26/05/2026: The restaurant is located on the road between Poviglio and Sorbolo. Not a great location for a stopover.
A classic bar with a lunch section. Not very big. About a dozen tables, but it's almost full. A good sign.
A decent location, nothing special. Small, classic bar tables with paper table settings.
The limited menu is presented on a blackboard at the entrance. I'd say it's a traditional menu with tortelli, cappelletti, etc.
I ask if it's possible to have a second helping of tortelli and they say yes, just choose which of the various types.
You can also choose the toppings: butter/sage or ragù. It's a shame there's no soffritto.
It's worth noting that the very kind woman who runs it asks if I only want the first course and then add a few tortelli to fill me up. You don't often see this kind of attention.
I also choose a second course: meatballs with tomato sauce.
The wait time is quite short.
They bring a basket of bread with four slices.
The tortelli platter looks good. The tortelli are already covered in cheese, but they ask me if I want more.
There are about 15 medium-sized tortelli, neither large nor small, divided equally between the potato and herb ones.
The butter and sage sauce is standard; there's no "poccia" on the bottom, although I prefer it more generously.
The pasta is quite thick (just how I like it), and the filling is generous, enough to give the tortelli a pronounced "belly."
The green ones are very flavorful, nice and dark, with no hint of ricotta, as is the tradition of the "lower Reggio Emilia" area.
The potato ones are flavorful, not bland as they often are, and delicious...
All excellent, both in taste, consistency, and quantity.
Then came the meatballs in sauce. The meatballs were exceptional, both in flavor and tenderness. Too bad there were only 4 on a bed of sauce, very similar to soffritto...
Really good, I even mopped up the remaining sauce.
They spontaneously asked me if I wanted more bread.
To finish, a quart of sparkling red wine (Lambrusco), really good, far better than the usual bulk wines. A half-bottle of water served in a plastic bottle and an unmemorable coffee.
Excellent service. Quick, kind, attentive to detail, and friendly.
Bill 27 euros
Tortelli 9 euros
Meatballs 10 euros
Wine 3 euros
Water 1.50
Coffee 1.50
Cost 2 euros
I'd say it's a place worth marking in red...it deserves a 9 on my report card. Just a few flaws:
- The table setting could perhaps be improved
- I would have put a couple more meatballs on my plate
- The coffee (being a bar) could be improved a lot.
A great discovery. I'll definitely be back.
11/04/2026: Tortellini with perfect dough and a perfect filling.
Congratulations to owners Marcella and Laura, who executed this ancient and traditional recipe with excellence. 🙏