Hosteria di Villalba

Dishes mentioned

• Lumache al pomodoro

  These snails in tomato sauce are served in a terrine, very saucy and 'brutinose' (a bit dirty-looking). The texture is interesting — I've only had snails once before, back in 2005. There's a strange aftertaste of chamomile, maybe from the spices they used. It's an interesting experience, but I wouldn't order it for myself alone — I'd share it among 4-5 people, just a spoonful each. Maybe some bread would help tone down the texture. Not bad, but not something I'd crave.

• Patate al Forno
• Coniglio

  This stuffed rabbit is amazing — I didn't expect it to be stuffed, it looks like a meatloaf. It's incredibly flavorful, with a lot of pepper and rosemary — they really went heavy on the rosemary in all the dishes. There's a nice fondo di olio (oil base) and some good fat from the rabbit. It's cooked perfectly, very tasty.

• Fettuccine al cinghiale

  These fettuccine with wild boar ragu are incredible. The boar has a very strong, decisive flavour — it's not rabbit or chicken, it's much more impactful. The seasoning is excellent, but most importantly the pasta is perfectly al dente, with a rough texture that you can feel when you chew. They don't mix the boar with pork like many places do to save money — here it's 100% wild boar. And it's only €10, with lots of meat and not too much sauce. I think these are the best fettuccine al cinghiale I've ever had.

• Antipasto dell'Osteria

  This antipasto is a surprise — they just bring you a bit of everything. There's melon with capocollo, 'bagno Jolly' (some kind of dip), beans, anchovies, good olives, a piece of 'depuà' that reminds me of the one we eat in Salento, and some liver that I absolutely love. They also serve it with stale bread pieces, little 'picciotti' (small bread chunks), and cherry tomatoes from the garden. It's only €8 and it's a great way to start.