Bolognese Cuisine with 7 Archi

Bologna will sweep any person off her feet with its dazzling culture and cuisine.

As I adequately anticipated, the nighttime scene absolutely took my breath away. One thing that I’ve realized on my travels is that sometimes, the daytime beauty of a place can never prepare me for its nighttime romance and allure. Equally divine, there is nothing like exploring the city on foot from sunrise to sunset and discovering all the little treasures and moments. Doing so will allow ourselves to breathe, relax and actually have the time to stop and smell the roses.

I know that a piece of my heart always stay in the cities I travel and it always fills me with so much joy knowing that I am able to share these beautiful soulful moments to the world and perhaps instill that inspiration to pursue life with such enthusiasm for different and unique lifestyles and cultures. My favorite is obviously highlighting special places, hideaways and dining rooms that leave my husband and I in fascination and admiration.

I definitely felt this distinctive feeling of delight as we wandered around graceful San Petronas Square and unto the most romantic setting of 7 Archi whose building is set in medieval times. Our evening commenced with a couple of glasses of refreshing proseco, a very lovely Italian tradition that we wish was practiced more worldwide.

Menu Details
Grilled Squid with Venus Rice | Calamari grigliati con riso di Venere all’olio extra-vergine di frantoio
Octopus Degustation in Salad and in Diablo sauce | Duo di polpo all a Mediterranea Alla Luciana
Spaghetti with Fish Sauce and Fish Eggs | Spaghetti Ala chitarra con ragu di mare e bottarga
Traditional Pasta Bolognese | Bolognese tortelloni with Ricotta Cheese and Tagliatelli Bolognese
Special of the Day | Fresh Seafood Platter Consisting of Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass, Sicilian Prawns, Salmon, Tuna Steak and Dorado

For starters, we enjoyed the Calamari grigliati con riso di Venere all’olio extra-vergine di frantoio or grilled squid with Venus rice and extra virgin stone milled olive oil. The grilled calamari has a slight barbeque flavor exuding a very healthy essence along with Venus rice and vegetables. A slight drizzle on the calamari provided that wonderful texture and flavor that always goes well with seafood.

We also relished 7 Archi’s Duo di polpo Mediterranea Alla Luciana or the octopus degustation in salad and in Diablo sauce. The octopus was thick, fresh and tasted so delicious that I almost perceived that I was delighting in a steak. Prepared in two unique ways, it was first dressed in a flavorsome red sauce with sliced octopus perched on fresh bread. The second was presented as a cold, energetic and healthy octopus salad where its clean and vigorous taste was clearly center stage yielding a beautifully orchestrated contrast with its variation.

For our pasta dish, we started with the Spaghetti Ala chitarra con ragu di mare e bottarga or the spaghetti with fish sauce and fish eggs. This plate had a slight oily texture in its pasta yet the feeling of the dish is quite light. The sauce embodies a mix of seafood such as fish, squid, octopus and shrimp that fashion a sumptuous Italian-style fish ragu. Ragu is usually a long preparation of meat sauce but in this case, it is utilizing seafood. Created with bottarga (roe of grey mullet or tuna, pressed and salted) from Sicily, it is so incredibly exquisite tasting and heavenly.

Our next pasta dish was the Bolognese Tortelloni (similar to a tortellini but larger, with cheese or vegetable stuffing) with ricotta cheese inside and a gratifyingly creamy green sauce. Boiling the pasta first, and then establishing the meat sauce in its interior and after putting it in -20 degrees to boil makes it cooked to perfection. Each piece of tortelloni is full with authentic Italian ricotta cheese, which I enjoyed to the highest degree.

An additional pasta dish we tried from their menu is the traditional hand-made Tagliatelli Bolognese. It is a type of meat ragu where beef, pork, carrots, vegetables and onions are prepared for 3 hours. The preparation of the vegetables liquefies it, which will make it invisible, but still fully present. Though it’s a heavy pasta dish, the Bolognese tastes clean while being luscious and so incredibly tempting.

For our mains, we had an enormous plate of the special fresh seafood platter of the day consisting of grilled Mediterranean Sea bass, Sicilian prawns, salmon, tuna steak and dorado. The sea bass was very soft and milky. The salmon, from northern Italy, was wonderfully oily and fatty whereby the juices just pour out deliciously with every single bite. I truly love it! The tuna steak is literally like USDA prime steak cooked without flaw. The Sicilian prawns were magnificent, tremendous and immense. All their fish were freshly caught and all so fabulously soft and juicy.

Served with a luxurious Passito Pantelleria, a sweet wine from Sicily, we reveled in the Italian Semifreddo amaretto with pistachio, chocolate and vanilla gelato for dessert. I adore the amaretto as it was packed with such a fun and authentically Italian flavor.