My First (and probably last) Taste of Donkey and Other Culinary Highlights: A trip Report of Rome, Florence and Venice.
May 27th, 2007, 06:53 AM
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My First (and probably last) Taste of Donkey and Other Culinary Highlights: A trip Report of Rome, Florence and Venice.
I want to begin by thanking all of the knowledgeable, generous folks on Fodors who answered my questions and provided so much priceless information throughout the whole year of planning this trip. I couldn�t have done it without you. Well, maybe I could have done it, but I would have gotten lost, spent way too much time standing in line, way too much money on almost everything, and horrors! probably eaten too much mediocre food.
Ah yes, the food. One of the major focuses of the trip. The plan was to eat our way through the big three in Italy and eat we did. This report, while including many stories that don�t involve food, will have a great deal of detailed food information that I hope will help others who ant to eat well on their next trip to Italy. I�ll break he report down into sections so those that don�t enjoy the traveling anecdotes can skip them and browse through to the practical information they�re interested in.
So here we go:
WHO WE ARE: My DH and I are middle aged professionals who are just starting to have enough time and money to do some real traveling. I planned this whole trip on my own (with help from a few good guide books, websites, and of course many Fodrites!) We spent 5 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence, and 4 nights in Venice.
My DH is the ideal traveling companion, in that he�s perfectly happy to just do whatever and go wherever I�ve planned. He just trusts that I know what I�m doing and has no real desire to do the research himself. He carries the bags, massages my sore feet at night, and is generally cheerful and content to let me make all of the major travel decisions. We were a great team.
Neither of us speak more than a few words of Italian, but we�re both highly conscious of cultural differences and we pay attention to our manners, and learned as much as we could about local customs. Everywhere we went, most of the Italians were quite friendly and helpful with a few notable exceptions, which I�ll write about later in the report.
The other tourists were a different story. I became very aware on this trip, how obnoxious tourists can be, (not just Americans!) and I often felt bad for the locals having to live with such rudeness and attitudes of entitlement from people who were visiting their country. I felt this most in Florence, where it seemed the ratio of tourist to local was about 1000 to 1!
The next installment will be about where we stayed.
Ah yes, the food. One of the major focuses of the trip. The plan was to eat our way through the big three in Italy and eat we did. This report, while including many stories that don�t involve food, will have a great deal of detailed food information that I hope will help others who ant to eat well on their next trip to Italy. I�ll break he report down into sections so those that don�t enjoy the traveling anecdotes can skip them and browse through to the practical information they�re interested in.
So here we go:
WHO WE ARE: My DH and I are middle aged professionals who are just starting to have enough time and money to do some real traveling. I planned this whole trip on my own (with help from a few good guide books, websites, and of course many Fodrites!) We spent 5 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence, and 4 nights in Venice.
My DH is the ideal traveling companion, in that he�s perfectly happy to just do whatever and go wherever I�ve planned. He just trusts that I know what I�m doing and has no real desire to do the research himself. He carries the bags, massages my sore feet at night, and is generally cheerful and content to let me make all of the major travel decisions. We were a great team.
Neither of us speak more than a few words of Italian, but we�re both highly conscious of cultural differences and we pay attention to our manners, and learned as much as we could about local customs. Everywhere we went, most of the Italians were quite friendly and helpful with a few notable exceptions, which I�ll write about later in the report.
The other tourists were a different story. I became very aware on this trip, how obnoxious tourists can be, (not just Americans!) and I often felt bad for the locals having to live with such rudeness and attitudes of entitlement from people who were visiting their country. I felt this most in Florence, where it seemed the ratio of tourist to local was about 1000 to 1!
The next installment will be about where we stayed.
May 27th, 2007, 09:14 AM
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ACCOMODATIONS: Generally, all of our accommodations were great. My only real complaint was that the beds were quite hard in all of them, not what I would call comfortable, but I’m a soft mattress fan, so I may not be the fairest judge.
In Rome we stayed in Trastevere at Arco Del Lauro B&B, Via dell'Arco De Tolomei 29/27, Roma, 00153 http://www.romeby.com/arcodellauro/pages/profile.htm (120 E for a double in mid May)
We loved the location, away from the hustle and bustle of the Piazza Navona/Campo de Fiore, but only a 10-15 minute walk to those places. There was also a tram that was a 5 minute walk away that took you into the city center and connected to many major bus routes. The B&B was on a quiet street in a little neighborhood section of Trastevere.
