Finding the minuscule mountain hamlet of Montemerano is no mean feat—although the front desk staff of the nearby luxurious Saturnia spa resort can literally draw you a map.

Once you get there over a series of winding country roads, you’ll have to park in the flat space below the village. Walk up the narrow stone streets to find the glowing open door of Da Caino Ristorante (Via Canonica, 3; +39 0564 692 817; dacaino.it). It’s worth every scintilla of the effort.

Chef Valeria Piccini (left) is a tireless and inventive champion of Maremma cuisine, which she interprets in an elegant modern style. A chemist by training, she is a self-taught chef who took over the kitchen of Da Caino family restaurant from her mother-in-law in 1978. This year marks her 20th consecutive year with two Michelin stars. Her husband, Maurizio Menichetti, and their son Andrea run the extensive wine cellars and front of the house, respectively.

For all the well-earned plaudits, there is nothing haughty or self-important about the warm family restaurant. Tranquil and maternal, Piccini presides over a kitchen (at top) that moves swiftly, purposefully, and calmly. The finished dishes are stunningly plated for a reason. “You will understand with your eyes what you are about to taste,” Piccini explains.

Savoring the flavors of the Maremma from a master chef

The four dishes shown immediately above illustrate her point, and I can attest that they tasted as good as they look. The appetizer at the upper left was called battuta di maremmana. Piccini hangs her grass-fed Maremma beef for up to 60 days to tenderize it. The finely chopped meat is treated to a splash of lemon for acidity and a little hazelnut cream to give it a rich mouth feel. The dark green parsley emulsion underneath is salted with a little bit of anchovy. On top, she shaves thin ribbons of black truffle “to bring the meat back to the earth,” as she puts it. It ranks among the best tartares I’ve tasted.

The dish on the upper right is spaghettone cacio, pepe e caffè. It takes advantage of the exquisite percorino toscano sheep’s milk cheese of the region. Cacio e pepe can be a one-note dish, but Piccini gives it an unusual depth of character by dusting with coffee bean powder. The coffee’s bitterness and nuttiness play very well against the unctuous cheese.

Lower left is her plate of wild boar flavored with wild fennel and served with grilled vegetables. The veggies form a kind of lasagna with the meat, but as Piccini cautions on the menu, se non to lecchi le dita godi solo a metà. (If you don’t lick your fingers, you’ll only get half the enjoyment.)

The final plate is a homage to a snack her grandmother used to give her—a slice of orange seasoned with sugar, black pepper, and olive oil and a piece of bread to soak up the juices. For two-star Da Caino, she presents an emulsion of orange and EVOO with goat’s milk gelato spiked with black pepper. It’s kind of magical—a transformation of humble flavors into a sophisticated plate.