Al Valuu – Tremezzo

And in what will most likely be our last Italy post, I’d like to recap the family’s final meal while visiting Lake Como at Al Valuu – a beautiful, romantic restaurant nestled in hills of Tremezzo.  It was unfortunately raining when we visited which was a slight bummer; Al Valuu boasts an insane, hilltop perspective of the lake which would have been even more magnificent had it been a clearer, dryer night.  Although despite mother nature being a maj party pooper, we were still amazed with the view. 

While it is perhaps a smaller restaurant by most standards, the inside feels spacious, private, and… homey.  In all honesty, I think it was part of the owner/chef’s home.  At one point, his adorable little daughter was playing in the “living room” you see above and he just carried her away into a back room. 

There are not many tables and the service is personal, warm and not rushed whatsoever.  We each were greeted with a tastfully bitter strawberry prosecco concoction in addition to the inviting atmosphere.

Our server poured wine out of a bottle cradling basket.  I had not seen that before!  Have you?

My penne was wonderful; spicy, salty, and satisfyingly tangy. 

Elana was thrilled with her eggplant and roasted goat cheese antipasto. 

But the real treat was my filet mignon, topped off with this dark mustard goop of inter-galactic gloriousness, as well as rosemary and the greatest zucchini fries i’ve had to date.  You’ll see that Elana said this meal was “cooked curbside” – the head chef/owner literally cooked the entire piece of meat right beside our table – like a Hibachi experience, but with the greatest view of all time, great local wine, and much better food.  So then not really like Hibachi at all.

Tirmasu to top off the meal…

And some wonderful Limoncello as well, the bottle of which was being held in a rose/ice sculpture like coozie.  No longer just a drink of the Southern Italians I suppose – Limoncello has made its way north, with no complaints from the Iaciofano group of course.

Al Valuu was the perfect place to cap off the family’s splendid voyage to Italy.  Should you ever find yourself within the Lake Como/Tremezzo area, you’d be doing yourself a favor by going – it’s a unique restaurant, with the views being the only thing surpassing its extremely wonderful food.