![]() ![]() Diners are treated to a traditional menu that they’ve been serving for decades. Reservations here are mandatory, as it’s a small restaurant perched 100 feet or so above the water. Down in the town – and we mean down – is local treasure Trattoria del Porto. Here the town of Careno is the location of another historic lake lunch spot. So we skip it and head for the central part of the lake. The city of Como is full of rich history and beautiful architecture, including several stunning and huge churches, but Como town is, for us, dauntingly large. As you enjoy your leisurely lunch, you’ll observe little boats coming and going from the dock below, delivering some of the prime foodstuffs that the restaurant serves. The staff here are friendly and relaxed, but the service is impeccable. The food is simple but perfect, steeped in local tradition and highest quality. ![]() There’s no menu every table receives the same bountiful courses for a fixed price. Its modern point of interest is the iconic Locanda dell’Isola Comacina, a quintessential foodie stop that has served a fantastic and unchanging meal of traditional dishes since 1948. This little island is the site of ancient monastery ruins and was the purported home of the Holy Grail for a short time. A small fee buys you passage from the town marina across to Isola Comacina. It’s a quiet little haven, with ample bars and restaurants but sparse crowds. Their shop sells the precious culinary commodity as well as soaps and skin creams crafted from it.Ī bit to the south is the town of Sala Comacina, relatively ignored by tourist throngs due to its driving and parking challenges. Setting aside James Bond and clone attacks in favor of our interest in food, Lenno is also home to the Oleificio Osvaldo, a maker of a highly-regarded olive oil. (Italy’s alpine lakes are home to nearly a dozen such ancient sites – pilgrimage paths climbing “Sacred mountains” leading along a series of Renaissance-era chapels.) Looking down from the peak of Ossuccio, you’ll see the town of Lenno and the extensive green space of Villa del Barbianello, a now-popular tourist attraction that was the filming site for many movies, including Casino Royale and Star Wars Episode II. On the west side is the town of Lecco, above which is the 16th-century Sacro Monte di Ossuccio, a series of 14 chapels leading up the mountain overlooking the lake. Here are just a few of the many things we’ve discovered – picturesque, delicious, and utterly memorable. As with all our travels, we’ve made an effort to explore this lake to find authentic places away from the crowds. Lake Como is probably best known as a vacation home for various rich and famous glitterati – Clooney, Versace, Madonna, Branson, and more – and consequently its major towns tend to be crowded with throngs of celebrity seekers as well as upscale travelers. The following is excerpted from the latest in their award-winning Little Roads Europe Travel Guide series, “ Italy’s Alpine Lakes: Small-town Itineraries for the Foodie Traveler”. Zeneba Bowers and Matt Walker are Nashville musicians and, as Little Roads Europe, travel consultants. ![]()
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