The best thing I ever ate -Italy
May 18th, 2010, 02:09 PM
#22
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how to find a home-cooked meal in Italy if you are only visiting as a stranger:
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/travel/home-cooked-meals.asp
http://www.annoticoreport.com/2010/0...-in-italy.html
OR
stay in agriturismo where the owner cooks meals for you
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/travel/home-cooked-meals.asp
http://www.annoticoreport.com/2010/0...-in-italy.html
OR
stay in agriturismo where the owner cooks meals for you
May 18th, 2010, 06:55 PM
#24
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Yes I agree nothing better than buying fresh ingredients at the local pier, grocery or farm and then having it cooked in the local traditions by a traditional local. I have had that pleasure many times and will never forget them either, or who cooked them. I could go for some zucchini flowers right now!
May 19th, 2010, 05:52 AM
#26
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A dinner that we prepared in our rental house in Menerbes. We visited a couple of village markets and gathered our ingredients during the day and then prepared our dinner at the house. Chicken breasts cooked in butter, mushrooms, french herbs, wine/little white potatoes roasted with olive oil and fresh rosemary/greens tossed with balsamic vinegar, shaved pecorino cheese and tomatoes. Topped off with bread from the bakery and a lemon tart. It was memorable.
May 19th, 2010, 08:41 AM
#27
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My first trip to Italy just smacked me in the face with yummy food, all in Florence:
Grilled Porcini with garlic
Wild boar at Feriolo restaurant in the hills above Florence
Ravioli nuda -- actually gnocchi made with spinach and ricotta and swimming in butter also at Feriolo
Fresh pear with Pecorino fresco cheese eaten next to the walls of a falling-down little castello somewhere east of Firenze on a fall afternoon.
Grilled Porcini with garlic
Wild boar at Feriolo restaurant in the hills above Florence
Ravioli nuda -- actually gnocchi made with spinach and ricotta and swimming in butter also at Feriolo
Fresh pear with Pecorino fresco cheese eaten next to the walls of a falling-down little castello somewhere east of Firenze on a fall afternoon.
May 19th, 2010, 10:14 AM
#29
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It's difficult to designate a singular best. So many choices were amazing for a variety of reasons, though for many it is a confluence of both the food and the atmosphere and the entire experiencce. Here's a few:
First trip to Italy, first day in Florence: Our hotel room was not ready, plus we two were meeting a friend who was arriving by train at a certain time in front of the Duomo. It was a gorgeous sunny September day, so we wandered the center. It seemed as if there were gelaterias everywhere, so we stopped and each had a cone with three flavors, different flavors from one another. So delicious, so satisfying, we shared licks of each flavor. When we finished, we glanced at one another and said, "Let's get another!" We chose a different gelateria and had another three different flavors each. More heavenly flavors, more sharing. Soon it was time to meet our friend. After our greetings, she said, "I could use a gelato--what about you?" Quick looks between us—"Sure!" we replied. This time we each had only two flavors.
Second story: In Venice in the far reaches of the Sant'Elena district, we were the only tourists at a real Venice neighborhood place. For an appetizer, the owner offered us some special clams of the day. We were unsure of what it might actually be, but we accepted a serving large enough for the five of us. Soon the owner appeared from the kitchen, stirring a large pot half filled with the teeniest clams that had been tossed with wine, olive oil, and parsley, and heated on the stove. We all scooped from the pot, devouring these simple, sweet, delicious morsels, tossing the clam shells into a communal bowl. Too soon we finished the serving. One friend said, "Let's get more." So we did.
Third story: A friend drove us into the hills outside Torino for dinner at one of his father's favorite restaurants. The son had called ahead to reserve. We arrive in town to discover it is the night of a big festa and the entire town is in the main piazza feasting at communal tables. We made our way to the restaurant, only to discover that it was open but empty of patrons. We were welcomed warmly. (Since no one ever arrived to dine, we assumed that they had stayed open only because we said we were coming.) Then began the parade of antipasti. Ten different types of antipasti were brought out in succession—roasted and marinated vegetables, then cheeses, then a frittata, then carpaccio, then mushrooms, then salamis, then cold veal tonnato, . . . Then we were offered a choice of a pasta or risotto, and finally a choice of two meat dishes. I recall I chose the hare that we were told they had been lucky enough to shoot that day. We had wine and water throughout the meal. Then dessert and coffee. This was in the days of lira and 1986 to boot, but even so, we were surprised and almost appalled when the bill came. With a generous tip we spent the equivalent of about $40 for all four of us. Even in 1984 this was an outstanding price.
First trip to Italy, first day in Florence: Our hotel room was not ready, plus we two were meeting a friend who was arriving by train at a certain time in front of the Duomo. It was a gorgeous sunny September day, so we wandered the center. It seemed as if there were gelaterias everywhere, so we stopped and each had a cone with three flavors, different flavors from one another. So delicious, so satisfying, we shared licks of each flavor. When we finished, we glanced at one another and said, "Let's get another!" We chose a different gelateria and had another three different flavors each. More heavenly flavors, more sharing. Soon it was time to meet our friend. After our greetings, she said, "I could use a gelato--what about you?" Quick looks between us—"Sure!" we replied. This time we each had only two flavors.
