Italy Food & Drink
When in Rome, as they say, do as the Romans do. In this case, that means eating excellent Italian food and drinking excellent Italian beverages.
Luini's Famous Panzerotto in Milan: A Quick, Cheap & Amazing Lunch
This article was written and submitted for publication on the Italy Logue by Chris Bright.
When visiting the historic center of Milan, grabbing a quick lunch can be a challenge since the options are limited to fast-food chain restaurants [editor’s note: which you should stay away from!] or more pricey sit-down places. However, the perfect antidote for these uninspiring choices is to make your way to Panificio Luini near Milan’s Duomo. Join the throngs of fashionable Milanesi office workers - as well as in-the-know tourists - who line-up by the dozens for Luini’s famous panzerotto.
A panzerotto is a unique and fulfilling treat - it is the golden lovechild that would result from the loving union of an old-fashioned raised doughnut and a traditional Neapolitan pizza. The outside is comprised of light, springy yeast dough with a pleasant but not overwhelming sweet flavor. On the inside, folded over like a little calzone or empanada, is tomato sauce, mozzarella and, if desired, one or two savory ingredients. Finally, the magic happens when the whole package is deep-fried and served hot. The combination of sweet and savory flavors and chewy and creamy textures are each recognizable and familiar, but it’s the first bite that is truly the revelation.
Date: April 28th, 2008 |
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Vivoli in Florence: Can Famous Gelato Live Up to the Hype?
When I was planning my last trip to Florence, I checked my friend Sara’s Tour del Gelato for a list of the gelaterie I should make sure to sample when I was there. Florence is recognized by many as a gelato capital of Italy, where it’s harder to have bad gelato than it is to have good gelato - so imagine my surprise when I found that there was only one entry on the Tour del Gelato in Florence! Folks, I knew right then what my mission had to be - eat as much gelato in Florence as I could. It’s a tough job, but I knew I had to do it. For the children.
As I said, Florence is known for its gelato. So in this City del Gelato, is there one shop that is considered by locals and tourists alike to be the pinnacle of the art form? In fact, there is - it’s Vivoli. In my previous visits to Florence I hadn’t yet sampled Vivoli’s gelato, so I made a beeline there on this last visit. With all the build-up to how amazing the gelato at Vivoli is, and how famous the shop is (Frommer’s says, “Exactly how renowned is this bright gelateria? Taped to the wall is a postcard bearing only “Vivoli, Europa” for the address, yet it was successfully delivered to this world capital of ice cream.”), I was surprised at how understated the exterior of the shop actually is. I visited on a Saturday afternoon in mid-March, and I still thought there’d be a line outside the door and around the block. But no, there was only a small neon sign above the door and a trio of locals out front scooping some of the Vivoli gelato into their mouths.
Date: March 27th, 2008 |
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Aperitivo in Italy: How to Eat for Free (Kind Of)
The concept of “Happy Hour” might not seem very Italian, and in fact it’s not - but it’s an idea that’s catching on in some of Italy’s bigger cities in the form of something the Italians call “Aperitivo,” and it’s an excellent way to absorb some of the local scene while eating on the cheap at the same time. Aperitivo in Italy seems to be most prevalent in cities like Milan and Turin, but I saw it advertised in Rome and Florence as well, so I think it’s spreading.
Aperitivo in Italy (also sometimes called Happy Hour, with the Hs being silent - like “Appy Our”) is where you buy your drinks and then you get to go through that place’s buffet line as many times as you want. Yes, the drinks are more expensive, but if you’re going out for cocktails anyway and you’re getting dinner thrown into the deal, you can definitely come out ahead. The food can vary from a few prettily-arranged baskets of pretzels, potato chips and bite-sized cuts of pizza or focaccia to a huge spread including pastas, finger sandwiches, vegetables, salads and even desserts later in the night. Literally, for the cost of one drink (wine, beer, or cocktail) it’s an all-you-can-eat extravaganza. This can be a great thing if you’re traveling on a budget. Plus, if the cafe/bar offers a good aperitivo, it’s likely that it’s a popular place for local residents as well - so you’ll get to soak up a bit of the local scene, maybe watch a sporting event on a big-screen, and just hang out for a couple hours over a nice drink and great selection of “free” food.
Date: March 24th, 2008 |
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An Italian Food Gift Any Italophile Would Love
Stumped as to what to get the Italophile on your Christmas list this year? Or just looking for a little something extra to fill your own stocking? Look no further than the Ms. Adventures in Italy basket which is up for grabs at this year’s Menu for Hope auction. Sara has put together a food-lovers dream collection of goodies that are famous in Italy as well as abroad, and any Italy lover - or foodie, for that matter - would be pleased as punch to get this. Trust me.
Sara’s a serious foodie herself, so I can only guess that every item in this incredible basked of Italian food has been personally tested and can be vouched for by Sara herself. Here are some of the items Sara has chosen for this year’s Menu for Hope basket, which come from all over the country:
Balsamic vinegar from Modena
White truffle oil from Abruzzo
Bronte pistachio cream from Sicily
Modica chocolate bars from Sicily
Extra virgin olive oil from a family friend in Puglia
Are you drooling yet? Because I am.
