Italy: all things food and wine-related

[slidergirl]

On 11/5/2021 at 6:42 PM, Hlitner said:

Cruisemom, we are  lurking :).  Your reference to Colline Emiliane immediately got my attention and we did some online research.  That does sound like our kind of restaurant and it is in the memory banks for our next visit to Rome (although we have no idea when that will happen).   You might find it interesting that we have booked a repo cruise that should get us to Monte Carlo in April.  But rather then staying in France or heading over to Italy (a country we both adore) our thinking is to turn this into somewhat of an Eastern Europe trip.  At the risk of being weighed down by dumplings we are thinking about a few days in Prague followed by at least two weeks driving throughout the Czech Republic and jumping over to both Germany and Poland for a few days.  Then again, heading to Italy from Monte Carlo is so darn easy and we do love the country...hmmm.

 

Hank

Sounds like a winner of a trip, Hank.  Are you flying Nice-Prague, then picking up a car?   If you are going to be in Prague, I suggest you do a little drive over to Dresden.  One place that was bombed in WW2 for no reason other than spite.  The cathedral, opera house, winter palace are all restored and wonderful to visit.  It is a unique place - East German and morphing into Western culture.  You can also take the train Prague-Dresden.  That's what the ex and I did.  Then spent a week driving through Germany, ending at Konigsee.  

[Hlitner]

10 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Sounds like a winner of a trip, Hank.  Are you flying Nice-Prague, then picking up a car?   If you are going to be in Prague, I suggest you do a little drive over to Dresden.  One place that was bombed in WW2 for no reason other than spite.  The cathedral, opera house, winter palace are all restored and wonderful to visit.  It is a unique place - East German and morphing into Western culture.  You can also take the train Prague-Dresden.  That's what the ex and I did.  Then spent a week driving through Germany, ending at Konigsee.  

At the moment it is still "trip planning in progress."   With the constant changes related to COVID we try to be careful to keep a lot of flexibility in our planning.  But at the moment our thinking is that when we debark in Monte Carlo we will head directly to the Nice airport and catch the afternoon flight up to Vienna where we would like to spend a few days.  From Vienna it makes sense to just grab the train up to Prague where we would like to spend 4-5 nights.  At that point we would rent a car (perhaps for 2 weeks) and explore the Czech Republic and possibly venture into nearby parts of Germany and Poland.  Both Dresden and Krakow are on our radar but so much depends on what kind of travel atmosphere we find in Europe next spring.    The cruise is booked and we have also booked return air from Prague back to the USA but our itinerary in Europe is an open book.  It is even possible that we will not book too many nights until we are in Europe.    

 

Hank

[slidergirl]

On 11/17/2021 at 9:59 AM, Hlitner said:

At the moment it is still "trip planning in progress."   With the constant changes related to COVID we try to be careful to keep a lot of flexibility in our planning.  But at the moment our thinking is that when we debark in Monte Carlo we will head directly to the Nice airport and catch the afternoon flight up to Vienna where we would like to spend a few days.  From Vienna it makes sense to just grab the train up to Prague where we would like to spend 4-5 nights.  At that point we would rent a car (perhaps for 2 weeks) and explore the Czech Republic and possibly venture into nearby parts of Germany and Poland.  Both Dresden and Krakow are on our radar but so much depends on what kind of travel atmosphere we find in Europe next spring.    The cruise is booked and we have also booked return air from Prague back to the USA but our itinerary in Europe is an open book.  It is even possible that we will not book too many nights until we are in Europe.    

 

Hank

Sounds good to me!

 

I'm still thinking and re-thinking what to do between leaving Aix on 7/19 and not having to be anywhere until 7/28 to be in Latijaco, Italy for a concert.  WAY TOO MANY CHOICES!!!

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Sounds good to me!

 

I'm still thinking and re-thinking what to do between leaving Aix on 7/19 and not having to be anywhere until 7/28 to be in Latijaco, Italy for a concert.  WAY TOO MANY CHOICES!!!

Ok, you got me!  Where on earth is Latijaco?

 

Hank

[marazul]

12 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Ok, you got me!  Where on earth is Latijaco?

 

Hank

Lajatico. 

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, marazul said:

Lajatico. 

Ahhhhhh (imagine an Italian saying this with the usual hand movements).  I never heard of that town even though we have often driven in the region when visiting Volterra and San Gimignano.  Should this be on my agenda for a future driving trip?

