Fodor's Expert Review Antica Osteria del Teatro
Editor's Note: This location is no longer in operation.
A simple 15th-century palazzo on a square in the center of town gives no hint to what awaits inside. Warm ochre-sponged walls adorned with contemporary prints provide the backdrop for some serious food. Presiding over this jewel for some 30 years, chef Filippo Chiappini Dattilo has pursued his twin passions, Italian cuisine and French technique. The local specialty, culatello, is served with exquisite porcini sott'olio (mushrooms in olive oil). Another traditional dish, pisarei e faso (Piacentinian for pasta fagioli), is livened up with shrimp and squid. The colorful risotto mantecato con granchio reale (risotto with crab) arrives redolent of mandarin, with which it has been generously seasoned. Excellent service and an equally excellent wine list make dining here a true pleasure.
