accompanied by honey and artisanal jams. Every bite was an explosion of authentic, fresh and well-balanced flavours.
As a first course, I opted for pici, a fresh homemade pasta with an artisanal sauce with a strong but balanced flavour. The cooking of the pasta was perfect, and the sauce very delicious.
The second course, a cut of Chianina, was the real protagonist of the evening. Cooked just right, with a well browned outer crust and a juicy and tender centre. The quality of the meat was excellent, and the overall dining experience was elevated by this masterful serving.
To conclude, we shared a cantuccio with vin santo, a classic Tuscan dessert that did not disappoint expectations. The sweetness of the vin santo married perfectly with the crunchiness of the cantucci, closing the dinner in a sublime way.
"Schiacciala" is a restaurant that is really worth a visit. The dedication to the quality of the ingredients, the mastery in the preparation of the dishes and the warm hospitality create an unforgettable culinary experience. Recommended for anyone who wishes to enjoy true Tuscan cuisine in a welcoming and refined environment.
18/05/2024: I have to make a premise, my review is for Bra's Schiacciala, it seems that 90% of the other reviews are for Pollenzo's. BRA.. where to start? I am Tuscan, and I worked as a chef for over 7 years in Italy, before moving to London. I have always eaten and loved a specific dish, pappardelle with wild boar. When you and my friend Maurizio (who lives almost 2 hours away by car and comes to visit me and spend time with me, even after a long day of work, thanks Mauri, you are a true brother!!). We're on point. Mauri and I were walking around Bra, looking for a place to eat..and BAM "trattoria Toscana.." blah blah.. I ask if they have my favorite dish on the menu, they have it BAM, SOLD.. let's go a bit around, it was still early, then we'll arrive. They make us sit. Nice environment, with the feeling of a real trattoria... then we wait 10 minutes for them to come and ask us what we want (I must admit, I'm spoiled by the standards in London, the first 2-4 minutes a waiter ALWAYS arrives, asking what we're drinking, then they bring the drinks within 5 minutes. Then while we drink and wait in 10 minutes they come to ask what we want to eat), details.. in any case after 20 minutes they bring us the pappardelle for me and 3 crostini for Mauri. This is where the problems begin. The pappardelle (which are a bit small for the price (there was a lot of ragu... how much did the pasta cost? They could have put a little more. )) and the wild boar ragu... it doesn't taste like... nothing.. the wild boar has a very pungent gamey taste, I would also have expected to taste the taste of a reduced red wine sauce, nothing.. no taste.. almost not even meat.. I put a lot of cheese and the The only taste in my mouth was..."pappardelle with parmesan". Maurizio's crostini were.. VERY thick and he said that the livers were not so good, the one with lard (from colonnata I presume??) was covered in honey (you could only taste the honey), and the crostini with finocchiona.. .it was...DREWED in oil or butter...I don't know...it dripped with every bite...the finocchiona was a typical Tuscan salami (with fennel seeds!! Obviously!!) It tasted like NOTHING. Not even a little fennel flavor..and oil oil oil (or butter?). Then... dissatisfied and disappointed, we wait for the pork ribs with potatoes... they arrive after 35 MINUTES of waiting... a bit... I even throw a dig at the chef who passes by "these ribs are a little slow!!". .. then they arrive.. and... they are pieces of shoe soles.. we have to hold the bone with two hands to detach the meat (I'm not joking..). In the end we pay 20+ each (not a bad price if we had eaten stuff we liked...).
The owner finally asked me 3 times if I liked the pasta.. and since Mauri gave me dirty looks, as a warning not to be too "myself"... I made faces.. meh.. first and second time and the third I said "50%".
A final premise. The place is called SCHIACCIALA, and obviously their specialty is SCHIACCE of bread with stuff inside, we didn't take any of that... ergo maybe they have some exceptional Schiacciate... but unfortunately I won't go back there to try them. Without the intention of being offensive, simply my opinion as a Tuscan and ex-chef, sorry.
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