This week ‘5 things’ dined at La Locanda Italian restaurant in Gisburn, Lancashire.
La Locanda began in 2003 by Agri Chef Maurizio Bocchi and his wife Cinzia. La Locanda is situated between the beautifully historic towns of Clitheroe and Skipton – both worth a visit.
La Locanda is not your typical British Italian restaurant – you will not find a pizza here! All food is authentically prepared as if you were in Italy and locally sourced from Lancashire – the restaurants home county. The restaurant does not compromise on its roots so be prepared for real rustic Italian food served with passion and a wealth of culinary local knowledge.
One
Start with the homemade Tuscan bread. You will sample three varieties which are served with world winning extra virgin olive oil (they are very proud) and Modena balsamic vinegar. The Sardinian flatbread is beautifully crisp.
Two
For starters between us we ordered the traditional Tuscan stew, the hearty thick farmers tomato soup and a fish stew. The soup translated from the menu as ‘baby’ food was a moreish mush and the fish in both stews was fresh and cooked perfectly. The Mediterranean red prawn served with the fish stew was huge!
A nice touch and one we had not seen before was the dehydrated hand towel. Simply place in the hot water provided and watch the little tablet expand before your eyes. Dirty hands no more.
Three
Chicken wrapped in smoked ham from the Dolomite’s, organic veal escalopes and a whole slow cooked rabbit were ordered for our main courses. Portion sizes are large – we were told that Tuscan farmers work hard and need to eat a lot – they were not wrong.
All food was impressive especially the rabbit which benefited from being ‘slow cooked’. La Locanda is a member of the ‘Slow food in the UK’ group. Sides of cabbage, new potatoes and chips matched the quality of the main dishes. La Locanda are experts in fresh food and are proud of their ‘field to plate’ ethos.
Four
Order lady kisses for dessert. These tiny bites are served with both a white and dark chocolate dipping sauce . These sauces have quite a kick of liqueur. Beautiful ice cream and chocolate cake served with a saffron custard was also enjoyed.
Five
Enjoy fine and carefully sourced beer and wine from across Italy. Maurizio has constructed his wine and beer menu with care and a depth of knowledge that only a passionate Italian chef can. I carelessly ordered a Peroni but soon stopped when I was informed that this is not true Italian as Peroni is now owned by Japanese firm, Asahi.
Maurizio and Cinzia future plans include organised food and wine tours of Italy and the promotion of fine extra virgin olive oils across the UK and beyond.
Although Maurizio and Cinzia live in Lancashire their head and thinking is firmly in Italy, continuing and keeping alive traditional methods of cooking for their customers to benefit from.
La Locanda customers often travel many miles to taste Mayrizio’s and Cinzia’s cuisine. As our evening developed hospitality became more relaxed and felt that you were being entertained in their own home.
Make sure that you go and comment below to say how much you enjoyed your meal and hospitality.
Main Street
Gisburn
Clitheroe
BB7 4HH
01200 445303
Our Meal at Locanda was complimentary
