Ristorante Mulino A Vento
You are what you eat, is an old saying most of us know. I believe it to be true and the reason why we have so many health problems and diseases. Some people and companies are very aware of this and know that nature can provide us with everything we need (and more) if we just work with it properly. We can enjoy a substantially better life by eating the best foods mother nature has given us without the use of chemicals and pesticides that we are using and making a complete mess of the world.
One of these places is Ristorante Mulino A Vento, the Windmill Restaurant in Italy. It is located on the Fattoria Lavacchio Estate 18 km from Florence. Resting 450 meters above sea level on the summit of the Montefiesole hill, it is in the heart of the Chianti Rufina vineyards. Here you will have a truly authentic Tuscan experience mother nature wanted us to have. Everything within this organic lifestyle is based on sustainability.
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Its Mission
To preserve the origins of an agricultural company, dedicated to the cultivation and organic production of wine and oil, combining artisan production methods with the most modern techniques.
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Ristorante Mulino A Vento
The restaurant is an important part of the Lavacchio Estate and Resort. Its name is inspired by two things. First, the drawings by the late Leonardo da Vinci from the Grand Ducal area. (This year, 2019, marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Da Vinci.) Secondly, most people are unaware of any windmills in the Tuscany area and the most important one sits just steps away from the restaurant. The windmill and the restaurant share an interest and obligation of perfect balance within the environment.
Nestled among the vineyards, olive groves, orchards, and organic farm, the restaurant is one with nature. The large veranda offers stunning views of the vineyards and rolling hills. It is an excellent place to watch the sunset as you enjoy a delicious organic dinner. If you are there in the cooler months you can relax inside the restaurant with a beautiful fireplace. The use of copper, wrought iron, and wood are used throughout the restaurant to respect the Tuscan origins. Traditional and contemporary ceramic art pieces are also displayed throughout the restaurant.
The Chef
Chef Mirko Margheri was born and raised in the Tuscan area. After gaining knowledge and experience in Italy and other countries, he decided to return to his roots. Here he uses only locally produced high-quality products from the 100-hectare estate and the surrounding farms. This means everything is as fresh as possible and the astounding chef must be extremely versatile with food preparations daily.
It is not an easy task to run a restaurant, to begin with. Yet run an upscale restaurant that is completely dependent on what mother nature gives you on a daily basis is extremely difficult. A task most exceptional chefs would not accept nor attempt. However, the multiple dinner dishes I had varied greatly. All the plates represented various products and items from the area. The flavors were each distinct and exceptional. It is one of the best restaurants I have eaten at (and I eat at a lot of restaurants).
“I was fed by my mother and my grandmother, with fables and ancient recipes, and this is what I want to make my guests feel the importance of the gestures that become rituals in the preparation of each dish, to which in my case the memories of legends and fables are mixed all my family united exchanged during the moment of the banquet.
I know that often mothers and grandmothers are cited by cooks when we talk about our dishes, but for me these two women had a crucial importance; they gave them the imprinting to my kitchen that I then tried to forge in years of study and work especially in France, where I was bewitched by nouvelle cuisine and extreme attention to detail.
My kitchen is moved by amazement when I was in the garden surrounded by the shapes and colors of nature we chose and cooked together transforming them, like two alchemists, into essences and flavors.
As a cook and as a man, I make the heart prevail, which binds me to my past, to my origins and that is how my dishes take on a strong value linked to memory,” Mirko explains of his childhood and his approach to the kitchen and food.
My Exceptional Dishes
I ate at Ristorante Mulino A Vento for dinner for two nights while I was staying on the estate. My meals were served with the perfect wine pairing for each dish. Most of which, of course, were made right on the estate. I had the following dishes:
- Cuttlefish with peas cream
- Gnocchi
- Peposo Fiorentino – a traditional peppered stew
- Cremoso Al Cioccolato dessert
My second dinner was a special “Everything Truffle”. They were fresh from the Truffle Hunting Experience I was on earlier that day.
- Egg low cooked with truffle oil foam and fresh spinach
- Pasta with truffle
- Beef, truffle, and fresh asparagus from the garden
- White chocolate and almond pastry dessert
I highly recommend coming to the restaurant for dinner when you are in Florence or the Tuscany area. Better yet, book your stay at the Fattoria Lavacchio Estate and visit Florence and the surrounding areas from here. I spent two nights here and would love to go back again. I will be writing about my experience there soon.
MULINO WIND RESTAURANT - LAVACCHIO FARM Via di Montefiesole 48 Pontassieve 055-8317472 Open every day except Wednesday from 19.30 to 22.45 Weekends it is also open for lunch
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