The Perfect Starter

As I glance at any menu, my eyes quickly scan the antpasti hoping they have proscuitto with melon. There is nothing as satisfying, especially on a warm summer evening, as that combination of the cold, crisp, sweet melon with the salty tang of the ham.

This search is right up there with my quest for the perfect gelato! I have learned that the restaurant appetizer servings are very generous. And so I always ask for a take away box. Here you ask for “take away”, not “to go” like in the US. That’s d’asporto or portare via, in Italian.

Here are a few of the recent contenders… Drum roll, please! :)

I enjoyed this antipasta on the terrace of Albergo Ristorante Giovanni da Verrazzano overlooking the piazza in Greve. The prosciutto was some of the best, thinly sliced, and was supple enough to wrap around each bite of melon! YUM.

Just so happens this locanda (a house providing food and shelter) is one of Europe’s oldest spots for hospitality having been continuosly operating since 1440 . That’s before Columbus set sail and even before Verrazzano, Greve’s famous explorer, was born!

Here is the generous display from Sassolini’s buffet at the Thursday night concert. The perfect amount of ham on top of each slice of melon which clings to the rind at one end, just enough to keep it together ‘til it lands on your plate!

This was lunch on a very warm afternoon at Colle Val d’Elsa, an off the beaten track but beautiful medieval town about 40 minutes southwest of Panzano. The chunks of chilled melon on this plate groaned under the very generous portion of proscuitto, enough to have paired with a whole basket of melons!

Note my very cool caffe’ shakerato on the side!