 

Hank

[marazul]

5 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Ahhhhhh (imagine an Italian saying this with the usual hand movements).  I never heard of that town even though we have often driven in the region when visiting Volterra and San Gimignano.  Should this be on my agenda for a future driving trip?

 

Hank

Well, Andrea Bocelli likes it. That's where the Teatro del Silenzio is located. 

I haven't been there either although I have been around it like you.  SB offers a few excursions there, but I  think a driving vacation stop is more for me. Maybe. 

[Hlitner]

8 minutes ago, marazul said:

Well, Andrea Bocelli likes it. That's where the Teatro del Silenzio is located. 

I haven't been there either although I have been around it like you.  SB offers a few excursions there, but I  think a driving vacation stop is more for me. Maybe. 

Interesting (I just read the Wiki on this place).   By the way, outdoor theaters and me do not have a good relationship :(.  We once booked great seats at the Arena di Verona to see Aida.  Got in our seats, the large orchestra started to play the Overture, and then the awful thunderstorm struck.  It rained for hours and was one of the rare times they had to cancel (we did get our money refunded).  

 

Hank

[slidergirl]

sorry for the typo.  I do it all the time for this place.   I think that, outside of going to a Teatro del Silenzio performance or doing a visit at the Bocelli estate, not much to see.  

 

One of the things I considered doing was making a day trip to Verona to see an opera at the Arena de Verona.  Unfortunately, the performance dates don't work well.  

[trotzoll]

This is so helpful! Thank you so much! We're going on our first med cruise this summer and ready to learn everything we can before we go.

[Host Bonjour]

On 3/6/2022 at 12:11 PM, trotzoll said:

This is so helpful! Thank you so much! We're going on our first med cruise this summer and ready to learn everything we can before we go.

 

You came to the right place trotzoll. Enjoy the fun of planning that cruise 🙂

[biksgirl]

Hello 🙂

 

My family and I will been on a cruise to Italy and Greece in July (fingers crossed)

 

We will be in Venice for a few days before hand, then travelling to Rome for a few before we get on the cruise. My favourite food is pizza!!!  Tell me some amazing places to have delicious pizza in Venice and Rome.  In Rome we are staying in the Damaso Hotel for an idea of where  we will near. 

 

TIA

[cruisemom42]

11 hours ago, biksgirl said:

Hello 🙂

 

My family and I will been on a cruise to Italy and Greece in July (fingers crossed)

 

We will be in Venice for a few days before hand, then travelling to Rome for a few before we get on the cruise. My favourite food is pizza!!!  Tell me some amazing places to have delicious pizza in Venice and Rome.  In Rome we are staying in the Damaso Hotel for an idea of where  we will near. 

 

TIA

 

I'm sorry to say that Venice is not the place for pizza. Venetian cuisine is very different. Well, all of the regions in Italy are different. 

 

Venice is all about the risotto and about fresh locally caught seafood -- from the sea and from the lagoon. However, if you must have pizza, my son and I ate at this place that has fairly good pizzas (each pizza is sized to be a generous portion for one person; order different ones and share....)

 

Ristorante Antica Sacrestia - Venezia - Home

 

It is located just behind St. Marks.  If you look at the website, there is a pizza menu. (Beware, when you open the link you'll get some dramatic music....)  They also have other specialties.

 

If you get the chance to go to Murano and Burano, plan to eat lunch at Il Gato Nero in Burano, it's wonderful. You'll get good risotto there, if you want it. 

 

Or if you also plan to include Torcello (the third most visited island in the lagoon), there are several nice places for lunch including the famous Cipriani (a major splurge) but also I can recommend the very pleasant Osteria Al Ponte del Diavolo (located next to the Devil's Bridge, as the name describes....). Eat in the courtyard if it is nice.

 

In Rome, the traditional style of pizza is made with a very thin and crispy crust -- it is almost cracker-like. (There is also a thicker style, sold in bars and markets by the 'etto' a unit of weight that is equal to about 3.5 ounces...)

 

There are a number of good pizzarias in Rome, some more centrally located than others. One favorite is Pizzarium, near the Vatican. I haven't been there but I know @slidergirllikes it. 

