While I have visited a plethora of cities in Tuscany, there was one area that’s been on my list forever.

We stayed at a quaint boutique hotel called Poggio Piglia in the tiny town of Chiusi and the hotel is basically only accessible by car. There’s not much to see in Chiusi but it was a good home base for our day trips to various nearby towns which were all within 20 to 30 minutes driving.

Poggio Piglia was a beautiful hotel and had a pool overlooking the serene hills of Tuscany. What more could you ask for?! Hard to believe it was still warm enough to swim even in mid October.

We spent the entire afternoon relaxing by the pool which was much needed after the prior week of wedding festivities. The view of the hotel grounds right before sunset was absolutely magical.

For our first dinner we went to Osteria La Solita Zuppa in Chiusi since it was close to our hotel and had great reviews.

They even had my name written on this cute ceramic name card!

The food is traditional Tuscan cuisine which we were both excited to eat. Their menu was actually pretty extensive and everything sounded great which made our decision difficult.

We started off with a Tuscan staple that cannot be missed, chicken liver pâté on bread. So good and comforting.

I was a little apprehensive to get this but I’m so glad we did. Thinly sliced beef tongue was served with a salsa verde and the meat was incredibly tender and went so well with the herby oily condiment.

I couldn’t be in Tuscany and not get pici, one of my favorite pasta shapes. It’s a thick hand rolled noodle like a fat spaghetti and the classic combination is the pasta served with wild boar ragù.

This was no ordinary tagliatelle with a white ragù as the dish had a smoky flavor. I can’t recall exactly how the smoky flavor was incorporated during the cooking process but it added a layer of complexity that we both enjoyed.

Guancia, beef cheek, was braised and served in a heavily spiced sauce with ginger. Very scrumptious especially with the mashed potatoes and sautéed greens.

Who doesn’t love a cheesecake? There were a few options of sauces to choose from and our waitress recommended the mixed berry sauce which had a nice tartness.

Crostata is a traditional Italian tart with soft pastry and some sort of jam and this one was cherry jam. Simple but so delicious. We both loved the food at Osteria La Solita Zuppa for its no thrills comforting Tuscan cuisine which was exactly what we were looking for.

The next day we started off with complimentary breakfast at our hotel. The spread included yogurt, cereal, pastries, fresh fruit, and a selection of hot items such as eggs, bacon, and grilled vegetables.

There was also the cutest cat on the property who was so friendly!

After a wonderful breakfast we visited two charming small towns, Montalcino and Pienza, which are both Medieval towns. Montalcino is best known for their red wine, Brunello and Pienza is known for their Pecorino cheeses.

First stop was Montalcino. We visited Piazza del Popolo, the main square with the Medieval clock tower and the Fortezza, a fortress that sits at the highest point where we got 360° views of the town and surrounding areas.

After strolling through Montalcino, we were off to Pienza where it seemed to be slightly busier with tourists.

We also stopped by a small shop and asked if we could have a platter of various Pecorino cheeses. All of them were incredibly different due to flavorings and maturation and we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon snack.

After walking around all day we headed back to our hotel before venturing to Cortona to meet Tommaso’s best friend Dariush for dinner.

His family has a country house somewhat close to where we were staying and he’s been raving about his favorite restaurant so we were excited to see what the fuss was all about.

Since Dariush has been to Osteria del Teatro so many times, he knows the owner and chef and they were nice enough to prepare a few off menu dishes for us. We let Dariush take the lead and he ordered for the table.

This prosciutto is produced in Tuscany and while it was good, it cannot compare to Prosciutto di Parma. The figs were stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts and served with nut cookies.

This cheese fondue was outrageously good. It was decadent and creamy and served with a generous grating of fresh black truffle.

I love cheese and pear pasta and some might think that’s an odd combination but it’s delightful. The creamy walnut pesto sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the stuffed pasta.

This was an off menu item that Dariush raved about and it was pretty delicious. It was basically an intensely rich onion soup topped with cheese served in a bread bowl.

I loved the tagliolini with duck ragù for its simplicity but delectable flavor.

I didn’t try the pici as I don’t like mushrooms but everyone seemed to really like this one.

The beef filet was perfectly cooked and served with a gorgeous Syrah wine sauce with sweet and sticky prunes.

This was another off menu item which was outstanding. The lamb was incredibly tender and coated in a luscious egg yolk sauce which was unexpected but stellar.

Of course we have to get roasted potatoes to go along with the main dishes.

Eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers were roasted and drizzled with olive oil. Another tasty side dish.

This was a specialty of theirs, slow cooked onions. So sweet and yummy.

Bianconmangiare is a dessert made with milk or cream and thickened with either flour, a starch, or gelatin and typically flavored with almonds. It reminded me of a heavier and thicker panna cotta. Something I’ve never had before.

The semifreddo was perfection as the pistachio flavor really came through.

This was another winner, a small cake with Mascarpone and chocolate sauce. We had a fantastic meal at Osteria del Teatro and could see why Dariush loves the food here. Hopefully we get to come back one day!

Our final day in Tuscany started off with a relaxing morning followed by an afternoon at Terme Antica Querciolaia, a wellness spa with thermal pools. Unfortunately they were completed booked for massages so we just relaxed at the various pools that ranged from warm to cold.

We enjoyed our last sunset at our hotel where the cotton candy skies were unreal once again. We were sad to be leaving such a peaceful place.

Before our dinner reservation at Osmosi, we explored Montepulciano which is another Medieval town known for its red wines. I’d say this is the biggest town we visited within the area.

These three days of exploring Tuscany were absolutely amazing. The stunning scenery, the heavenly food, and sightseeing new places was more than I could have asked for.