POLPETTE E CRESCENTINE: HOME-STYLE, TRADITIONAL EMILIA-ROMAGNA CUISINE IN THE CENTER OF BOLOGNA
The Cost -$28
The Atmosphere – Polpette e Crescentine is located within the Mercato delle Erbe in the center of Bologna. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating with the indoor seating inside of an enclosed structure within an area of the market that is shared with other restaurants. Polpette e Crescentine is on the casual side and can get quite busy during peak hours.
Polpette e Crescentine serves up traditional, home-style Italian cuisine with a focus on local ingredients and an appreciation for the history of the Emilia-Romagna region of which Bologna is part. Polpette in Italian means meatballs and crescentine is a flatbread, similar to an English muffin, typical of the region. At Polpette e Crescentine, Gabriella is the sfoglina – the woman who prepares all of the pasta by hand.
The Order – Tortellini and Spicy Meatballs.
The Great – The Tortellini either comes in brodo, in a broth, or in a 24-month-aged parmesan cream sauce. While the tortellini in brodo may be even more traditional, I chose the aged parmesan sauce because it sounded so good, and it did not disappoint. The sauce was creamy and had a wonderful, rich parmesan flavor; it covered the small tortellini, which had a pork filling. Many times, the taste of the filling of handmade pasta does not come through because of the amount of pasta, a lack of filling, and the boldness of the sauce but in this case, the meat was packed into the small tortellini and the meat’s excellent flavor was felt on the taste buds. Sfoglina Gabriella did very well.
The Good – The Spicy Meatballs were served al sugo, in a traditional tomato sauce, that was not too spicy. The meat was a combination of beef and pork from Mora Romagnola, a breed of pig native to the region. The meatballs were solid, but I was expecting more from a restaraunt with polpette in its name. The sauce, which was made spicy with pepperoncini, was nice but wasn’t anything that blew me away. On a final note, the meatballs were served at just above room temperature, which I thought was too cold for the dish.
The Verdict – The overall experience at Polpette e Crescentine was definitely a positive one. The restaurant’s dedication to the tradition and history of the Emilia-Romagna region is evident all throughout the menu and in the execution of the dishes and it was wonderful to have food prepared by a sfoglina. If you are in the center of Bologna and are looking for a place to stop for lunch, Polpette e Crescentine should be on your list.
Polpette e Crescentine
Mercato delle Erbe, Via S. Gervasio, 3, 40121 Bologna BO, Italy