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| Rigoletto - Ristorante Italiano |
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It was a lovely Spring morning when Sue and I drove into the grounds of Rigoletto, the Italian Restaurant at Middleton Stoney, near Bicester.
We resisted the tempting offer from Giorgio Delli Compagni Junior to have our pre-lunch drinks in the lovely gardens, but sampled the beautiful Sicilian olives and peanuts with our gin and tonics in the light and bright reception area, and were told to take our time in choosing our meal. I very much liked the simple menu, where there was either a set lunch choice or a la carte.
Sue went for the grilled sardines to start whereas I had the Bresaola with avocado and ricotta cheese. Sue felt the sardines were out of this world whilst I found the Bresaola incredibly tasty and tender. For main courses Sue had the calves liver with zucchini (courgettes in a light batter) and I had the grilled freshwater prawns with garlic and white wine. We supplemented this with a tomato and onion salad and sauté potatoes.
Giorgio suggested the Sannio Falanghina, Benevento IGT 2008 which was a very fruity and refreshing dry white wine and blended ideally with our food. Sue’s calves liver was served very thinly cut and she loved the zucchini, one of her all time favourites, which you rarely find nowadays even in Italian Restaurants. My prawns were all I expected, they were served in their shells and were succulent and plentiful. They were served with clams and mussels also in their shells.
Giorgio Senior then joined us for coffee and we had a grand chat as to how things had changed in the Restaurant world and what an amazing choice of food there was now available to us.
I couldn’t resist my favourite dessert, fresh oranges in Kirsch which was served from a dessert trolley full of everything you could wish for.
Giorgio has owned Rigoletto for 4½ years and it is truly a family business. He makes almost everything he can himself but insists on fresh local ingredients wherever possible.
The Restaurant can sit 70 people in one sitting but with second sittings (which are frequently required on Saturday evenings) almost double that number can be catered for.
After our Espresso coffees Sue and I went on our way. It won’t be long before we’re back!
Reviewed by Sue and Colin Rosser
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