Food, Wine and Restaurants in Le Marche

The people of Le Marche are the longest living in not just this region of Italy, but Europe. Something perhaps to do with the clean air and of course the wonderful locally produced or reared ingredients used in their daily food.

Cuisine in Le Marche is steeped in tradition and local delicacies include cingiale (wild boar) served minced in a ragout sauce, tartufo (truffles) and olive ascolana (olives stuffed with minced veal, breadcrumbed and deep fried). Pecorino (sheeps cheese) is really good in this region and tastes vary according to its age, generally served with local honey or fig jam.

There is also a fish stew native to Ancona (Brodetto all Anconetana) and Vincigrassi a fragrant lasagne with pancetta, Veal and sometimes goose. Fish is generally only eaten at the coast and comes in a dizzying variety of species. A more unusual dish is that of the fried cream for antipasta, this is a solid block of custard, cut into squares, covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried – believe it or not, its delicious. The truffles grow big and odorous at the roots of the mighty oaks and you will often see the locals with baskets for gathering them as well as wild fennel and asparagus. Herbs are widely used with fabulously delicate flavours of fennel, rosemary, basil and lavender.

There are many excellent cured meats to include ciauscolo a very soft salame that is spreadable, Wild Boar salame and of course Proscuitto and Speck found throughout Marche. Here the chickens are corn fed, giving that wonderful yellow glow and that are so much tastier, and Le Marche is one of the greatest meat and game regions throughout Italy. My own personal favourite is Porchetta – a whole pig stuffed with fennel seeds and garlic and roasted whole. Ours usually arrives at the local butchers around 5.00 pm and Georgina and I eat most of our little dish, before we reach home!

For those interested in Italian cookery, and more especially from the Marche Region, there is an excellent book called Cucina of Le Marche, written by Fabio Trabocchi, now an internationally renowned chef at Maestro in Washington DC, whose family home was Osimo, close to Ancona. (ISBN-13:v978-0-06-074162-4 & ISBN-10: 0-06-074162-7).

The ingredients used in cookery are simple and fresh, reflecting the Italian way of life. The menus usually start with antipasto (canapés) which are a tease of assorted delights and range from meats to crostini, with more sophisticated restaurants delivering inspired salads and vegetarian fare. Next you will be offered prima (starters) - various pastas or risotto before experiencing - secondo (the main course), where you will be presented with a platter of roast meats and rosemary roast potatoes with salad. There are now several high end restaurants offering a much wider range of main courses, served with more imagination.

If you are eating next to the Adriatic coastline then you will be treated to seafood, which is truly mouthwatering. And last but not least, there is the Dolci (sweet) – truly wonderful homemade tirimisu, panna cotta or zuppa inglese (Italian style English Trifle), pastries with cherries or nuts. At the end of your meal you will usually be offered a digestivo, (to help your food digest) drinks of grappa, varnelli or the typically local vino cotto which is very similar to sherry.

The wines vary, but the Rosso Conero is considered a really good red with Verdicchio the best of the whites. At nearby Serrapetrona you can also find Vernaccia, a sparkling red which is very light and very popular, and likened to red champagne. There are several nearby cantinas where the wine is made and, where it’s possible to taste the wines before you buy! Eating out in Le Marche really is a joy as the produce is fantastic, the restaurants welcoming and prices very low.

Italian Wines of the Marche Region

Ancona and Monte Conero red wines can be dated back to the late middle ages, according to documents found in Benedictine monasteries and with mentions even in papal documents. Montepulciano grapes, with the occasional addition of a small quantity of the San Giovese provides wine that is ruby red in colour with violet reflections and a delicious perfume that releases aromas of vanilla and nuts over time. Whilst it is slightly acid when young, (our Novello) it softens with ageing. Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno is ideal for robust Marchigiane feasts of meats and game alike.

Here are just a few of the wines from Le Marche

• Reds – Rosso Conero, Rosso Piceno, Colli Pesaresi, Lacrima di Morro d’ Alba, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona
• Whites – Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi, Verdicchio di Matelica, Falerio di Colli Ascolani, Colli Maceratesi, Bianchello del Matauro,

Our favourites are Lacrima di Morro d’ Alba, Fortunae from Umani Ronchi Cantine, and a desert wine with a hint of honey called Melitites at the Cantine Belisario in Matelica

Restaurants in Marche, Italy

If you are looking for somewhere to enjoy some of the great food, served in Marche, there are many choices, from family-run restaurants, to osterias, agriturismos and even two establishments with a Michelin Star that are within easy reach. There are romantic restaurants, those where you can watch your food cooking over an open fire, and some of the brightly lit, tv in the corner types with absolutely no menu but are full of the locals! Some of our favourite restaurants...

Villa Sibillini Restaurant
Here at Villa Sibillini our family has a passion for food. We spend much of our time deciding on new dishes for the menu, and discovering new ingredients to tempt our guests. With our daily changing menu, there is an emphasis on the season and availability of local fare. Our obsession with food also takes us to other restaurants so that we are able to recommend our favourites to guests and are very fortunate with the variety of very different eateries from our local simple pizzerias to excellent fish restaurants, two with a Michelin star, right in the heart of Marche and an hour from Villa Sibillini. Italians are naturally social and enjoy sharing food with family and friends – they loved to feed visitors and as we have Italian roots, we too love to spoil our guests with lavish meals, served either in the restaurant, or during summer months on the terrace, under the stars. Being able to eat outside for at least five months of the year is a real treat and some of our hardy guests even insist on eating outside in winter, muffled with scarves and coats!

Whether you choose to dine inside or, weather permitting, on the restaurant terrace, you will be seduced by the most delicious antipasta, where the dishes just keep on coming. If you are brave enough you will order from the five course tasting menu, but don’t try to hurry. Our food is creatively and freshly prepared on a daily basis.

Favourite prima dishes are our three cheese risotto, melanzane parmigiano or the unusual combination of barley risotto with asparagus. Next, one of the home made sorbets – campari and orange or melon with vodka, before the most succulent fillet steak served with a Rosso Conero sauce. The latest addition to our menu is smoked goose with rocket and a balsamic reduction, simply served it just melts on the tongue.

Last but by no means least (and do save some room for this course) are the indulgent house deserts. Choose from Italian style bread and butter pudding, crème bruleé, peach panna cotta served with peach sorbet, pears poached in marsala or the mouthwatering tiramisu. If you still have a little space, finish with a glass of local vino cotto.

Buon appetitto

Typical Menu
Breakfast
Assortment of pastries, toast and some home-made preserves, fresh seasonal fruit, cereal, fruit juices, English and fruit teas, plus the best Italian coffee.

Lunch/Lighter Bites
Panini/Piadini (Italian breads/pancakes) various fillings from €6.00 each
Sibillini Club Sandwiches €8.00 each
Pasta lunches from €10.00
2 course light lunch €12.00 - €14.00 per head

Picnic Baskets
If you are thinking of exploring this unspoilt region of Le Marche, order a picnic lunch the day before.
Fresh bread, Italian cheeses, selection of meats, salad, fresh fruit and cake from €15.00 per head to include water

Dinner

We serve a set menu every evening that is changed daily in accordance with the seasons. Do not hesitate to ask for any special favourite dishes, just give us notice of your requirements. Vegetarian and gluten free foods are also freshly prepared.

VEGETARIAN DISHES ARE OUR SPECIALITY – NON RESIDENTS, PLEASE TELEPHONE TO PRE-BOOK