La Valle Ristorante, Pizzeria, Bar
Sparkassenstrasse
5, Munich
Situated just around the corner from the Marienplatz, La
Valle is a little bit of Italy in the heart of the Bavarian capital. The
restaurant's two floors are comfortable but generally bustling, and the
atmosphere is decidedly casual. The menu -- which is printed in German, Italian,
and English -- is dominated by pizzas & pastas and supplemented by a select
number of daily specials.
But your first stop will undoubtedly be the intimate bar
where a young Milan native -- who freely confesses his love for Munich -- holds
forth with snappy service and pleasant conversation. The house wines by the
glass are rather generic Chianti and pinot grigio (both 5,80€) but pleasant
nonetheless. On the other hand, the wine we enjoyed with dinner was an utterly
superb 2005 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (25,90€). Smooth and
elegant, it almost seemed a bit out of place with the homey, rustic cuisine.
A starter salad of arugula (8,90€) was, without doubt, absolutely
the best representative of the genre that I have sampled anywhere. Generous
shavings of Parmesan crowned pristinely fresh leaves of baby arugula; and lush,
juicy tomato wedges at the four corners of a deep dish square plate provided a
colorful textural contrast to the peppery greenery. Where these beauties had
been obtained at the end of November is beyond me, but their meaty countenance
stood in sharp contrast to the anemic versions that often adorn salads at the
same time of year in the U.S. The consummate catalyst, however, was a beguiling
dressing comprised of olive oil, splash of light balsamic vinegar, and
sprinkling of black pepper.
The minestrone soup (6,80€) -- replete with tomatoes, green
beans, potatoes, and carrots -- was hearty and nourishing and exhibited an
unusual flavor because of the addition of pine nuts. I thoroughly enjoyed the
soup... my wife was somewhat less enthusiastic.
The two pasta dishes sampled were something of a mixed bag.
My penne al diavolo (9,50€) incorporated bits of onion & bacon and
promised a spicy tomato sauce. The dish was quite good... but not nearly zippy
enough. My wife's spaghetti with mixed seafood (10,50€) featured shrimp and
calamari, which were virtually tasteless, swimming in a light marinara sauce.
Certainly not the kitchen's finest hour.
For dessert, my wife thought the house-made tiramisu with
macerated strawberries and whipped cream (5,10€) was first-rate; I wasn't
terribly impressed. The espresso (2,40€), on the other hand, was excellent.
Our waiter seemed to move along like a herd of turtles and
tended to drop out of sight more and more as the evening wore on. From what I
could gather, other servers had a great deal more on the ball. Just the luck of
the draw.
We had planned to stop back again for lunch but just never
got around to it. Actually, my impression is that the restaurant would be
infinitely better at lunch than at dinner. The pizzas -- which ranged from
cheese to spinach to mushroom to seafood -- all looked like top-notch
possibilities.
La Valle's cuisine isn't about to set any new
culinary standards... but it's a friendly, unpretentious establishment, and the
perfect stopover for a casual gastronomic change of pace.
The Artful Diner
November 2007