 

Closer to the center, near Campo di Fiori, another favorite is the Antico Forno Roscioli -- the name literally means "old bakery" and they turn out several different kinds of bread and pizza but also traditional red (pizza rosso) and white (pizza bianco) pizza -- which is more like flatbread. 

 

Last time I was in Rome (November 2019, just pre-COVID 😱), I was in Trastevere and was able to eat at Dar Poeta, another very well known pizza place, for lunch. I arrived right at opening and it's a good thing because I snagged one of the last seats. It's a small place and fills up fast but it's not as frenetic as some of the others where people come to take out as well as eat in.  The pizza was absolutely delicious. (website in Italian but gives you some yummy pictures of the pizza:  La Pizza Dar Poeta - Dar Poeta Trastevere).

 

Here's a good article on pizza places in Rome -- includes some I mentioned above:  Best Pizza in Rome | Condé Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com)

 

 

 

[slidergirl]

I'll chime in.  

Yes, Bonci Pizzarium is my favorite "by the piece" (pizza al taglio) place in Rome.  Definitely NOT your usual pizza.  It's sold by the kilogram in squares.  Usually they make several different types everyday, usually no more than 3 items on top.  If you Google "Pizzarium" you will see some mouthwatering photos.  No real menu - it's what pizzas they make that day PLUS they do have some supli and arancini on the daily board.  the location is just across the street from the Cipro Metro stop.  It is an easy walk up the hill from there to the Vatican Museums also.  Bonci also has another place - Panficico Bonci, which I haven't had a chance to visit.  Breads and sandwiches.  

Antico Forno Roscioli is also another good place for pizza and fociccia.   Roscioli also makes the breads for many of the upscale restaurants in Rome.  The pastry counter there is also filled with goodies.  go to their website and get some good pictures of all they make.  

If you want a nice, kind of upscale, place to sit and eat pizza, try Emma Pizzaria, just over from the Campo di Fiori area in Largo Argentina.  Hit up their website, too.  I had a very yummy Margherita di Bufala pizza (they make individual ones) with a glass of my favorite wine, Brunello.   go to their website, emmapizzaria.com, and look at their menu (the website is mostly Italian, but if you click on "menu", you can get one in English. Oh, they get their pizza flour from Roscioli.  AND, a block away you will find Gelateria Carapina, a little outpost of the one from Florence.  

 

Hopefully there's enough there for you to digest (pun intended).

 

ETA:  @cruisemom42:  I just noticed that the Conde Naste article was written by Katie Parla!  She is the one who turned me on to Roscioli (the restaurant and the pizza place), as well as the good eating at Armandos and Il Caseletto.  I still need to get back to Caseletto with at least one more person so I can sample more of their goodness.  Easy for access - take the #8 tram from Argentina to the end of the line, Caseletto - the restaurant is a block down Via Formelesse.  They do pizza also, but I was there for the fried gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce and some rolotinis. I also wanted the Fritto Misto di Mare, but that would have been WAAAAY too much!   They have a website, but all Italian.  

Edited March 22, 2022 by slidergirl

[biksgirl]

@cruisemom42 @slidergirl Thank you both for the recommendations. I will look up these restaurants. I can't wait 🙂

 

Thankfully the whole family loves pasta and seafood, so we are very much looking forward to gaining a few pounds on our trip! LOL

[scrapcreator]

Oh My Goodness - pizza, pasta, and gelato! Another fabulous thread. Madly making notes and checking Google Maps for Rome in June. We are staying a couple of days after our cruise.

 

Thank you for all of this yummy information.

[Viajera7]

On 8/13/2021 at 10:17 PM, cruisemom42 said:

A couple of nights ago I caught the first episode of a new show on the Food Network featuring Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentis on a food and wine journey through Italy.  

Stanley Tucci also has a program about Italian cuisine on CNN. 
 Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.

Thanks for all the great information here about food, Italian phrases and other things. I’m going on a cruise out of Ravenna  in May and staying a couple of days in Rome. My friend has high expectations about the Italian pizza and it’s her first European trip. I had been to different parts of Italy including Rome and have eaten different pasta dishes and pizza. They were good but I also have eaten good pizza in the states. I am going to see if some the places here are convenient for us to go. 

[sattva]

+1 for Il Gato Nero in Burano.  Didn't have pizza but did have outstanding risotto and grilled branzino.  Be aware that pizza in Italy takes many forms and, often, isn't much like American pizza (in any of its forms).  So be ready to be surprised--and happy eating!