The owner, Lorenza, was a total pleasure to work with, beginning with our original email enquiring about staying there. She was so helpful and interested in making our stay in Rome be wonderful. My DH and I both fell in love with her and felt like we were all good friends by the end of our stay.
The room itself was very plain and small, but extremely clean with a good sized bathroom, nice towels and a window that opened into a courtyard. It had its own air conditioning/fan/heater, which was important, because while it wasn’t terribly hot in Rome, the courtyard had a lot of noise from the other open windows (TV, families talking, etc) so at night when we closed up the windows to sleep, it would be quite stuffy without AC. There was no extra charge to use the AC.
There was a tiny common area where we had use of a refrigerator, which was stocked with yogurt and fruit juice and lemoncello, which we were welcome to help ourselves to, no charge. We also had unlimited use of the computer with internet access. Very convenient.
Breakfast was in a café with lovely outdoor seating, a 2 minute walk from the B&B. A typical Italian breakfast of a fresh baked cornetto (numerous kinds to choose from) and a cup of espresso or cappuccino. This was included in the cost of our room. I highly recommend Arco del Lauro, especially if you don’t plan to spend a lot of time hanging out in your room. The location was great for us, it was spotlessly clean, and Lorenzo was fantastic. The price was unbeatable.
In Florence, we stayed at Relais Grand Tour, Via Reparata 21, in the Diva Suite. http://www.florencegrandtour.com/ This place was gorgeous. For 135 E for the suite, it was an amazing steal. The suite was quite large, decorated with lovely antiques, a big, modern bathroom with a shower/ sauna and our own desk with a computer with internet. We had our own refrigerator and there was a garden/patio outside the door to the suite where we could sit and have a drink and enjoy the weather.
The owners live upstairs and are not a big presence, but are happy to help if you go up and ask. A very different style than that of Lorenzo, but it worked great for us. They were quite happy to make restaurant reservations for us and had made our Uffizi and Academia reservations weeks earlier, arranged through email.
Breakfast, again, was in a small café around the corner, delicious very fresh pastry and Italian coffee. This café also had a full American breakfast available for 5.50 E, but we never ordered it.
The B&B was about a 10 minute walk to the Duomo, a great location. I highly recommend the Relais Grand Tour.
In Venice, we stayed at La Calcina, in Dorsodoro: http://www.lacalcina.com/ I made the reservations almost 9 months earlier and asking for a canal view. (201 E for a double)They required a 3 night deposit sent as a personal check, which after reading on Fodors was not an unusual request, I sent.
When we checked in they told us we had the best room in the hotel! And it was amazing! We were on the third floor with an incredible view of the Giudecca canal through two huge windows in the front and a smaller canal out the side window. Fantastic!
The room was beautifully appointed with a fantastic Murano glass chandelier, beautiful furniture and a big, modern bathroom. La Calcina is a full service hotel with a 24 hour desk, a lovely reception area and a gorgeous floating dock on the Giudecca where their restaurant, La Piscina, is located. The staff was very professional and very friendly and helpful.
Our only complaint here (besides the requisite rock hard bed) was that the included breakfast was extremely mediocre. The coffee was weak, the croissants were not very fresh, and it reminded me a buffet you would find in a Howard Jonson’s hotel in the states.
The setting was gorgeous, though, on the water on the Giudecca, but even so, after the first morning, we decided to head out and seek better coffee and pastry for breakfast elsewhere.
Over all, would highly recommend La Calcina. The location was wonderful! Beautiful and convenient to everywhere. A 5 minute walk to 2 different vaporetto stops and away from the madding crowds in the St. Marco area. I would skip the restaurant, but everything else about this hotel is first class.
In Rome we stayed in Trastevere at Arco Del Lauro B&B, Via dell'Arco De Tolomei 29/27, Roma, 00153 http://www.romeby.com/arcodellauro/pages/profile.htm (120 E for a double in mid May)
We loved the location, away from the hustle and bustle of the Piazza Navona/Campo de Fiore, but only a 10-15 minute walk to those places. There was also a tram that was a 5 minute walk away that took you into the city center and connected to many major bus routes. The B&B was on a quiet street in a little neighborhood section of Trastevere.
The owner, Lorenza, was a total pleasure to work with, beginning with our original email enquiring about staying there. She was so helpful and interested in making our stay in Rome be wonderful. My DH and I both fell in love with her and felt like we were all good friends by the end of our stay.
