L & D's Great Adventure: EAT-aly

We spent the last three weeks of October eating and drinking our way through Italy, so we figured EAT-aly was a fitting name for this post. Apologies in advance for the number of food pictures we've included, but as you'll see, it was a glutinous three weeks.

Italy is the quintessential Mediterranean paradise, with tremendous variation between its regions, in food, topography and culture. As we had been to Rome before, we decided to skip it on this trip and focus instead on a couple regions in the south - the Amalfi Coast and Puglia - and a couple regions in the north - Tuscany and Venice. Thanks to Josh Hafetz and Andy McGee for their advice prior to the trip. In particular, we wanted to send a huge thank you to my cousin Jennifer Schwartz who helped us plan almost the entire trip and even gave us a food lover's tour of Florence. She runs her own tour company from Florence - Pom 613. If any of you are planning a trip to Italy and need help, we highly recommend her! Just send us a message and we'll get you her contact information.

We began our trip on the Amalfi coast for some history (in Pompeii), relaxation and breathtaking views, then drove across the country to Puglia (the heel of the boot) to experience the unique southern culture and cuisine. The highlight of Puglia was our two day stop in Orsara di Puglia, near Foggia, where we entered the world of Peppe Zullo, a charismatic chef and businessman who graciously hosted us for a fantastic culinary adventure. From there, we drove north to Tuscany, basing ourselves in rolling hills of Chianti at a charming restored villa overlooking the town of Greve. We spent five days in Tuscany, eating delicious food, taking cooking classes, and exploring the nearby cities of Siena and Florence. We made our way east from Tuscany towards Venice, making a lunch stop in Padua at one of Italy's best restaurants, the three-Michilen-starred Le Calandre. Finally, we capped off the trip by running the Marathon in Venice, which helped us offset our excessive calorie intake :)

Torre del Grecco and Pompeii

We flew from Frankfurt directly to Naples on Oct 11th. Since we were getting in late, we decided to stay near the airport for an evening before heading to Ravello for three days. We settled on the town of Torre del Grecco, which is about 20 minutes south of Naples along the coast towards Pompeii and Ravello. The town of Torre doesn't offer much in the way of tourist attractions (it feels pretty run down), but we managed to find a fantastic pizzeria called Il Cantinone, which was among the best meals we had during our entire trip to Italy. The pizzeria was a bit hard to find, down a back alley in town, but was charming inside. It was run by a family, with mom and dad cooking the pizzas up front and their son waiting on the tables in the back. He was especially enthusiastic when he learned we were from NYC.

The pizza was classic Naples style, characterized by a magical doughy crust that is chewy on the inside and charred perfectly on the outside, and topped with wonderfully fresh ingredients that produced a delicious pool of juices in the center of the pizza. Lindsay had the capricciosa (ham, artichoke, mushrooms and olives, mozzarella, tomato sauce) and I had the margherita (fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil).

Our host saluting us at Il Cantinone Pizzeria

Pizza Capricciosa. Notice the perfect char marks on the crust.

Since we were passing Pompeii on the way to Ravello, we decided to stop there for a couple hours to see the ancient city - wonderfully preserved for almost 2,000 years due to a massive eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD that buried the city under ash. We hired a guide, Franco, who really brought the place to life for us.

Entering the Ancient City of Pompeii with our guide Franco

Drainage was a problem in Pompeii, so streets often got flooded. The steps that Lindsay is standing on served two purposes: (1) a means of crossing the streets for the inhabitants when the streets were flooded and (2) a barrier to carts from other cities, where the wheel base was different

The stock exchange

Some of the most fascinating sights in Pompeii are the bodies that were recovered during the excavation. These bodies were buried in ash and perfectly preserved for almost 2,000 years. You can still see the agony in their expressions and body positioning as they struggled to survive the .

Archaeologists preserved the bodies found beneath the ash by filling them with plaster. This is the body of a pregnant women who is holding her belly off the ground in a desperate attempt to save her baby while she suffocates in the ash and fumes.

You can see the agony on this person's face as they gasp for their final few breaths of air

This person was protecting him/herself from the falling ash

Our guide Franco was super knowledgeable about the city of Pompeii and was very generous with his time

The main plaza in town. Pompeii was a very wealthy Roman town, as evidenced by the marble columns. It was rebuilt several times leading up the eruption, as earthquakes were increasingly frequent.

Pompeii was a port city and received many sailors. Guess what this is pointing to?

The Pompeiians were some of the greatest artist of their time, with their paintings reflecting artistic skill not seen again until the Rennaissance. This was a wall painting found above one of the rooms in a brothel.

Amalfi Coast

After Pompeii, we drove up to the town of Ravello, which has an incredible setting high above the coastal town of Amalfi in an area of Italy know as the Amalfi Coast. The most direct route from Pompeii was straight over the mountains on small, windy road. The route was beautiful, but the rode is tight with several blind corners. It's smart to take it slow.

