Vecchia Osteria Seseglio

You shouldn't dine alone at the «Vecchia Osteria». The fantastic signature dish that delighted General Guisan many, many years ago is only available for parties of two or more: «Risotto dell’Erminio, storico di Seseglio» with saffron, mushrooms, chicken liver, and Merlot reduction. The spring risotto 2.0 is also meant for two: snails (!), wild garlic pesto. Fortunately, we didn't go hungry because of this: the Spaghettoni Paolo Petrilli were a flawless alternative. It came with eel, eel butter, and lemon zest, but in well-measured amounts: the thick organic pasta from Gragnano, cooked perfectly al dente, remained the star of the plate. Also worth ordering: the homemade nettle gnocchetti with morels and Aquila saffron from the Abruzzo region. The staff under owner Ambrogio Stefanetti does a great job. This was evident during the «Saluto della cucina»: focaccia, excitingly good thanks to smoked duck breast; cima di rapa, a pleasant surprise thanks to burrata and fresh chili peppers. The most ambitious starters: Japanese scallops with herbs and crustacean sauce, a one-hour egg (from the neighbor) with the first green asparagus, Parmigiano, and crostini. The first morels of the season have arrived at the «Osteria», so they are served as a standard side dish that day. Served alongside the tagliata of Swiss veal. And alongside the juicy «galletto» with celery and mashed potatoes. The galletto turns out to be half a guinea fowl, which isn't exactly how it's listed on the menu. We missed the second leg, but we appreciated the perfect, crispy-yet-juicy preparation and the delicate morel sauce. For dessert, the very first strawberries, traditionally sourced from Basilicata, served with hot chocolate or crème double. Pleasant garden, excellent wine list.