The room itself was very plain and small, but extremely clean with a good sized bathroom, nice towels and a window that opened into a courtyard. It had its own air conditioning/fan/heater, which was important, because while it wasn’t terribly hot in Rome, the courtyard had a lot of noise from the other open windows (TV, families talking, etc) so at night when we closed up the windows to sleep, it would be quite stuffy without AC. There was no extra charge to use the AC.
There was a tiny common area where we had use of a refrigerator, which was stocked with yogurt and fruit juice and lemoncello, which we were welcome to help ourselves to, no charge. We also had unlimited use of the computer with internet access. Very convenient.
Breakfast was in a café with lovely outdoor seating, a 2 minute walk from the B&B. A typical Italian breakfast of a fresh baked cornetto (numerous kinds to choose from) and a cup of espresso or cappuccino. This was included in the cost of our room. I highly recommend Arco del Lauro, especially if you don’t plan to spend a lot of time hanging out in your room. The location was great for us, it was spotlessly clean, and Lorenzo was fantastic. The price was unbeatable.
In Florence, we stayed at Relais Grand Tour, Via Reparata 21, in the Diva Suite. http://www.florencegrandtour.com/ This place was gorgeous. For 135 E for the suite, it was an amazing steal. The suite was quite large, decorated with lovely antiques, a big, modern bathroom with a shower/ sauna and our own desk with a computer with internet. We had our own refrigerator and there was a garden/patio outside the door to the suite where we could sit and have a drink and enjoy the weather.
The owners live upstairs and are not a big presence, but are happy to help if you go up and ask. A very different style than that of Lorenzo, but it worked great for us. They were quite happy to make restaurant reservations for us and had made our Uffizi and Academia reservations weeks earlier, arranged through email.
Breakfast, again, was in a small café around the corner, delicious very fresh pastry and Italian coffee. This café also had a full American breakfast available for 5.50 E, but we never ordered it.
The B&B was about a 10 minute walk to the Duomo, a great location. I highly recommend the Relais Grand Tour.
In Venice, we stayed at La Calcina, in Dorsodoro: http://www.lacalcina.com/ I made the reservations almost 9 months earlier and asking for a canal view. (201 E for a double)They required a 3 night deposit sent as a personal check, which after reading on Fodors was not an unusual request, I sent.
When we checked in they told us we had the best room in the hotel! And it was amazing! We were on the third floor with an incredible view of the Giudecca canal through two huge windows in the front and a smaller canal out the side window. Fantastic!
The room was beautifully appointed with a fantastic Murano glass chandelier, beautiful furniture and a big, modern bathroom. La Calcina is a full service hotel with a 24 hour desk, a lovely reception area and a gorgeous floating dock on the Giudecca where their restaurant, La Piscina, is located. The staff was very professional and very friendly and helpful.
Our only complaint here (besides the requisite rock hard bed) was that the included breakfast was extremely mediocre. The coffee was weak, the croissants were not very fresh, and it reminded me a buffet you would find in a Howard Jonson’s hotel in the states.
The setting was gorgeous, though, on the water on the Giudecca, but even so, after the first morning, we decided to head out and seek better coffee and pastry for breakfast elsewhere.
Over all, would highly recommend La Calcina. The location was wonderful! Beautiful and convenient to everywhere. A 5 minute walk to 2 different vaporetto stops and away from the madding crowds in the St. Marco area. I would skip the restaurant, but everything else about this hotel is first class.
May 27th, 2007, 10:54 AM
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Let me begin by saying that I’m a fairly serious foodie. I love to cook and I’m extremely picky about eating out. My standards are very high so please know that things I might be less than satisfied with, may not be an issue for many others. I did an enormous amount of research about restaurants for this trip and mostly it paid off. There were a few bummers but generally we ate great food for very reasonable prices. We had some wonderful recommendations for restaurants and I want to especially thank Franco and Ekscrunchy for our favorites.
We arrived in Rome on a Sunday morning, getting to our B&B in Tratevere around 10 AM. We left our bags and headed toward the Campo de Fiore and then Piazza Navona. Then finally to the Pantheon (amazing) and to Giolitti. Gelato was the first thing we ate in Italy and what gelato it was! I had a double chocolate dipped cone of chocolate and riso and DH had riso and stracciatella. Now I know why so many folks rave about Giolitti. It was the best gelato we had anywhere, although we had excellent gelato in a couple of other places in Trastevere. We ate gelato every day we were in Rome!
