Milena, the owner of this simple but delicious trattoria, is amazing, as is the food. She was our server and boy we would have eaten out of her hand. She had an energy and verve that one seldom finds in owners, chefs or servers. Just listening to her recite the dishes, simply and directly with a bit of nuance, made your mouth water.
The food, typical Bolognese cooking, was exactly what you'd expect in a place that is a lunch favorite for workers as well as business people. Many of the diners called her by her name and she reciprocated in kind. She knew the eating habits of her customers and recommended a dish or two which was quickly confirmed by the diner.
The restaurant is a mom and pop decor; it could easily be a truck stop kind of joint or your favorite local diner. The menu has many choices. My 2 buddies opted for the home made torteloni; one with butter and sage, which was perfection; the other with gorgonzola, but only a hint so that it did not overwhelm the ricotta inside the torteloni.
i was in the mood for pasta agile olio, which was great. i should've ordered the tortellini in brodo...but foolishly i did not. The pastas were enough to satisfy that we skipped seconds and went straight for desert. Every one of the 10 or so choices was home made and superb. Mind you, there's nothing refined about the dining experience; this is an eating at your favorite cooks kitchen and sharing a meal with friends kind of place.
The wine by the glass was a delicious San Giovese. Pontelungo is a 10 minute ride from the central train station. It is a must try trattoria that will remind you why Italian home cooking is so delicious. buon apetito