Date: December 14th, 2007 |
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Degu's Drinkeria in Milan
One thing the Italians seem very good at is adopting English words and giving them their own special twist. For instance, yesterday the husband and I stopped into what was billed as a “drinkeria” for an afternoon snack. You’ve heard of “pizzeria,” I imagine, and perhaps even a “gelateria.” So what’s a “drinkeria?” If you’ve figured out that adding “-eria” on to the end of a food-item word makes it a place where you’ll be able to order and eat that food item, then you’re doing just fine.
Degu’s is a “drinkeria e degustazioni,” meaning it serves light appetizer-style plates and has a wide selection of alcoholic beverages to go with them. The plates are divided up into different sections by what the focus is - meats, cheeses, fish, etc. We had a plate of crostini with lardo, a plate of a soft cheese and sausage combination served with strawberry jam, and smoked salmon with toasted biscuits covered in butter. All three were really lovely, and nicely presented, and we washed them down with a glass of champagne each. The service was quick and friendly.
Date: November 13th, 2007 |
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Trattoria 3 Torri in Bergamo
The alta città of Bergamo isn’t exactly swimming in restaurants, so your choices are kind of limited from the second you decide to stay within the old city walls up there. But on my recent trip to Bergamo, I ate in a charming little trattoria tucked into quite literally a hole in a wall on one end of a parking lot. The outside may not have looked promising to most, but the food was spectacular.
Trattoria 3 Torri has the feel inside of a wine cellar, with its rounded brick walls and ceiling, and it’s one of those tiny places that makes the most of every inch of space. The parking lot the restaurant sits on is really a small piazza, and three of the buildings lining it have towers - hence the name of the trattoria. The handwritten menu outside the door looks like it could change regularly, but I imagine that most of the Bergamo specialties are usually available. The prices were relatively similar to the other restaurants around the alta città.
Here’s what we had for lunch:
Date: March 29th, 2008 |
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Jessica's Guide to Good Gelato in Italy
I have a friend who lives here in Italy, an expat who’s made the move I’m trying to make, who dutifully instructs all her visitors that they are required to have no less than two scoops of gelato every day they’re in Italy. I’ve adopted this rule as my own, and tell everyone I know who’s going to Italy (that means you, too) the same thing. But in order for you to have the best gelato in Italy, there are a few rules you should learn beforehand.
I know, I know - it’s just ice cream, right? How can it be that there are rules about ordering ice cream? Well, it’s not so simple, and if you learn a little bit about the art of Italian gelato before you set foot in a gelateria, you’ll save yourself the indignity of paying your hard-earned money for bad, mass-produced gelato that really should end up in a trash can rather than your mouth. The good stuff is so good that wasting precious calories on bad gelato is really a crime against humanity. Or at least a crime against your taste buds.
Date: March 26th, 2008 |
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Menu Tips to Help You Order in Restaurants in Italy
Lucky for those of us who speak English as our native language, most menus in restaurants in Italy will have plenty of things that look completely familiar from the Italian restaurants you’ve eaten in back home. We all know what spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, ragu and cappuccino mean. I always used to tell my Italian students that at the very least, they wouldn’t starve during their vacation in Italy. But you want to do more than simply “not starve,” right?
Here are a few tips for when you’re reading the menu in restaurants (and trattorias, osterias, etc.) in Italy:
For the most part, the Italians will think you’re strange if you’re pairing a sweet drink like Coca Cola with your meal, but my palate is used to the combination and I imagine yours probably is, too. So if you want your Coke with your meal, go for it. Just remember that if you want the diet version, it’s not called “Diet Coke” in Italy - it’s called “Coca Cola Light.” Also note that most places will serve your Coke in the can with an empty glass on the side - you’ll probably have to ask for ice specifically if you want it. That’s “con ghiaccio,” pronounced “gee-AH-chee-oh” with a hard G as in “girl.”
Date: March 17th, 2008 |
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Attending a Home Food Dinner in Milan
I’ve long wanted to try a Home Food dinner, but during my past trips to Italy it never worked out - I was never in one of the cities hosting a dinner during my time in the country. When planning last month’s trip to Milan, however, I reasoned that with a week in the city there just had to be a Home Food dinner in Milan (or nearby) that we could attend. As luck would have it, there was.
If you’re unfamiliar with Home Food, read my post about the organization (written back when I was salivating over just the idea) for more details, including how to sign up. The gist of it is that Italians who are approved by the people who run Home Food invite strangers into their homes and serve meals which are traditional to that city or region, using seasonal and regional ingredients. The whole thing has sounded brilliant to me since I first heard about it, and I was thrilled to find an event right in Milan during my trip in November.
Date: December 14th, 2007 |
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Pizzeria in Rome
Naples is the birthplace of pizza, but most tourists never get further south than Rome - so if you’re going to try pizza in Italy and you’re not heading to Naples, Rome is your best bet. Check out this video for an example of one pizzeria in Rome:
You may have noticed that the patrons were eating their pizzas with a knife and fork, not picking up slices (well, except for the hostess of the video who …
Date: October 19th, 2007 |
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