Como and Il Gatto Nero

outsideroomWe got up, opened the windows and what do we see?  Beauty.

churchDecided to take a journey into Como in the morning and perhaps have lunch.   Of course there is the main church built in 1100.

churchinsideI always find it amazing walking inside the churches to see what was built hundreds of years ago.

duomoThere is also a duomo that sits in a huge piazza.

lakeThe streets are narrow and ramble so that all of them at one point end up at the lake.

There really isn’t much to see just to take in the sheer beauty of the place and inhale the fresh air.  Instead of just strolling more we made our way back to the hotel for lunch and some more reading by the lake.  Insanely relaxed.

grattoneroviewWe really had yet to have an amazing meal here.  Gatto Nero was by far the best meal we have had.  The hotels food left a lot to be desired.  Located above Lake Como the view are absolutely stunning.  This is what we looked out at while we dined.

iberioWe started out with two appetizers.  Iberico ham that was really just perfect.

shrimpcarpShrimp carpaccio paired with thinly sliced pieces of orange, dollops of burrata and of course plenty of olive oil.  This was really good.  Cheese usually doesn’t work with seafood but here it could not have been better and the orange flavoring just hit the spot.

lasagnaWe split lasagna for the pasta course.  Way too heavy on the bechamel sauce.

sucklingpigFor our meals we opted for meat this time.  The pics aren’t great.  Still figuring out how to use the new camera.  Fred went with the suckling pig.  Roasted perfectly with a crispy piece of skin over the top and a mix of mashed potatoes underneath.

vealI had a classic veal milanese topped with arugula and cherry tomatoes.  Light and crispy.

We talked about how we have yet had a really good meal.  The reality is that we are spoiled rotten when it comes to eating.  We live in a city with amazing culinary choices and I love to cook and bake.  Thirty years ago when people went to Europe every thing you ate was amazing but it is no longer like that as good creative food has become a global treat.  I am sure we will have several good meals but so far the shrimp carpaccio is the best thing we have had.

 

Comments (Archived):

  1. Mario Cantin

    Very scenic place indeed.Is the Nixon L830 your new camera, or is it your old one and you just got another one?

    1. Gotham Gal

      New.

    2. Gotham Gal

      I just got the Nikon L830

  2. jsrand

    No George Clooney sightings at Il Gatto Nero?I don’t think anyone goes to Lake Como for the food unless you like lake fish and wild boar.

    1. Gotham Gal

      Alas no George

  3. kirklove

    Ibericoooo. Mmmmmmm

  4. pointsnfigures

    I absolutely love how those mansions are built right up to the lake. When we were there, there were several dilapidated ones around the lake. I heard they weren’t being rehabbed because of Italian tax law-but wouldn’t it be cool to rehab and spend a summer in one?

    1. Gotham Gal

      it would be

  5. William Mougayar

    I love a restaurant with a great view + great food. These 2 don’t always come together.

    1. Gotham Gal

      they definitely do not.

  6. rebeccastees

    You are taking wonderful pictures!

  7. LE

    Still figuring out how to use the new camera.A trick to steady the camera is to use a glass or other fixed object on the table as a tripod. Being careful not to tip over the glass obviously. To get even less motion you could also use the 2 second self timer (so you don’t have to hit the shutter).Also you can take the light from say, an iphone, and shine it when you are taking the picture. (As opposed to using flash which will make shadows).

  8. LE

    We live in a city with amazing culinary choices and I love to cook and bake. Ok so here’s the story about that and my theory as well.NYC is expensive to operate a restaurant but more importantly there is a boatload of competition as well. So only the strong survive and while not every meal in NYC is great on average in theory it should be better. Because it has to be.I noticed this first when I was dating a girl (after my divorce) that lived in NYC. Everywhere we ate, places you wouldn’t even think it would matter, they really bent over backwards and the food was great. It really stood out in my mind at that time (compared to, on average, say Philly or the suburbs).The fact that there is so much competition means if they are not on the top of their game they are history. People will just walk a few steps and find another restaurant. Ditto for the service in NYC, compared to, say, where I live. No comparison. I’ve got exactly 2 sushi places that I pass when I drive home. I have to go back if I want sushi. I’m not going to drive out of my way to another town, right?This dovetails with my other observation as a kid when eating on the NJ or PA turnpike. The food was really bad. Why? Because in contrast to the above it could be bad. You had no choice and you didn’t have multiple choices either(no “food court” back then). And next time you traveled on the same road you still stopped there because where else would you go?

  9. peteski

    Hopped over from Fred’s tumblr, wanted to see more, more, more.