[bennybear]

I’m drooling now….

[slidergirl]

On 3/24/2022 at 6:06 PM, Viajera7 said:

Thanks for all the great information here about food, Italian phrases and other things. I’m going on a cruise out of Ravenna  in May and staying a couple of days in Rome. My friend has high expectations about the Italian pizza and it’s her first European trip. I had been to different parts of Italy including Rome and have eaten different pasta dishes and pizza. They were good but I also have eaten good pizza in the states. I am going to see if some the places here are convenient for us to go. 

Where is your friend's favorite pizza/type?  Different regions/cities in Italy have different kinds of pizza.  If your friend likes Chicago or Detroit-style pizza, she is going to be very surprised!!!  My "taste test" pizza is always a Margherita.  Looks so simple, but it can go really wrong - the tomatoes, too much "juice" in the pizza, too much sauce, not fresh mozzarella...it goes on.  Don't look for "pepperoni" - it's not the pepperoni sausage we have in the US, but a type of pepper, kind of like a bell pepper.  Look for cured sausages, prosciutto, cotto (ham) and such if you want meat.  If you hit up Pizzarium, try the zucchini flower or the potato pizza if they have them.  Unique and good!  I also like the tomato, mozz and arugula (aka "rocket") on the pizza.  Get a few slices and everyone try them out!

[chucknmarilyn]

What a fun thread!! We will be in Bologna for a couple of days prior to a cruise from Ravenna in October so if anyone has restaurant suggestions, please share.

And gelato!!! I may just have to try all. My favorite to this day was in Milan. I shall try to find the name of the place 😊

[slidergirl]

On 3/26/2022 at 6:48 AM, chucknmarilyn said:

What a fun thread!! We will be in Bologna for a couple of days prior to a cruise from Ravenna in October so if anyone has restaurant suggestions, please share.

And gelato!!! I may just have to try all. My favorite to this day was in Milan. I shall try to find the name of the place 😊

I'm going to be in Bologna, Modena and Parma for a few days after my canal barge trip.  Researching heavily for places for dinner.  I'd love to be able to do Osteria Francescana in Modena, but I can't afford the 320EU PLUS 210EU for the wine price for the tasting menu.  Even 80EU for just a small antipasto is beyond.  I might be able to hit up Franceschetta 58, the "casual" brother to the Osteria, and easier on the wallet.  I haven't figured out my one good meal for Bologna yet.  And, I don't know yet if I'm going to eat dinner in Parma or wait until I get back to Modena or Bologna.  If you see of any, please post here and I'll do the same!  Remember - Modena is only a short 15-30 train from Bologna and the trains run until LATE in the evening.

[bennybear]

@slidergirl try to visit the Balsamic Museum in Spilamberto.  It was extremely interesting, and you got to taste the very old ones.  Massimo has his balsamic made there.  There’s a nice jewelry shop across the street and decent gelato in town.  We had so much fun outside Bologna, we never made it into the city. Also try the local Lambruscos. one of the Michelin chefs balsamics were there.

Edited March 28, 2022 by bennybear

[slidergirl]

bennybear - you got me at "jewelry" and "balsamic".  I actually have a bottle of Massimo's balsamic in my pantry at home -  a cherry one (Via Manodori Dark Cherry).  Oh, so good as is on top of things.  And, I always pick up some piece of jewelry to remind me of where I've been.  I was planning on having Lambrusco.  Weirdly funny - one of the first wines I ever had was when I was a little kid and my grandma had a bottle of Riunite Lambrusco.  Between that and Mateus white, my palate started low and grew from there!

[bennybear]

@slidergirltoo funny!  If you look closely you will see his name on the cloth covers.  I think these are his personal supply.  Also be prepared to buy some extra old after you taste it,  stunning!  The one we bought was I think twenty years, but we use it sparingly.  
 

I wear my rose gold and silver earrings nearly every day and always get complements on them.  They’re super light and such a cool style of hearts.  And were very reasonable.  

Lambrusco has changed,  it’s not your reunite on ice, lol.   But I too loved it early on.  Such a variety of dry ones,  we stayed rural and were able to visit some local wineries.  
I am jelly, can’t wait to go back! If you decide to stay more rural,  I could dig up the lovely place we stayed surrounded by vines.  

Edited March 29, 2022 by bennybear