For all of our meals, my DH and I shared everything. Sometimes we split one antipasti or a pasta dish, but even when we ordered separate things we always shared. That way we tasted a great variety of things.
Our first dinner was a Franco rec, Lemani in Pasta www.lemaniinpasta.com. Via dei Genovesi, 37 tel. 06.581 6017 Closed Monday. This was located 3 minutes from our B&B and was fantastic. It’s a very small, casual place with excellent, fresh food, lovingly prepared. The menu is all in Italian and the waiters are quite helpful and friendly. The people eating there were mostly locals. (no outdoor seating.)
We started with a mixed vegetable antipasti plate of roasted peppers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and caramelized shallots, drizzled with good olive oil. This was by far the freshest and tastiest vegetable antipasti we had anywhere.
For primi, I ordered cacao e pepe and DH had fettucini with ricotta and pancetta. Both were delicious. Mine was intensely peppery and creamy with good cheese. The pancetta had a delicious smoky flavor with the creamy ricotta. The pasta was fresh and cooked perfectly al dente. Yum!
After we shared an order of veal scaloppini with lemon and wine sauce. Tender veal, delectable sauce. We shared dolce: Mille foglie al cacao con Bavarese al cioccolate. This was an outrageous concoction of chocolate puff pastry filled with chocolate mouse with Bavarian cream custard sauce and chocolate sauce. Delicious! With house wine for one and a bottle of mineral water and 2 espressos, the bill was 48 E. I highly, highly recommend this place!
On Monday, we had a lunch reservation at Trattoria da Armando al Pantheon: a one-room restaurant (no outdoor seating) run by a pair of brothers, sons of the original owner. Salita de' Crescenzi 31 (on he map) Roma 06.68.80.30.34 http://www.armandoalpantheon.it (Closed on Saturday evening and on Sunday. credit cards.) There were many recommendations for this restaurant from numerous sources but I’m sorry to say, it didn’t live up to its reputation.
I started with the mixed vegetable antipasta. They have many precooked veggies (mostly grilled) on a buffet looking table at the back of the room and they choose an assortment for you. I suppose if I had felt more comfortable or entitled I might have requested specific veggies, but I didn’t know the appropriate etiquette, other than knowing it wasn’t self-serve. The plate they gave me had green beans (a bit overcooked), eggplant, zucchini and a big pile of fava beans in tomato sauce. Nothing special. Not bad but bland. My DH had carpaccio of beef with arugala and parmesan. This was delicious.
Next I ordered the scamorza with truffles and DH had spaghetti armatriciana. My scamorza came out a good 5 minutes before my husband’s pasta so we dug into it together. It was good but the mushrooms on top were not truffles, They were finely chopped crimini mushrooms that had been drizzled with truffle oil. Since the price made more sense that they wouldn’t use real truffles (I think the scamorza tartufo was only 12 E and plain was 9) it was fine, but it just felt like a little like a rip-off to call it scamorza with truffles. It was delicious though. The spaghetti was OK. Nothing special and not particularly spicy. We had 2 coffees and a bottle of water and the bill was 51.50. We were the only people there who had reserved and the tables all filled with walk in tourists. I wouldn’t really recommend this place. It was fine if you’re around the pantheon at lunch time and hungry, but I wouldn’t seek it out and plan a day around it. I think there is much better food elsewhere.
After this lunch, it was off to Giolitti for dolce. I had chocolate and coconut, a delicious combination, maybe my favorite, and DH had riso and nicciola (rice and hazelnut) delicious again!!
For dinner that evening we hadn’t made a reservation because we knew we were having a big lunch and we didn’t know how hungry we’d be and figured we’d just grab something somewhere. We had a very full afternoon of sightseeing and took a nap in our B&B until about 9 PM when we awoke, ravenous and headed out into Trastevere to seek food.
There are so many restaurants in the area and it was a gorgeous night. Every place we passed had every table filled at 10:00 PM. We finally found an empty table outside at a place called Popi-Popi, Via delle Fratte di Trastevere, 45. What a great find. The waiter was a scream, very funny and extremely friendly and the food was excellent! We started with fritti calamari and deep fried whole artichoke (carciofo fritti) both delicious, the calamari lightly battered and tender and crisp at the same time. The artichoke was smashed and then fried, crispy and delicious, the heart perfectly cooked, smooth as butter.
