Yesterday I had my first official ‘Slow Food’ experience. What is Slow Food you might ask? ‘Slow food’ is a ‘movement’ that try to show and teach people that there is more than only Fast Food, as for some people that is where the gastronomy stops. They do this by putting cultural and traditional cuisines and the picture in the picture prepared with ecological and/or artisan products.  This movement actually originates from Torino and was founded around 1986 by Carlo Petrini.

I had already heard about Slow food and had already seen some restaurants in Torino that are proud being part of the Slow food movement. I k now I make it sound like some kind of religion, but it’ not, it is just a way of respecting what nature gives us and handle it with lots of respect and care.  Technically speaking most of the elder Italian mothers and grandmothers prepare their food like this every day, so looking at it like that I have already tried it, but not really at a restaurant. Not until yesterday and I didn’t even try it in Italy, but at restaurant (or rather trattoria) Rossi in Leuven.  It might have not been in Italy, but the interior, food and chef make you actually feel that actually are in Italy.

Let me give you an example, you can choose between dishes the ‘à la carte’ menu or you can that the ‘Sorpresa’ menu (aka surprise menu) that the chef changes every day according to what he can get hold of that day. But funny enough, sometimes nothing on the ‘à la carte’ is there, so you just have to take the taste menu 🙂 If this would be in a regular restaurant, people wouldn’t be amused, but in this kind of place it is just part of the Italian experience (this is really how it also happens in Italy).

Yesterday’s menu was Zucchini Flower filled with ricotta and parmesan cheese, followed  Asparagus ravioli ‘al burro e Salvia’ and as main course Cod fish served with  Panzanella

You could really taste the freshness of the ingredients used and that the chef knows ‘de kneepjes van het vak’ as we say in Dutch (meaning that he really knows what he’s doing). I have enjoyed every bit of every dish. The food that Rossi serves really shows what I’ve been saying in lots of my blog posts, the simplest things are always best! You don’t need millions of ingredients to prepare a tasty dish, just a few ones from a good quality.

So basically if you feel like enjoying a night with great company (which I had) honest food  (REAL Italian food) for an honest price (30EUR pp for a sorpresa menu) in a normal environment (not posh), this is your place! Booking a table is recommended.

Hope you’ll be enjoying the slow food as much as me!

FYI, this is also one of the only restaurants where they make and serve their coffee with a traditional Bialetti

Restaurant Rossi

Address:

Standonckstraat 2

3000 Leuven, Belgium

Phone n°: +32 (0) 16 62 48 48