In my last post I was still pretty much uncertain as to where we would be headed for our Saturday lunch date. Bel Ami, one of my favorite restaurants, just updated their menu with a mouthwatering selection of autumn inspired dishes such as a seasonal salad with mushrooms and pumpkin, boeuf bourguignon and truffle risotto. I was actually pretty convinced we would end up there, but after a very lazy morning that started off with a huge breakfast of buttermilk waffles, bacon and eggs, it was suddenly 1:30 PM and I was still in my bathrobe.
We decided on Woodstone in Almere (one of their three locations), a place I had been to before, but for some reason hadn’t really warmed up to. Not sure why. Maybe circumstances. Perhaps I was a little under the weather then. Luckily, this time around, I can truly say that the experience (and the restaurant) did not disappoint.
After choosing a table (pretty easy as the place is huge and wasn’t at all busy), we ordered two glasses of their Italian Shiraz, an intensely inky wine full of ripe blackberries, with hints of chocolate and a nice, silky finish.
The menu is quite ample and offers starters, four varieties of pizzas (with a good selection within each variety), pastas, salads and desserts. There are plenty of healthy choices, too, and should you wish, your pizza base can be made gluten-free. Bonus points for the fact that they predominantly work with organic products. There is also a lunch menu, which consists of sandwiches. It looked interesting enough, but sandwiches never really cut it for me when I go out for a proper lunch.
The choice was quickly made. Hubby went for the ‘Pollo Pepperoni’ (tagliatelle with chunks of chicken and sausage in a spicy sauce of roasted peppers, garlic and basil). I had the ‘Mantello’, new on the menu, and so damn good it hurt. I swooned like Cinderella after each forkful of the ricotta-stuffed ravioli bathed in a truffle-infused velvety sauce with oyster mushrooms and spinach.  With our meal we ordered two other wines, the Negroamaro and the Fortant (enough choices by the glass). Both were quite pleasant.
Dessert was ‘Dolcetti’, a tiny sweet treat with a coffee of your choice. Hans went for the cheesecake with forest fruits and I chose the carrot cake. Espresso with both. A perfect way to end a nice Italian lunch at a restaurant we’re glad to have given a second chance.