Then we shared a pizza of quatro formaggio: mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and gorgonzola. This was by far, the best pizza we ate in Italy. After we devoured the pizza, we shared dolce: tiramisu. I have never had anything like this version of tiramisu. It was extremely custardy, the ladyfingers had all but disappeared. There was a generous layer of cocoa powder on the top which melted into the custard, creating a rich chocolate layer that was unsweetened and great foil for the swee, eggy custard. The coffee flavor was very subtle. This was the best tiramisu I’ve ever had!! With house wine for one and a bottle of water the whole bill was 31.50 E. I highly recommend this restaurant for a casual authentic Italian pizzeria meal.
More food to come!!
We arrived in Rome on a Sunday morning, getting to our B&B in Tratevere around 10 AM. We left our bags and headed toward the Campo de Fiore and then Piazza Navona. Then finally to the Pantheon (amazing) and to Giolitti. Gelato was the first thing we ate in Italy and what gelato it was! I had a double chocolate dipped cone of chocolate and riso and DH had riso and stracciatella. Now I know why so many folks rave about Giolitti. It was the best gelato we had anywhere, although we had excellent gelato in a couple of other places in Trastevere. We ate gelato every day we were in Rome!
For all of our meals, my DH and I shared everything. Sometimes we split one antipasti or a pasta dish, but even when we ordered separate things we always shared. That way we tasted a great variety of things.
Our first dinner was a Franco rec, Lemani in Pasta www.lemaniinpasta.com. Via dei Genovesi, 37 tel. 06.581 6017 Closed Monday. This was located 3 minutes from our B&B and was fantastic. It’s a very small, casual place with excellent, fresh food, lovingly prepared. The menu is all in Italian and the waiters are quite helpful and friendly. The people eating there were mostly locals. (no outdoor seating.)
We started with a mixed vegetable antipasti plate of roasted peppers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and caramelized shallots, drizzled with good olive oil. This was by far the freshest and tastiest vegetable antipasti we had anywhere.
For primi, I ordered cacao e pepe and DH had fettucini with ricotta and pancetta. Both were delicious. Mine was intensely peppery and creamy with good cheese. The pancetta had a delicious smoky flavor with the creamy ricotta. The pasta was fresh and cooked perfectly al dente. Yum!
After we shared an order of veal scaloppini with lemon and wine sauce. Tender veal, delectable sauce. We shared dolce: Mille foglie al cacao con Bavarese al cioccolate. This was an outrageous concoction of chocolate puff pastry filled with chocolate mouse with Bavarian cream custard sauce and chocolate sauce. Delicious! With house wine for one and a bottle of mineral water and 2 espressos, the bill was 48 E. I highly, highly recommend this place!
On Monday, we had a lunch reservation at Trattoria da Armando al Pantheon: a one-room restaurant (no outdoor seating) run by a pair of brothers, sons of the original owner. Salita de' Crescenzi 31 (on he map) Roma 06.68.80.30.34 http://www.armandoalpantheon.it (Closed on Saturday evening and on Sunday. credit cards.) There were many recommendations for this restaurant from numerous sources but I’m sorry to say, it didn’t live up to its reputation.
I started with the mixed vegetable antipasta. They have many precooked veggies (mostly grilled) on a buffet looking table at the back of the room and they choose an assortment for you. I suppose if I had felt more comfortable or entitled I might have requested specific veggies, but I didn’t know the appropriate etiquette, other than knowing it wasn’t self-serve. The plate they gave me had green beans (a bit overcooked), eggplant, zucchini and a big pile of fava beans in tomato sauce. Nothing special. Not bad but bland. My DH had carpaccio of beef with arugala and parmesan. This was delicious.
Next I ordered the scamorza with truffles and DH had spaghetti armatriciana. My scamorza came out a good 5 minutes before my husband’s pasta so we dug into it together. It was good but the mushrooms on top were not truffles, They were finely chopped crimini mushrooms that had been drizzled with truffle oil. Since the price made more sense that they wouldn’t use real truffles (I think the scamorza tartufo was only 12 E and plain was 9) it was fine, but it just felt like a little like a rip-off to call it scamorza with truffles. It was delicious though. The spaghetti was OK. Nothing special and not particularly spicy. We had 2 coffees and a bottle of water and the bill was 51.50. We were the only people there who had reserved and the tables all filled with walk in tourists. I wouldn’t really recommend this place. It was fine if you’re around the pantheon at lunch time and hungry, but I wouldn’t seek it out and plan a day around it. I think there is much better food elsewhere.
