A few kilometers from Bologna, Antica Osteria del Mirasole in San Giovanni in Persiceto embodies the Emilian restaurant of dreams, a culmination of traditional cuisine and exceptional ingredients, thanks to its singularity as the region’s only family-run “closed-loop” estate.
The Story: The Perfect Union
The story of Antica Osteria del Mirasole began in the 1980s, when chef Franco Cimini, after gaining experience in important kitchens, such as Cipriani and Danieli in Venice, met Anna Caretti, the fourth generation of the renowned Caretti farm.
Their “union” gave rise to the perfect cycle, combining the creation of excellent raw ingredients, artfully prepared traditional recipes, and Emilian conviviality.
For five generations, we have transformed, season after season, with acquired experience and passed-down passion, the excellence of Emilia-Romagna’s typical products.
Thus, at a very young age, following the example of an inn that existed shortly before World War II and took its name from a neighborhood street, they created the “perfect” osteria, enriching and personalizing it over the years with paintings, mementos, and furnishings typical of inns of the past, such as headboards and old gramophones.
Thus, in 1989, they opened the Antica Osteria del Mirasole, “ancient” (antica) because it seems to have always existed and, surely, always will.
From the land to the table
The “secret” of one of the most famous and beloved inns in Italy is their focus on the well-being of the entire supply chain, from their animals… to that of their guests, who must always be happy and satisfied.
As a farm, they were the first in Emilia Romagna to adopt free-range housing for their livestock, a farm mill, first a drying room and then a dehydrator for their fodder, using the natural products of their land as their food.
Emilia-Romagna’s finest ingredients
In his kitchen, Franco uses exclusively meats, cured meats, such as Parma ham, and dairy products, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, as well as pastas, condiments, fruits, and vegetables produced in-house (all available for purchase at the nearby Azienda Agricola Caretti farm shop).
The meticulous selection of ingredients is enhanced by the touch of the wood-fired brazier that dominates one of the three rooms of this small osteria.
The iconic dish: Mirasole Outcrop Cream ® Tortellini
The Osteria has a dish worthy of a transoceanic journey: the Tortellini with Mirasole® Cream. Following the ancient Caretti family recipe, the tortellini are topped with cream made from ultra-fresh milk collected in the evening and left to rest until morning.
With a velvety texture that envelops small treasure chests of hand-rolled pastry, encapsulating the flavor of pasture and dedication, this dish has become a registered trademark and is served at the table with a description that explains its quality and uniqueness.
The Menu and Other Specialties
The menu is a tale of the region with typical dishes, such as:
- Tagliatelle with Courtyard Ragù: a throwback to Sundays of celebration.
- Veal Rib in Cotoletta alla Bolognese: served on the bone, fried in lard and finished with broth, prosciutto, and Parmesan.
- Wood-fired Brazier: meat cuts such as pork livers, Florentine steak, and veal rib cooked on the wood-fired brazier.
The luxury of conviviality
Welcomed by Anna, the osteria’s maître d’, crossing the threshold of the Antica Osteria del Mirasole means entering a world of refined and cultured conviviality, always greeted with a glass of good wine and a welcome of fresh ricotta and homemade mortadella. This is the first ritual of a journey that concludes with caramel latte, a dessert reminiscent of childhood memories, and coffee served with a tortellino-shaped chocolate.
Fortunately, for those who wish to enjoy the evening, the beautiful 16th-century spiral staircase leads to the inn’s two bookable rooms (and, of course, breakfast will feature homemade biscuits, cured meats, cheeses, yogurt, and organic jams from the farm, for a truly Emilian-style start to the day).
And in summer, you can eat in the charming garden located in front of the entrance to the tavern.
Wonderful.
The Secret
The cream used for the Outcrop Cream ® Tortellini is the excellence of natural surfacing: the noblest and fattiest fraction of the milk which, separating spontaneously during the overnight stay in the vats, is collected by hand, very quickly, before the residual milk begins the long journey to become Parmigiano Reggiano.
Useful Info
Antica Osteria del Mirasole
Via Giacomo Matteotti 17
40017 San Giovanni in Persiceto, Bologna
Tel. +39 051 821273
Due to the Osteria’s popularity, reservations are accepted online.
Appetizers: from €16
First courses: from €19
Second courses: from €24