I have been wanting to try Il Due (the two), an Italian restaurant in Nagold, for ages.  We went there one night and they were totally full.  Most times, when we visit Nagold, we notice this restaurant right off the main square is completely packed.  Although I was struggling with very irritated eyes thanks to fall allergies, we decided to go to Nagold today… and wonder of wonders, we managed to get a table at Il Due.

The place was rather full, but not entirely so.  We sat down next to a very pleasant looking German couple who were very friendly to us.  After we ordered drinks, they moved to another recently vacated table because they ran into another couple they knew and were invited to join them.  I didn’t know it at the time, but the same thing would happen to us about an hour later.

Anyway, Bill and I decided to order from today’s specials.  Bill had a glass of Pinot Grigio and I had a glass the Barbera region in Piemonte.  He had ravioli with Steinpilzen (stone mushrooms) and I had Seeteufel (monkfish) with black tagliatelle and vegetables.  The dining room was energetic, with plenty of of locals enjoying the Italian fare.  I’m pretty sure there was a birthday party going on in a private dining room, too.  We saw people leaving with bouquets of flowers.

There were only a couple of women taking care of the whole dining room, so service was a bit slow.  It wasn’t a big deal, though, because we weren’t in a hurry.  Our big plan after lunch had us going to the Lidl to buy German style American food for tomorrow’s blog post.  When our food did arrive, it didn’t disappoint.  I could see why Il Due is so popular.

A well stocked wine shelf.  Il Due has a nice bar area with padded benches.  

Bill’s ravioli, which was priced at about 14 euros.  It was filled with mild mushrooms and topped with rocket, freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, and a cream sauce.  I didn’t try it because mushrooms are of the devil.  But Bill loved it.

I was very happy with my choice, which sold for 24,80.  I’m pretty sure the price was mainly because of the saffron cream sauce.  Seeteufel is monkfish, which is also known as angler.  It’s very dense and reminds me a bit of catfish, without the dirt essence that usually comes with catfish.  It was lightly fried and served with black tagliatelle, black because it was infused with squid ink.  And there were lightly sauteed green beans, carrots, and broccoli.  I really enjoyed this dish, though I couldn’t finish the pasta.

As we were eating, Bill noticed the family that lives across the street from us.  They sat at a table at the back of the restaurant and didn’t notice us by the window.  Just as we were finishing lunch, they saw us and we ended up hanging out for awhile.  I had a couple more glasses of wine, switching to primitivo, which was also very nice had a pleasant vanilla essence.  Our neighbor had a rose that she said was a bit sweet.  We ended up having a great chat and I almost felt a little sad for the wait staff, since they were having their “pause”.  I will note that they were very gracious.  Our neighbors’ daughter had tiramisu for dessert.  The neighbor had a beer; his wife had another glass of wine and so did I.  And we finally got to know each other better after having lived across the street from each other for three years.

I guess Il Due is that kind of place… where people meet and hang out.  We saw more than a few people running into each other there today.  The food was very good.  The service was pleasant and professional.  I would not hesitate to visit again, although I would recommend reservations if you’re going on a popular night like Friday or Saturday.  It’s not a big restaurant and it’s very popular in Nagold.  Pizza and pasta is available, as well as fish and beef.  Warmly recommended!

In warmer months, outdoor seating is available.