We had a wonderful time and experience. This place fully deserves the Michelin star. The 42 months…read morecured culatello is the best culatello I've eaten in my whole life. The aromas bouquet and flavor are heavenly. Ambience is elegant yet friendly, classy yet welcoming, bourgeois yet rustic. Staff and service are on point, attentive, well trained and knowledgeable. Most items truly are farm to table and move no more than a few feet from the vegetable garden to the kitchen and then your table. We tried one of the three tasting and wine menus. It was great.

4.5 stars. I stayed at the relais and ate at the Michelin-starred restaurant one of the nights. The…read moreservice is friendly and accommodating, and the prices fair--€90 for a tasting menu, €120 with local wines (in some cases, very local, as in made on-premises). The scenery can't be beat. Food was almost uniformly good, and at times quite clever. Highlights were the chicken tortellini and Parmigiano fondue, cooked in a pig bladder (an echo of the culatello salumi they make on-site) and served tableside. This kind of theatrical, yet logical dish is why they get the Michelin star. The pig bladder is like a medieval sous vide pouch, snipped open tableside. Then they shave "bottarga di culatello," or the dry leftover bits of ham, tableside--a testament to the old peasant ways of not letting anything go to waste. There was more of that culatello, the buttery, first-cut kind, served as a first course. If you're staying at the relais you will get sick of this house specialty that costs up to €90 per kilo, but this selection promises to rekindle your interest. Another highlight was frog legs, presumably harvested from the Po river less than 300m away. What an unexpected treat, but one that revealed the one notable flaw I found--the salt balance in some of the dishes. My theory is that because so many of the endemic food products here--salumi and cheese--are heavily salted, the kitchen tends to scale back the salt elsewhere. This was evident in those frog legs, which featured potato purée and zucchini garnishes that were almost unsalted, and in the shockingly orange-yolked poached egg, with more of that same purée, and some garden vegetables. That dish was fairly bland, and could've used--dare I say it--some cured ham somewhere, or at least some salt in the potatoes. But that's not enough to detract from what is overall a soulful, memorable experience. The wine selection deserves special notice. The house brut is delightful, with none of prosecco's headaches or toothaches. And I had a couple whites that clearly reflected a terroir you can't get anywhere else. (They also make a wonderful house Lambrusco for 8 stinking Euro). There were only a few people in the restaurant, although it was a Wednesday in early August, when many places throughout Europe effectively shut down. Here's hoping it fills up with the kind of diners who will appreciate swamp monsters fished out of the local river.

The night we stayed in Parma before going on to Milan, we ate at Dal Pescatore, a 3 star Michelin…read morerestaurant of many years. The meal was superb and one can see how the restaurant earns the three star honor each year. Early for once, we arrived before they were open and went for a short drive in the countryside where this lovely restaurant is nestled. Returning at the correct time, the gates were open and we parked and took the short walkway to the entrance. This is a family affair and you are made to feel like family from the time you enter. We were seated in their lovely dining room and then spent the next several hours enjoying a multi-course tasting menu. Some of the dishes of note--the parmesan crisps, the two terrines, the foie gras, the two pastas, the frog legs, roast duck, and then some lovely desserts. A large tray of mignardises was brought so we each could have one of each type. Service was exceptional and as I noted in the beginning, we were treated as if we were dining with family we knew for years. Before leaving, I went to get a photo of the chef and he insisted that the photo include the four of us along with his two brothers. For me, this was our best meal in Italy and it ranked with two others as being evenings to remember!

EXCELLENT service beyond all expectations!! We arrived early…read morebefore the restaurant even opened and Mrs. Santini (one of the Chefs) greeted us warmly and led us into the garden to wait until it was time to be seated. She brought us a plate of prosciutto and crackers and water while we enjoyed the lovely garden area. Such Italian hospitality at its best! When it was finally time to go to our table, we were ushered in by the waitstaff dressed in tuxedos, setting the tone for an elegant atmosphere. Throughout our meal, all members of the Santini family personally approached our table to greet us, welcome us, and thank us for being there. We felt like special guests! Now onto the food. We started with an appetizer of tomatoes composta which was spectacular!! Next we enjoyed some pasta before cheese and dessert. Everything was solid and of high quality. When it was time to depart, the entire family ushered us out and waved goodbye. Such a lovely and warm dining experience that we won't forget!