Since November 2023 the large family of the Smart Family Hotel has expanded further with the opening of a new restaurant: La Polenteria.
Today I take you to discover all his curiosities!
The history of this place starts from very far away, so much so as to be considered one of the oldest restaurants in Brunate; but it is only recently, thanks to the care and passion that we put in our work, that has been returned the splendor of a time making it a real oasis of taste.
Located a few meters from Hotel Paradiso Como, so if you are spending your holidays in our hotel, my advice is to try its cuisine, which differs from that of MamaGina to be typically from Valtellina.
At MamaGina you will find traditional dishes, but revisited in a modern way; if your desire is to taste the dishes of the area, you should definitely come and visit us!
THE KITCHEN
Why is it called that? As the name suggests, our specialty is polenta.
In Valtellina typical is polenta taragna, whose name derives from the "tarai", that is the stick used to turn it.
During cooking, in fact, the polenta must be mixed continuously to prevent it from sticking on the bottom of the pot.
We also prepare it with buckwheat flour, from a centenary mill in Valtellina with stone grinding, and cook it as tradition wants in the pot, a particular type of pot suitable for cooking this food.
At the end of cooking we add butter and cheese to make it soft and stringy.
It’s perfect to be accompanied mainly by meat or cheese and will be the queen of a tasty lunch or a delicious dinner to share with your family, your friends or your better half.
The choice is really difficult: from polente taragne typically from Valtellina, with bitto cheese or casera cheese, to those that embrace the Lombard tradition, with Gorgonzola cheese or Taleggio cheese.
And again our polente unce, passed in the oven with the addition of melted butter: try it with Bitto cheese, Casera cheese and sausage or the special version with Taleggio cheese, egg and truffle. A real sweet tooth!
Of course not only polenta, our legendary Chef Massimiliano is a master in cooking other dishes of the Valtellina tradition, such as pizzoccheri, sciatt, but also tagliatelle with Porcini mushrooms.
Pizzoccheri are a format of pasta similar to tagliatella, but gray because of the buckwheat in the dough and are seasoned with cabbage or chard and lots of butter and cheese.
The sciatt instead are some delicious and crunchy balls of melted Casera cheese, whose cubes are immersed in a batter composed of buckwheat, sparkling water, beer and grappa and fried in plenty of peanut oil.
In addition to tradition, we also give space to innovation: at Polenteria you can taste more innovative and refined dishes, perfect for a special occasion, such as deer tartare, the Chef's casoncelli or the blueberry tagliatelle with deer ragout and cherries... a really special combination!
LE SALE
With its completely renovated location, our restaurant consists of three rooms: the cauldron room, the polenta room and a private room.
What characterizes the first two is the rustic style with which they are furnished; the cauldron room is smaller and is located near the entrance; instead the polenta room is very large and has a large window from which filters a beautiful natural light.
The elegant touch of its tablecloths completes the environment making it unique.
Thanks to the convivial atmosphere that reigns between its walls, these rooms are perfect for a large table with friends or family.
The private room, equipped with a fireplace, is much more intimate and welcoming, the perfect place to celebrate with confidence any special occasion, such as an anniversary, a baptism or a birthday.
In the warmer months we also set up the outdoor space to enjoy your lunch or dinner surrounded by nature.
The direction of the Polenteria is entrusted to our Restaurant Manager Yasmine who, with her irrepressible sympathy and her contagious smile is ready to meet your every need.
If you need to organize a private event, do not hesitate to contact us!
Our staff will be at your disposal to satisfy your every request.
For all informations and to discover the menu visit the website https://www.lapolenteria.it