Poppy Hill is one of my favorite places to eat at in the Burg. They have consistently good food and wine. While tonight's meal was not the best one I have had there, it was still above average. We started off with the Mussels Marinare. A good classic preparation, prepared in white wine. Nice size, tasty mussels and a nice sauce to dip bread in. For main courses I went for the Mushroom Carbonara Special and my wife went for the Baked Trout Special. The Carbonara was a bit different in that instead of the more traditional bacon, the Chef used Steak Tartare. It gave a different, but good taste to the dish. The baked trout was served, skin on over a bed of risotto and grilled asparagus. The trout was cooked well, and as usual, the risotto was great. The Chef really knows how to make risotto here. I have had bad risotto at restaurants; it's not a fun experience.
We had a nice bottle of Bearboat Pinot Noir 2006 that went well with both dishes. It had a lot of red fruit and was nicely balanced.
http://www.ciaopoppyhill.com/
