Malga Millegrobe

“Malga” roughly translates as “alpine hut”, and as you might expect for an area famous for its vast alpine plateaux, at one time there must have been hundreds here.   And although there aren’t quite as many left nowadays,  you can still find plenty.    Some of them are used for their original purpose of shelter and storage, whilst others are simply left to their own devices, starting the gradual hand back to Mother Nature.

And then there are Malga like Millegrobe that have been lovingly restored and given a new lease of life.   Today Millegrobe is the most magnificent bar and restaurant (more on the food in a minute), a Wellness Centre, A Guest House (and believe me you might need somewhere to stumble to after a meal here!), and the most extensive nordic skiing centre with tracks that stretch for miles that I think I have yet to lay eyes on.  It lies 1470 metres above sea level, six miles from Lavarone (famous in its own right for its lake that’s the subject of many a folktale.   Apparently Sigmund Freud was very fond of this area.   He was a wise man)…

The Malga belongs to Enrica & Massimo, incredible hosts who are truly passionate about the best things in life – genuine Slow Food – their menu full of traditional Trentino dishes reflects this.      You won’t find any old ingredient chucked in the pot here – as Massimo himself states “from the water to the wine, the flour to the oil, the fruit to the jam”, almost everything comes from local Trentino producers that have been given the seal of approval from the man himself.

Lunch in a restored malga. Perfect! #malgamillegrobbe #laverone @malga_millegrobbe thank you for looking after us today!

A photo posted by Emma (@bavariansojourn) on Nov 11, 2014 at 9:43am PDT

Lunch at Malga Millegrobbe today. Amazing food, lots of polenta, lots of grilled meats and local cheeses. Highly recommended… # malgamillegrobbe #familytravel #laverone

A photo posted by Emma (@bavariansojourn) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:28am PDT

It’s not just about the food and the hospitality here either, the surroundings are just idyllic.   In the summer months the plateau is home to huge herds of alpine cows who, in return for this leisurely summer break in exquisite pastures, produce the award-winning Asiago and Vezzena cheeses that of course feature on the menu (and both are delicious, I can confirm that!)…

Surrounded by forest, it’s also the perfect setting for many a hike, a  photographers dream, and a total food lovers paradise.   A plus point for me was that you don’t have to walk upwards everywhere as was my previous mountain experience.   After a day out doing any and all of these things, and generally appreciating nature, I can’t think of a better place to return to gorge on dishes of dumplings and cheese, a myriad of home-made pastas, game dishes, polentas and grilled meats – then on to perfect looking strudels and generous slabs of home-made cake for afters??      And in the winter months, you can make the most of the Wellness Centre after a day’s nordic skiing and/or snow-shoe walking…      If it sounds like I am planning a return trip, it’s because I am – especially after this particular lunch…

We weren’t expecting to be able to sit outside in the warm sunshine in November, but completely spoilt with both weather and food we began with the most enormous platter (the Small Boy said it was a plank, he could have been right!) of local meats and cheeses, surrounded by delicious chunks of potato rosti, and scattered with raddichio and cornichons.

This was followed by a steaming plate of the best polenta (a true regional speciality), and what can only be described as a mountain of delicious grilled meats, that included lugana sausage, amazing ribs covered in salt and rosemary, lamb chops, and tender grilled steak.    All so deliciously cooked that we didn’t even need to say that the fresh alpine air gave us an appetite.

Malga Millegrobe has to go on our most memorable meals list for so many reasons.   From the water to the wine, to the food to the hospitality… Excellent.