In Florence there are a.l.o.t. of restaurants, and a.l.o.t. of tourist traps. How do you spot the difference? This isn’t a proven theory, but in my experience if there are signs offering a “tourist menu” with pictures of the food, it’s not a good bet. The restaurants :: ristoranti I usually look for are ones that are off the beaten path. Take the restaurantIl Santo Graal, for instance. To get to this holy grail (literally, that is the name translated in English) just leave the center of Florence at your back and head across the Ponte Vecchio and continue down Via Romana for 10 minutes until you find the restaurant on your right. Don’t expect to drink from a cup that grants you everlasting youth, but don’t be surprised either to have an experience you’ll never forget.
I immediately found myself at home in the rustic and elegant atmosphere, designed by owner and architect, Emanuele Canonico. I absolutely loved theCONTINUE READING
What I love about Italian cooking is that it follows seasons :: stagioni. Since seasonal ingredients burst with flavor you can make delicious meals that are simple and fresh with only a handful of ingredients.
InEmilia-Romagnaand other parts of northern Italy, yellow, orange and green knobby pumpkins and squash are filling up the market stalls. It’s the perfect time of year to make CONTINUE READING
Lusvardi Wine is a small Italian winery located in the heart of Emilia-Romagna and owned by Rita and Andrea Lusvardi. Here you’ll find delightful organic wines produced according to the philosophy: “seguimi” :: “follow me”.
Photo Credit: Lusvardi Wine
The winery’s vision is to follow nature in every phase of production in order to maintain the integrity of the terroir and the indigenous Lambrusco grapes (Salamino and Grasparossa varieties). Due to this philosophy of minimal intervention, Lusvardi is able to offer unique wines that CONTINUE READING
A Brussels sprout side dish is usually a staple on the holiday table, but have you tried them tossed with pasta and other roasted vegetables :: verdure arrostite? If not, you are in for a treat. And, no, these aren’t boiled and mushy, but delectable crunchy slivers of goodness.
In Italy, usually no family Sunday lunch or holiday meal is served without a bowl of pasta as a first course. In fact, Sunday lunches and holiday meals are a CONTINUE READING
Does that phrase sound weird to you? It does to me.
“Autumn wouldn’t be the same without pumpkins.”
Now that rings better; yet, it’s not usually correct since the majority of the “pumpkins” we eat are actually squash. Do you know the difference between squash and pumpkin?READ MORE
I immediately found myself at home in the rustic and elegant atmosphere, designed by owner and architect, Emanuele Canonico. I absolutely loved the CONTINUE READING
