Italy

La Giostra is a fine restaurant in Florence where the flavors (and quantities) of yesterday coexist in peaceful harmony with the culinary and trends of tomorrow.

Just for its atmosphere, somehow combining old-school cordiality with a good-hearted laidback attitude, eating at La Giostra would be a worthwhile experience. The restaurant's history also makes it unusual, as does the fact that it is run by members of the Hapsburgs - a royal Austrian family. And then there's food..

Read the rest of: "Ristorante La Giostra"»

Perhaps because it's more out of the way, smaller, and slightly less spectacular than the Mercato Centrale, the Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio is frequented mostly by genuine Florentines and their wannabe compatriots.

However, since it's only a 15-20 minute walk from the Duomo, it can't really be considered off-the-beaten track, and certainly such a convenient yet relatively uncrowded market deserves a gastronomic visit...

Read the rest of: "Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio"»

The Trattoria da Rocco, inside the Mercato Sant' Ambrogio is one of the rare places in Florence where you will still hear more Italian than English at mealtime. Everyone eats lunch here, from the occasional bewildered tourist to businessmen to construction workers. It's open for lunch, from about 11 to whenever they run out of food.

The market itself is wonderful and deserves a review of its own, so suffice it to say that the trattoria is the same size as the regular stalls in the market but it's the one that looks more like a greenhouse. Don't be concerned if you can't find the door, there isn't any. Simply open one of the windows/walls and slide into a booth and prepare for a cheap, simple, and simply good meal...

Read the rest of: "Lunch at Trattoria da Rocco"»

Pig's head, anyone? I might have had it and so have you, in all likelihood. It's just a way to make salami or any other kind of sausage. Usually, to make a salami, you take an intestine, fill it with ground up pig parts and there you have it. In this case, however, you'll start with an emptied head (eyes and mouth sewn shut, all by hand) and get it filled with the ground stuff from the rest of the body.

This particular beauty was spotted at a grocery shop (La Standa, via Pietrapiana, 42, near Piazza Cesare Beccaria). And there's more good stuff in that neighborhood (read on)...

Read the rest of: "Testa di Maiale and Other Florentine Treats"»

In Canada and the US, going to the market is an event for special occasions, an outing, a break from the supermarket – in other words, an exception. In Italy (and I imagine most other places in the world that filter life less) the market is still special, but for different reasons. Fresh food and eating well are integral to daily life; it is a given that gastronomy begins at the stalls. Granted, the market is a few steps removed from the watering and harvesting, feeding and slaughtering that produces even the average dish, but it is still a better point of departure for truly understanding cuisine than the supermarket.

The flavours for this venture are those of Florence, Italy – that famous Tuscan cooking! If you can go armed with some knowledge or at least a culinary guidebook, you'll be able to spot some of the most savoury and intriguing ingredients, which will aid you in your menu choices later on...

Read the rest of: "Gastronomy Through the Backdoor: The Markets of Florence"»

Cinque Terre is situated in the Ligurian coast and without exaggeration, it's one of the most beautiful places I've seen in Italy. What's more, people are nice, the food is good and the scenery is fantastic...

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Attitudes to public drinking in Italy seem to be more lax than in most other places I've been to. This is hardly shocking if you remember that we're talking about a wine-exporting Mediterranean country, but still, what you can matter-of-factly do here may very well surprise your typical New Yorker.

One example: during our last expedition to Rome (which neatly coincided with Ree's birthday), we got it into our heads to finish the evening with a glass of champagne next to the Trevi Fountain. Guess what?

Read the rest of: "Drinking Champagne by the Trevi Fountain"»

While Ree is enjoying her wine or Pellegrino or whatever, I'm salivating over that ball of mozzarella di bufala. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I'd never tried this kind of mozzarella before. It is kind of watery, but the taste is wonderfully fresh...

WHAT: Mozzarella di Bufala
WHERE: Le Volte: Piazza Rondanini, 47 Roma 00186.  

I was about to start my visit at Galleria Borghese in Rome when a sudden bout of hunger hit my travel companion. I'd already eaten lunch that day, but being compassionate and all, I agreed to accompany him to the cafeteria before embarking on the gallery tour.

The cafeteria at Galleria Borghese is a typical museum joint selling coffee and sandwiches to the museum's visitors. Our choice of a lunch spot wasn't completely random - I'd walked past it before, as we were waiting for our tickets, and I'd already made a mental note that one particular sandwich could be good... the one which later turned out to be the best sandwich in Rome (pictured)...

Read the rest of: "Il Panino Più Buono a Roma"»

Italy is known for its coffee, and rightly so. I don't know what the secret is, but I suspect it's something in the water, the atmosphere, or possibly the technique involved in ordering and drinking it because try as I might, I cannot replicate the perfect espresso experience anywhere else. Follow these simple guidelines and you too can discover the joy of drinking coffee in Italy...

Read the rest of: "How to Order / Drink Coffee in Italy "»