Far and wide, there are no Hollywood swings, jukeboxes or American Pancakes in sight. On the contrary, the 400-year-old main building of Grotto America, the roughly hewn stone tables, the red-and-white chequered tablecloths and the huge Swiss coat of arms on the façade rather suggest a very traditional grotto. Thanks to its young owner Davide Buvoli, it is not, but it has even less to do with America in terms of design or the menu. The name goes back to the beginning of the 20th century, when Ticino emigrants gathered in today’s Grotto America to start their journey from here via Genoa to the United States. Today, hikers, cyclists and day-trippers gather here, perhaps including an American whose ancestors came from Ticino. The Grotto is located a little off the beaten track directly on the river in the small town of Ponte Brolla at the entrance to the Maggia Valley and has been run by Davide Buvoli for eight years. In addition to traditional Ticino dishes, such as Tartino Cremoso (polenta with goat cheese and bacon) and his father’s recipes, Davide offers his guests live music every Friday. The concerts take place on the spacious terrace with bar in summer and in the cosy parlour in case of bad weather. If the latter is the case, it can get cosy and cramped. Three admittedly large tables fit into the small parlour with its large fireplace and white, roughly plastered walls.
Via ai Grotti, 71
6652 Ponte Brolla
phone: +41 91 7962370
