I have never quite worked out how to order a light meal in Italy. I'm fine with the concept of processed meat followed by pasta, followed by a main course, with dessert and coffee to follow that. What I haven't yet worked out is how to order just a plate of pasta followed by gelato without provoking waiterly scorn. Not that I object to four courses for every meal, you understand.
So when I was planning our trip down to Tuscany I did some proper research and discovered a way around the conundrum. Bottega Portici 2 Torri is a proper restaurant (with a Michelin starred chef) but the layout is like a fast food restaurant. You order your food (and pay) at a machine by the door, then find a table. When the chefs have cooked your meal your electric number buzzes and you collect your dish(es). You can see the ordering machines on the left hand side of the following photo.
The location is excellent, too. It's by the two famous towers on Piazza di Porta, right in the middle of Bologna. It's air-conditioned, stylish in a very modern cafeteria way, and popular across all ages - there were tables of students, mums with babies and toddlers, and more mature people, who like us, had to have the ordering process explained.
The Kitchen
I was determined to have pasta with bolognaise sauce. I knew enough not to expect spaghetti with a tomato rich sauce, so the Tagliatelle alla Bolognaise wasn't a complete surprise when it arrived with almost no tomato content. Susan loved her Balanzoni burro e salvia: green ravioli style pasta stuffed with ricotta, spinach, eggs, parmesan, and pork, and served with butter and sage sauce. Both dishes were full of flavour, and just the right amount of food for a hot and sweaty day in a city with little shade. Add in some drinks and extra parmesan and the whole meal came to 26€ for two people.
Yum!!
I would have absolutely no reservations about eating at this restaurant again. I might even get more adventurous with my meal choice.
https://www.bottegaportici.it
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