Second story: In Venice in the far reaches of the Sant'Elena district, we were the only tourists at a real Venice neighborhood place. For an appetizer, the owner offered us some special clams of the day. We were unsure of what it might actually be, but we accepted a serving large enough for the five of us. Soon the owner appeared from the kitchen, stirring a large pot half filled with the teeniest clams that had been tossed with wine, olive oil, and parsley, and heated on the stove. We all scooped from the pot, devouring these simple, sweet, delicious morsels, tossing the clam shells into a communal bowl. Too soon we finished the serving. One friend said, "Let's get more." So we did.
Third story: A friend drove us into the hills outside Torino for dinner at one of his father's favorite restaurants. The son had called ahead to reserve. We arrive in town to discover it is the night of a big festa and the entire town is in the main piazza feasting at communal tables. We made our way to the restaurant, only to discover that it was open but empty of patrons. We were welcomed warmly. (Since no one ever arrived to dine, we assumed that they had stayed open only because we said we were coming.) Then began the parade of antipasti. Ten different types of antipasti were brought out in succession—roasted and marinated vegetables, then cheeses, then a frittata, then carpaccio, then mushrooms, then salamis, then cold veal tonnato, . . . Then we were offered a choice of a pasta or risotto, and finally a choice of two meat dishes. I recall I chose the hare that we were told they had been lucky enough to shoot that day. We had wine and water throughout the meal. Then dessert and coffee. This was in the days of lira and 1986 to boot, but even so, we were surprised and almost appalled when the bill came. With a generous tip we spent the equivalent of about $40 for all four of us. Even in 1984 this was an outstanding price.
May 19th, 2010, 10:41 AM
#30
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ekc: <i>Mr_go, you would happen to have the name of that boat-tour captain?! It sound divine and something I would love to do in 2012!</i>
Absolutely.
http://www.gennaroesalvatore.it/
Scroll down a bit to "The Amalfi Coast". Enjoy!
Absolutely.
http://www.gennaroesalvatore.it/
Scroll down a bit to "The Amalfi Coast". Enjoy!
May 19th, 2010, 11:12 AM
#31
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Well all of your fantastic stories are sure making me "hungry" to be in Italy, lol. I love to read about everyone's experiences. This is a great thread mnapoli!
Do you enjoy cooking zepole? I imagine that you probably do with all the wonderful ingredients available to you. Even our local farmers market is not all that great, sigh. And the concept of a fish market has evidently not been considered necessary in my small city either. The residents do love all the numerous big box stores with all the various varities of junk food however.
Do you enjoy cooking zepole? I imagine that you probably do with all the wonderful ingredients available to you. Even our local farmers market is not all that great, sigh. And the concept of a fish market has evidently not been considered necessary in my small city either. The residents do love all the numerous big box stores with all the various varities of junk food however.
May 19th, 2010, 11:24 AM
#32
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I just remembered a wonderful lunch of Crespelle alla Fiorentina in a tiny restaurant somewhere on a back road somewhere north west of Volterra. We tried to find that place again and never could, which makes it all the more memorable.
Same with a place in Venice, we had the best minestrone, bread, cheeses and salad and never could figure out later where we were. On two separate trips we have looked for it in vain.
Same with a place in Venice, we had the best minestrone, bread, cheeses and salad and never could figure out later where we were. On two separate trips we have looked for it in vain.
May 19th, 2010, 11:36 AM
#33
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I remember another. A year or two ago we lunched in Montfalco with Mauro and Silvana of Le Case Gialle. L'alchemista is in the basement of the little enoteca in the main piazza. The place was packed and I don't remember ordering anything, it just came. We must have had a dozen antipasti. Olives, salumi, cheeses, pane etc. taking at least an hour (and the wine flowed). The primo was a lasagna featuring the black finocchio of the hills around Trevi. No one could face a secondo. I believe our hosts were known.
May 19th, 2010, 11:41 AM
#34
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Loveitaly, speaking of fresh seafood. Near Praiano the owner of a tiny restaurant on the dock took the fish from the fisherman just arriving on a tiny boat, took it into the kitchen and cooked it for us. So delicious. Trattoria de Armandino. Armandino is such a character too, besides meeting the incoming boats, he waits the tables, oversees or cooks, whatever it takes to have happy diners.
May 19th, 2010, 12:39 PM
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The first time I tried burrata at a wine bar in Florence (still haven't found any as good in US), fresh grilled octopus and squid topped only with lemon juice at Fornillo beach in Positano, sardines and trofie al pesto in Vernazza. Pizza at Da Michele with a cold beer. Scropino in the piazza in Capri. I'm not a big gelato fan but the scoop of riso I had in Florence about 6 years ago is still a best. Lemon risotto in Capri. Wow, there are so many...thanks for this post! I love reliving these memories.
