In Pesariis in Carnia, known as the Town of Clocks, a small osteria, a bastion of the local tradition, revisited by chef Alessia Fruch, which embodies all the charm of the ancient village inns of the past.
How can you not love this idilliac place in the Valley of Time, so-called and famous for being the birthplace of some of the most famous clockmakers in the world, including the Solari dynasty, inventors of the digit-snap clock, an icon of world design.
The tavern is located in the center of Pesariis, one of the most beautiful villages in Carnia, a mostly Alpine territory characterized by uncontaminated nature and an ancient popular culture, the result of Celtic roots and various dominations, including the Roman one, which has come down to us proudly and unchanged, making it one of the most authentic territories in Italy.
A magical village one step away from heaven, of which it is a privilege to be able to carry on its traditions and cuisine.
Inn Pik was born in 2019 from Alessia Fruch’s love for this area to the point of deciding to create a traditional tavern whose name pays homage to the family who lived in the seventeenth-century building that today houses the small restaurant.
Almost a fairytale house, with its green balconies decorated with the Sbilfs elves that populate the woods of Carnia, the small kitchen where Alessia prepares everything espresso with fresh local products from artisanal suppliers, the two tiny dining rooms and a “secret” cellar, where dinners and events with a special charm can be organized upon reservation.
The menu changes often based on the raw materials available and revisits the great traditional Carnia dishes with grace and style, from potato and purple carrot gnocchi, smoked sausage and Sutrio Pastorut cream to cabbage stuffed with meat and sausage with onion cream, up to the selection of local cheeses with pickles and homemade mustards made with the vegetables from Alessia’s mother’s garden.
The desserts and leavened products are also delicious, such as the Charlotte cake with figs, mascarpone cheese and salted caramel and the bread made with organic, unrefined ancient grain flours and fresh sourdough.
In the restaurant, Alessia’s husband welcomes the guests and explains the dishes, leading us to discover the Val Pesarina and its legends, as well as the excellent wines from Carnia and the Friulian Collio.
Before lunch, benefiting from the morning sun, you can take a walk in the center of Pesariis, called the Town of Clocks, to see the beautiful monumental clocks that have been placed in as many points of the small centre, from the water turbine one to the sundials.
Perhaps here in Pesariis, time has truly stopped.
The Secret
Open by reservation, right in front of Inn Pik there is also the Pesariis Clock Museum where the oldest clocks made in the country are exhibited, up to the famous Cifra, winner of the Compasso d’Oro award in 1956 and, still today, one of the most beautiful designer watches in the world, also exhibited at the MoMa in NY.
Useful Info
Inn Pik
Via Maggiore
Fraz. Pesariis
33020 Prato Carnico, Udine
Tel. +39 0433 096747
Starters: 14 euro
First courses: 16 euro
Second courses: from 16 euro
