Getting Ready
One of the best things I did to prepare for retirement in Italy was sign up for an online platform to learn Italian. After several benighted attempts at learning Italian with a tutor, fiddly apps, and even a platform that promised lessons in every language imaginable, I stumbled across Italiana Per La Vita. This ingenious platform, first conceived by an Italian teenager and formally launched in 2021, has created a vibrant community of people worldwide who want to learn Italian. Some have never been to Italy, some visit regularly, and some, like me, have found themselves living in Italy for work or retirement. There are group lessons via Zoom, a virtual chat room, and interesting modules focused on Italian history, culture, grammar, and idiomatic expressions. So, if learning Italian interests you, do explore IPLV’s website.
Many IPLV students form friendships, and some groups meet in Italy. It is all a whole new world for me. I missed a get-together with 20-some IPLV students in Bologna last summer because of a wretched cold. But I am meeting up with an Australian IPLV friend this week for dinner while she is on yet another whirlwind Italian tour. She is determined to visit every corner of Italy eventually, and she is stopping by to visit me in Bologna on another well-planned itinerary to accomplish her goal.
She studies all the online guides, some I have never even heard of, and Italian travel blogs, and usually has a list of places to eat and, certainly, places to have an aperitivo. But I like to take her to spots she might have missed in her research. I took her to Caminetto d’Oro the last time, and also to Trattoria Valerio, two of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. But this visit, we are going to dinner at another gem and will share IPLV gossip. Amazingly, there is plenty of that.
Why Serghei?
Trattoria Serghei sits on a corner of the heavily trafficked Via Piella. I say heavily trafficked for two reasons. 
There is a shuttered window looking out onto one of the few remaining stretches of canal, flanked by charming residential buildings. The city covered most of its more than 60 kilometers of canals after World War II. Now that we are in the Age of Instagram instead of Aquarius, this spot is crammed with wannabe influencers hoping for a photo op. The street is also jammed with imminently forgettable restaurants and bars, their tables, of course, covered with checked cloths and packed with diners. Once you get past this gaggle, on the corner sits this lovely family-run restaurant.
It was opened in the 1960s by Sergio Pasotti as an osteria open late at night. By chance, when the Bolshoi Ballet had performances at the nearby Teatro Comunale, Sergio’s osteria became the go-to spot for the Russian dancers and crew. Apparently the boisterous dancers called him Serghei, and he humorously used that as the name of his restaurant. It is now run by his son and daughter and serves hearty renditions of traditional Bolognese dishes and some seasonal Italian classics.
In warmer weather, you can dine at one of the few tables set outside on the ample, breezy portico. 
Inside, there are two tables squeezed in front of the bar and cash register, and in the small main dining room there are another half dozen tables. Instead of red checked tablecloths, you are blessed with peaceful white and beige linens. The wood-panelled walls and decor are just as Sergio Pasotti left them. I find its retro interior, with interesting artwork, quite relaxing.
Much of their pasta is made on the premises. In fact, two of my favorites are their agnolotti with rucola and tortelloni with gorgonzola sauce. Want to try bollito misto but shy away from a clanking cart of huge amounts of boiled meats, with an officious waiter slicing you much more than you can eat? Try the Serghei version: a small selection of boiled meats on your plate with that seductive green sauce that is part of the tradition. The broth is used for their lovely tortellini in brodo. Rabbit and poultry dishes are solid options too. They have a comfortable, nicely priced wine list chosen from smaller regional vineyards.
I may skip the antipasto and have a main course with a side of vegetables, but I will always have dessert at Trattoria Serghei. Along with better-known mainstays like mascarpone semifreddo and zuppa inglese, on the sideboard there are always two desserts of the day that are homey, simply served with a sauce or compote, and just plain yummy. Many are adapted from their mother’s recipes. She was born into a rural southern farming family and was introduced to chocolate by American soldiers in World War II. Diana is the creator of this happy ending to a meal at Trattoria Serghei. I have no idea where they get their ricotta, often used in her cakes and tarts, but it is divine. Her fruit- or jam-filled crostatas are too. Rarely have I had a dessert there that I did not love at first bite.
I never know what to tell visitors about pricing in a restaurant. Very often, I notice in customer reviews that large portions at a modest price are considered a good deal, or that a nice dish in a casual restaurant is somewhat dismissed as not top-notch. I really prefer less on a plate and more attention to the recipe. In truth, I like both innovative cuisine and traditional dishes. Serghei is not a restaurant serving what the RWM calls “tweezer food” either. The family takes pride in serving the same dishes throughout the year, with occasional specials such as pumpkin gnocchi in the fall or vitello tonnato in the summer. I probably appreciate tweezer food more than the other person in this household, but I love the simplicity and honest deliciousness of what Serghei offers too. It’s the perfect atmosphere for sharing gossip with a friend.
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