After this lunch, it was off to Giolitti for dolce. I had chocolate and coconut, a delicious combination, maybe my favorite, and DH had riso and nicciola (rice and hazelnut) delicious again!!
For dinner that evening we hadn’t made a reservation because we knew we were having a big lunch and we didn’t know how hungry we’d be and figured we’d just grab something somewhere. We had a very full afternoon of sightseeing and took a nap in our B&B until about 9 PM when we awoke, ravenous and headed out into Trastevere to seek food.
There are so many restaurants in the area and it was a gorgeous night. Every place we passed had every table filled at 10:00 PM. We finally found an empty table outside at a place called Popi-Popi, Via delle Fratte di Trastevere, 45. What a great find. The waiter was a scream, very funny and extremely friendly and the food was excellent! We started with fritti calamari and deep fried whole artichoke (carciofo fritti) both delicious, the calamari lightly battered and tender and crisp at the same time. The artichoke was smashed and then fried, crispy and delicious, the heart perfectly cooked, smooth as butter.
Then we shared a pizza of quatro formaggio: mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and gorgonzola. This was by far, the best pizza we ate in Italy. After we devoured the pizza, we shared dolce: tiramisu. I have never had anything like this version of tiramisu. It was extremely custardy, the ladyfingers had all but disappeared. There was a generous layer of cocoa powder on the top which melted into the custard, creating a rich chocolate layer that was unsweetened and great foil for the swee, eggy custard. The coffee flavor was very subtle. This was the best tiramisu I’ve ever had!! With house wine for one and a bottle of water the whole bill was 31.50 E. I highly recommend this restaurant for a casual authentic Italian pizzeria meal.
More food to come!!
May 27th, 2007, 12:08 PM
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I love reading about your trip. My husband and I leave in 4 days to celebrate our 20 year Anniversary. We are going to the same 3 cities. I can't wait to taste the food you described.
I need help on how little I can pack. Any suggestions on what to definitely have with you for the mentioned restaurants?
I need help on how little I can pack. Any suggestions on what to definitely have with you for the mentioned restaurants?
May 27th, 2007, 12:18 PM
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What a great trip report! Italy is on our list of places to go, and we're also foodies, so your meal descriptions are making my mouth water! Incidentally, I'm copying them into Word to keep for future reference 
Please, keep them coming!
Please, keep them coming!
May 27th, 2007, 12:29 PM
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Hi plafield, We checked out of La Calcina the morning you got there. We loved it also. No disrespect, but if you think their coffee was weak, well I just don't know how to reply to that. Wow, I thought it was strong!! Their breakfast is just like everyone I have had on all my 4 other trips to Italy. Same stuff all the time. If there is a better breakfast in Italy, I haven't found it yet. Actually, we don't worry about breakfast that much, just some juice, coffee, and cereal and that is all we ask for. Still can't believe you thought the coffee was weak, but glad you liked the hotel. We will go back there again. Glad you had fun.
Dave
Dave
May 28th, 2007, 06:00 AM
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Glad folks are enjoying my report!
Travg_mom: as for packing: pack light. in most of the restaurants, people were dressed very casually. At the restaurant La Giostra in Florence, people were a little more dressed up, but mostly, everyone is dressed casually. I wore black pants almost every day and evening (light weight rayon) everywhere. I had one swingy skirt for very hot days (Venice had record breaking high temps when we were there!)and one light cotton pair of pants. I had an assortment of tops, mostly sleeveless, in various solid colors and had one black sweater and a selection of scarves and pashimas to dress up or down. Flat black walking sandals (merrells) and my merrell clogs were all I brought for shoes and that was perfect. My husband wore jeans almost every day. Everyone was wearing jeans and in Rome and Florence, before it got too hot, I was sorry I hadn't brought mine! He usually changed into black pants in the evening. He had 3 light weight solid colored T-shirts, a couple of short sleeved button down shirts for evenings and a couple of sweaters. We both wore suit jackets on the plane over and used them occasionally in the evenings in Rome, but it got warm fairly quickly and we then didn' need the extra layer.
