Perched way up high on a mountain plateau, wedged between two fantastic marble quarries, is the hill top village above Carrara and the restaurant Venanzio! Cut from the very stone that Michelangelo himself used to sculpt, this area is steeped in so much artistry and culture.

Nestled just off the village square, restaurant Venanzio offers some spectacular Pasta and meat dishes, all of which are traditional to this particular mountainous area of Italy.

The anti-pasta was not exactly what you’d call the most Hippy of dishes, although again this is authentic dining experience of the area, and thus we are gracious guests to our hosts wherever we are entertained. So, we started off with some very typical appetizers of the area, made from marble cured pork fat, sliced thinly and put on crackers.

*Note: The Hippy Gourmet himself and much of our vegetarian/vegan crew did not partake, but they politely handed their portions over to their producer and director who although is not one to eat meat, did in fact show the others how to be a good guest.

The pasta dish was wonderful, homemade ravioli with several cheeses, prepared deliciously and fresh for our visit. Several main courses were also prepared to perfection, along with an assortment of Dulce or desserts that were out of this world.

One of the most amazing things about restaurant Venanzio was the young owner and chef, who standing atop a mountain seemed like a character right out of an ancient story. Of course being in a place where one can see the blue sky contrasting against the grey and white exposed marble mountain sides, looking down in the valley of Carrara and off into the cool blue Mediterranean, it’s easy to get lost in the romance of this place!