<a target="_blank" href="http://osterialelogge.it/en/home-osteria">Osteria Le Logge</a>

Via del Porrione 33

53100 Siena

T +39 0577 48013

F +39 0577 224797

lelogge@osterialelogge.it

BY&nbsp;ANTONIO GALLONI&nbsp;|&nbsp;JUNE 30, 2023The Food:

Vitello Tonnato;
Salsa Ponzu

Poached Eggs ‘Parisi’; Dried Tomatoes, Pecorino Foam, Black
Truffles

Spaghetti
‘Mancini’; Onion, Rigatino, Pecorino

Stuffed Rabbit;
Prosciutto, Blueberry, Dried Grapes, Pistachio, Potato Cake

Hazelnut Variations

The Drinks:

Le Logge Negroni&nbsp; 91

The life of a wine critic might seem glamorous at first
glance. To be sure, we have an opportunity to taste fabulous wines on a regular
basis and to travel to beautiful destinations, the sort of places people dream
of visiting once in a lifetime. But it is also a hard job that involves tasting
a lot of wine, much of it far from the sorts of rare bottles that end up on
social media, along with extended time away from home and the never-ending
pressure of deadlines. When I am on the road I rarely go out for fancy meals,
much preferring the comfort of something simpler.

After a week of travel and tastings, I decided to pay a
visit to Osteria Le Logge in Siena, one of my local favorites. It was my first
time back since before COVID, a reminder of the time gap created by a pandemic
that disrupted everything for several years.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1688135844161-VT_June302023_3.jpg">Poached Eggs ‘Parisi’;
Dried Tomatoes, Pecorino Foam, Black Truffles 

Osteria Le Logge is conveniently located just off Siena’s
Campo, in the center of town. Well, convenient only if you are in Siena
already. I had forgotten what a hassle it is to park here, something readers
should keep in mind. Siena is about an hour’s drive from the northern reaches
of Chianti Classico, 20-30 minutes from the southern part of the appellation
and about an hour away from Montalcino. It is well worth the trip.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1688135714543-VT_June302023_1.jpg">Le Logge Negroni 

Brunello di Montalcino producer Gianni Brunelli and his
wife, Laura, founded Le Logge in 1977. Sadly, Gianni Brunelli passed away in
2008. In the ensuing years, Laura Brunelli gradually transitioned management
and ownership of Le Logge to her long-standing team headed by Manager Mirco Vigni and
Chef Nico Atrigna.

The interior dining room is classic old-school Italy, a bit
stuffy, and very much linked to another era. Le Logge comes alive in the spring
and summer, when the dining room expands onto the street and becomes a classic
Italian scene of eating, drinking and people watching. The tiny bar space
across the street, a recent addition, is the perfect place to grab an
aperitivo.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1688135698433-VT_June302023_4-Pasta.jpg">Spaghetti ‘Mancini’;
Onion, Rigatino, Pecorino 

Atrigna offers a menu of creative dishes with links to
tradition but in an updated style. Le Logge is not the place to come for the
classics of the Tuscan kitchen. Plenty of other establishments will fit that
bill. Diners will find a small, seasonal menu of beautiful, creative dishes,
perfectly cooked and presented. And there is the wine. Vigni has built a
breathtaking cellar that will satisfy even the most demanding oenophiles. I
won’t share all the treasures on the list, readers will have to discover those
on their own. Let’s just say the selection is dazzling. Prices are also quite
fair, given where the market is today. If you are looking for large formats,
ask for a special list dedicated to big bottles.

After a day of tastings I was more in the mood for a
cocktail than wine. Le Logge’s take on the Negroni is a blend of equal parts of
Port infused with dried gentiana, a
medicinal root found in various regions throughout Italy and a touch of
framboise (meant to represent the Campari/vermouth portion of the cocktail) and
gin infused with grapefruit zest and poppy seeds. It’s a complex, rich drink
probably better suited to the cooler fall and winter months, but a tasty
cocktail I am happy to nurse over dinner.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1688135816491-VT_June302023_2.jpg">Vitello Tonnato; Salsa
Ponzu 

I must say the Vitello Tonnato does not stand out as an
obvious choice on the menu, as it is a more typically Piedmontese dish, but it
comes highly recommended, so I give it a try. I am not disappointed. The
tonnato sauce as it were&nbsp;is delicately wrapped into slices of veal. Ponzu sauce adds a
welcome touch of spice and nuance to round things out. Sublime. The first black
truffles of the year adorn a poached egg topped with Pecorino foam. What’s not
to love?<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1688135734607-VT_June302023_5-Rabbit.jpg">Stuffed Rabbit;
Prosciutto, Blueberry, Dried Grapes, Pistachio, Potato Cake 

The spaghetti is the most classic of the dishes on the menu.
Le Logge uses spaghetti from Mancini, a mill in Le Marche, which I am seeing on
more and more tables these days. The topping of various onions, rigatino (a local pancetta) and Pecorino
is super-classic. And absolutely delicious. Rabbit stuffed with prosciutto,
blueberry, dried grapes and pistachio is a more robust dish and typical of the
more elaborate choices on the menu. It is very good, but I am still thinking
about that pasta!<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1688135752158-VT_June302023_5-Dessert.jpg">Hazelnut Variations 

The hazelnut dessert is a composition of small bites of pan
di spagna, mousse, ice cream and a small cannolo, all artfully arranged on a
gorgeous plate. It’s the perfect light summertime dessert for a warm, balmy
evening in Siena.

Tuscany can be challenging for dining because so many places
cater to the tourist crowd, and few establishments take proper care of their
wines. Readers visiting this corner of Tuscany absolutely owe themselves a
visit to Osteria Le Logge. It’s the real deal. © 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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