Din Pa: Yes, we're huge fans of Italian espresso, the real stuff that makes your hair curl, so La Calcina's coffee, in comparison to the coffee you get at all the little coffee bars around Italy tasted pretty watered down to us. I think it's geared toward American taste buds. Our favorite breakfast is a good Italian coffee and a really fresh baked good. Thats why we loved the B&Bs that sent us to a local cafe for the Italian breakfast. We're not interested in eggs or cereal in the morning. And we had to laugh that the ham and cheese at the breakfast at La Calcina was Swiss cheese (we're in Italy! Shouldn't it be parmesan or romano?) and the ham was not procuitto but like the ham we buy in our local deli. We understand they're catering to tourists who may prefer what they're used to at home, but we just love the local breakfast of intense espresso and a very freshly baked, preferably chocolate, cornetto!
Travg_mom: as for packing: pack light. in most of the restaurants, people were dressed very casually. At the restaurant La Giostra in Florence, people were a little more dressed up, but mostly, everyone is dressed casually. I wore black pants almost every day and evening (light weight rayon) everywhere. I had one swingy skirt for very hot days (Venice had record breaking high temps when we were there!)and one light cotton pair of pants. I had an assortment of tops, mostly sleeveless, in various solid colors and had one black sweater and a selection of scarves and pashimas to dress up or down. Flat black walking sandals (merrells) and my merrell clogs were all I brought for shoes and that was perfect. My husband wore jeans almost every day. Everyone was wearing jeans and in Rome and Florence, before it got too hot, I was sorry I hadn't brought mine! He usually changed into black pants in the evening. He had 3 light weight solid colored T-shirts, a couple of short sleeved button down shirts for evenings and a couple of sweaters. We both wore suit jackets on the plane over and used them occasionally in the evenings in Rome, but it got warm fairly quickly and we then didn' need the extra layer.
Din Pa: Yes, we're huge fans of Italian espresso, the real stuff that makes your hair curl, so La Calcina's coffee, in comparison to the coffee you get at all the little coffee bars around Italy tasted pretty watered down to us. I think it's geared toward American taste buds. Our favorite breakfast is a good Italian coffee and a really fresh baked good. Thats why we loved the B&Bs that sent us to a local cafe for the Italian breakfast. We're not interested in eggs or cereal in the morning. And we had to laugh that the ham and cheese at the breakfast at La Calcina was Swiss cheese (we're in Italy! Shouldn't it be parmesan or romano?) and the ham was not procuitto but like the ham we buy in our local deli. We understand they're catering to tourists who may prefer what they're used to at home, but we just love the local breakfast of intense espresso and a very freshly baked, preferably chocolate, cornetto!
May 28th, 2007, 06:29 AM
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Yay! I love food reports! I'm a foodie too, so most of my travels are "all about the food" as well.
Can't wait for more as I'm headed to Rome next year and already starting to compile my "list".
Can't wait for more as I'm headed to Rome next year and already starting to compile my "list".
May 28th, 2007, 06:53 AM
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DinPa-apparently you haven't been introduced to breakfast with Barbara and Matteo-at Locanda Orseolo-although I've not partaken (I have met both of these wonderful people though) others on this board can tell you of their wondrous breakfasts-apparently Matteo makes all sorts of great breakfast foods.
I've had plenty of good, filling breakfasts in Italy-not just your normal packaged croissant or sweet roll either (which IS typical).
I was in Trieste at the Impero Novo Hotel last year, and I had everything from fresh plain yogurt with granola, to boiled eggs, to great sweet rolls, and they had meats, cheeses and rolls-it was excellent.
You can almost always get a cappuccino at any Italian B & B that serves breakfast, but you must ask them.
I would expect La Calcina to offer a better breakfast than that, given its reputation.
I've had plenty of good, filling breakfasts in Italy-not just your normal packaged croissant or sweet roll either (which IS typical).
I was in Trieste at the Impero Novo Hotel last year, and I had everything from fresh plain yogurt with granola, to boiled eggs, to great sweet rolls, and they had meats, cheeses and rolls-it was excellent.
You can almost always get a cappuccino at any Italian B & B that serves breakfast, but you must ask them.
I would expect La Calcina to offer a better breakfast than that, given its reputation.
May 28th, 2007, 07:43 AM
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Girlspytravel: La Calcina did offer cappuccino, as well as cereal, yogurt, boiled eggs, fruit salad, crackers, bread, pre-filled croissants, and ham and cheese. I think many people would be more than satisfied with this breakfast, especially if you're eating it outdoors in their gorgeous setting on the canal.
