Osteria E ’Parlaminté in Imola: The Review Of A Classic Romagna Restaurant

Osteria E’ Parlaminté is a historic restaurant in Imola, one of those welcoming places full of character and tradition, where you can take refuge to spend a quiet evening and savor the great dishes of Italian cuisine.

It is a sui generis tavern. It not only specializes in Romagna cuisine, but on the contrary, its menus go beyond borders and offer a coherent and well-studied summary of Italian tradition.

Let’s say that the starting point is of Romagna origin. You will find excellent tagliatelle al ragù, Artusi’s Cappelletti, and exquisite tortellini. Still, the proposal also ranges and dares with seafood dishes and some iconic proposals from other regions, such as carbonara di Fano sea and sardines in saor.

Here, we talked about Artusi, and the theme is just that: variety, but not fragmentation.

Many of the dishes that you will find at the Osteria E ’Parlaminté come from the bible of bourgeois Italian cuisine. And there is nothing wrong with relying on this scholarly encyclopedist who has collected the gastronomic culture of various regions with great detail and attention, condensing it into a splendid recipe book.

But that’s not all. The dishes are only part of the charm of this restaurant. The beauty of this tavern is the warmth and attention to detail that recalls almost Belle Époque atmospheres. As soon as you enter, you will be greeted with kindness and immediately feel at ease.

The furnishings, the paintings on the walls, and the dishes are exquisite for a simple tavern. The plates and mats are lovely, true works of art from Faenza ceramics.

But don’t think it is a hipster place where you can eat a little bit of everything, because this place is the backbone of Imola’s restaurants and was opened 30 years ago and has never missed a beat.

The menu of the Osteria E ’Parlaminté

The appetizers are very spartan and focus on the goodness of the raw materials, the cured meats such as lard, culatello, and mora romagnola sausages. Also, try the octopus with potatoes and cherry tomatoes, smoked goose breast, and a great classic like creamed cod with polenta.

The typically Romagna and Emilian stuffed pasta stand out among the first courses. The black tagliolini with squid ragù is exquisite and takes us back to the Venetian lagoon once again. If you want to try a brutal dish but with an intense flavor, the gramigna with sausage and peas is a dish not to be missed. In winter, pasta and beans are a ritual.

The second courses represent a collection of rustic trattoria proposals, tasty and straightforward dishes crystallized in the 90s, nothing remarkable, but the substance is satisfying.

This part of the menu is the most critical: a little out of date at the conceptual level. All good, but the preparation is too simple: you take the piece of meat, fish, or vegetables and cook them without much ceremony.

Mutton and tomatoes, grilled squid, tuna tartare, cotechino, and mashed potatoes, and we finish with the best dish, veal tripe in the manner of Artusi.

The desserts are delicious, made with precision and the right amount of imagination. They are born not so much from Pindaric flights but to enhance a particular ingredient.

The wine list

The wine list of Emilia Romagna is beautiful, with a selection of genuine artisans.

The choice focuses on excellent natural wines based on Sangiovese, Trebbiano, and Albana: Ca dei Quattro Archi, Villa Papiano and Tre Monti stand out above all.

The other regions of Italy boast a small, reasonably accurate selection but are certainly not very inspired. The markup on wine is very honest, so nasty surprises await you.

Prices

It is not a cheap and chic tavern, but it cannot be defined as expensive. Appetizers and first courses cost a maximum of 12 euros. The second courses are slightly more expensive, but we are talking about calibrated prices, adequate to the quality of the dishes.

In conclusion, we can only promote the Osteria E ’Parlaminté. It will not be a place with imagination or creativity in the kitchen, or the menu changes every week, but what the convent offers is good. Sure, there are seasonal, spectacular off-menu dishes, like asparagus tagliatelle or mushroom dishes, so there’s something for all palates.