For me, though, it was obvious that the croissants were not freshly baked, but the kind that come pre-packaged in a big bag. Reminded me of Sara-Lee. The coffee, including the cappuccino was much weaker than what we had everywhere else in Italy (although still much better than what you usually get in the states!)Nothing about the breakfast was special, or particularly high quality and since we could walk 10 minutes and duck into a neighborhood coffee bar and get a great coffee and an incredibly fresh cornetto for a few euro, we chose to do that most mornings in Venice.
For me, though, it was obvious that the croissants were not freshly baked, but the kind that come pre-packaged in a big bag. Reminded me of Sara-Lee. The coffee, including the cappuccino was much weaker than what we had everywhere else in Italy (although still much better than what you usually get in the states!)Nothing about the breakfast was special, or particularly high quality and since we could walk 10 minutes and duck into a neighborhood coffee bar and get a great coffee and an incredibly fresh cornetto for a few euro, we chose to do that most mornings in Venice.
May 28th, 2007, 07:49 AM
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The SaraLee-type packaged croissant is VERY common for a breakfast in Italy, Plafield, that does not surprise me at all.
I can remember when I was studying Italian in Florence, the lady I boarded with gave me one of those SaraLee packaged croissants every morning-I never touched it-I'd go meet my friends for a cafe and a REAL Italian pastry, so I'm particularly sensitive to what you're talking about! (smile)
I can remember when I was studying Italian in Florence, the lady I boarded with gave me one of those SaraLee packaged croissants every morning-I never touched it-I'd go meet my friends for a cafe and a REAL Italian pastry, so I'm particularly sensitive to what you're talking about! (smile)
May 28th, 2007, 08:34 AM
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Reminds me of a passage I recently read in a travel report - something to the effect that in Fraace hotel breakfast is bad coffee and good croissants ad in Italy hotel breakfast is good coffee and bad croissants. ;-)
May 28th, 2007, 08:55 AM
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plafield, I'm very much enjoying your report. I've stayed quite near your B&Bs in both Rome and Florence, and have stayed at La Calcina in Venice, so I'm delighted to read positive reports of hotels (new to me) in neighborhoods I love. They're both now on my list.
I don't remember the breakfast at La Calcina, but I do remember the night we arrived and were exhausted and just decided to eat in. Decidedly mediocre food, but of course a lovely location and warm, pleasant service.
Looking forward to the next installment!
I don't remember the breakfast at La Calcina, but I do remember the night we arrived and were exhausted and just decided to eat in. Decidedly mediocre food, but of course a lovely location and warm, pleasant service.
Looking forward to the next installment!
May 28th, 2007, 10:06 AM
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Obviously you must be able to tell I'm not a strong coffee drinker. I won't even tell you whose coffee I really like in the USA, you would laugh. I've heard about Locanda Orseolo and their breakfast, but again, I don't get that excited over breakfast. Coffee, cereal and fruit and I'm good to go. Oh, by the way, I loved the hard bed in La Calcina. It was good for my back.
dave
dave
May 28th, 2007, 10:47 AM
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Leely: yes, I asked around about the food at La Calcina's restaurant becuase I thought it would be convenient to eat there the first night we arrived and while some seemed to like it quite well, I eventually decided that it would very likley be mediocre so we decided not to have dinner there at all. I think it was a good decision.
Dave, I suspect that a lot of people enjoy a very firm bed. My bed at home is a Kingsdown, it has a 4 inch down pillowtop on the top and the bottom! I have issues with my hips and my shoulders and a hard bed does me in, so the beds in Italy were a challenge for me, but it wouldn't stop me from traveling somewhere. And while the beds were way too hard for me in all the places we stayed, I still highly reccommend them all!
Dave, I suspect that a lot of people enjoy a very firm bed. My bed at home is a Kingsdown, it has a 4 inch down pillowtop on the top and the bottom! I have issues with my hips and my shoulders and a hard bed does me in, so the beds in Italy were a challenge for me, but it wouldn't stop me from traveling somewhere. And while the beds were way too hard for me in all the places we stayed, I still highly reccommend them all!
May 28th, 2007, 11:57 AM
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Plafield: Your remarks on Popi-Popi took me back to a lovely evening spent there about 6 years ago with my B-I-L (an Italian who has, sadly, since died). He recommended the tiramisu as the best in Rome and we all loved it. Keep the report flowing!