In the past, Ravello offered a retreat for many noble Italian families and as a result, it has a high number of impressive villas overlooking the dramatic coastline below. Today, these villas have been converted to luxury hotels, making it one of the premier luxury destinations in all of Europe. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage sight in 1996.

We stayed in arguably Ravello's nicest hotel, the Hotel Caruso, run by the luxury hotel brand Orient Express. The property is a large villa that has been converted into a five star hotel, complete with it's own terraced orchards, two restaurants, gym/spa, spectacular views, and the most incredible infinity pool we have ever seen. It was a wonderful place to relax and feel like we were on our honeymoon - just wish we had more time there!

Hotel Caruso

View of the terraced orchards.

View from the hotel to the coast below

Our room in the hotel - elegant and super comfortable

We began every morning on the terrace with the most spectacular views of sun rising over the coastline below.

This is the view we woke up to every morning from breakfast

Lindsay enjoying the view as she waits for her morning coffee

We totally lucked out with the weather in Ravello, getting clear skies with temperatures in the high 70s. We took advantage by spending a day at the pool. As I mentioned earlier, the pool is incredible, offering panoramic views of the surrounding towns and mountains and a breathtaking view down to the coastline below.

Lindsay admiring the view

It doesn't get much nicer than this...

Though small and touristy, the town of Ravello is charming and worth a visit. Sitting at about 1200 feet above sea level, the views are stunning. The town has a couple good mom and pop restaurants, some tasty panino places in the central Duomo Square and several other higher end restaurants within the hotels.

In the central square of Ravello, with the Duomo behind us

Enjoying wine and a panino in Ravello's Piazza del Duomo

We enjoyed a great meal at local restaurant in Ravello called Trattoria e Pizzeria Cumpà Cosimo, which was run by a older woman and her son. She did all the cooking and a bit of waiting tables, while he provided the comic relief. He was particularly flirtatious with Lindsay insisting on feeding her several items throughout the night. His best lines to me were "You can trust the Italian man, I put it on your life," and "You are the old soup. I am the new soup." Here's a picture of the two of us competing for Lindsay's affection. I am happy to report that she chose me.

The food was very homey. We particularly enjoyed the mixed pasta platter. We ordered one to start, then promptly ordered another. We also tried another restaurant in town, Rosellini's at Palazzo Avino, one of the only Michelin Star restaurants in town. The restaurant was a huge disappointment, as we found that they over-complicated every dish. We much preferred our meal at Cumpà Cosimo at a fraction of the price.

Mixed pasta platter at Cumpà Cosimo

After a day-and-a-half of enjoying Ravello, we decided to venture out to explore the surrounding coastline. We booked a trip out to the island of Capri for the day, which gave us the opportunity to see some of the other cities along the Amalfi coast, like Amalfi and Positano.

Town of Amalfi

Duomo in the town of Amalfi

Enjoying a stroll through Amalfi

Positano has a stunningly beautiful setting along the coast. We didn't have time to explore the town, but this will be on our list for the next trip.

I first traveled to Capri with my buddy Norm when we were backpacking around Europe after college. It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been, owing to its dramatic elevation changes, spectacular views, and its charming towns Capri of Anacapri. From the time I started planning our round the world adventure, I started thinking about bringing Lindsay there. Given that we had limited time in the Amalfi Coast, we decided to do it as a day trip rather than staying overnight. Over the last several years, Capri has become a popular destination for the rich and famous, which frankly takes away a bit from the experience of visiting. The town of Capri is jammed with tourists, most storefronts are now occupied by international luxury retailers, and restaurants proudly display pictures of all the celebrities that have eaten there. It's a bit harder to find a local vibe, requiring you to really get off the beaten track to find it. For that, you're likely to need more than a day. Nonetheless, we had an enjoyable day wandering around the town, admiring the beautiful views and eating a delicious lunch.

View of Capri from the ferry

The port of Capri

View from Capri town

Another beautiful view from Capri town

Main square in Capri town

Funicular between the port and the town of Capri

While wandering the streets of Capri, we grabbed lunch at Aurora, which has good food and a nice patio. It's a bit pricey for what you get, but most places in Capri are over-priced given the jet-set crowd that passes through. Along these lines, the popular restaurants proudly display pictures of celebrity visits which you can see next to the waiter in the picture below.

The patio at Aurora

Lightly fried squash blossom stuffed with cheese, accompanied with aged balsamic vinegar

Insalata di Pulpo (Octopus Salad)

Arugula, tomatoes, croutons and fresh parmesan reggiano

Ricotta ravioli with porcini mushrooms, topped with a bit of shaved parmesan. This was outstanding.

Tagliatelle with lobster and asparagus in a tomato sauce - light and summery.

Our three days in Amalfi were a wonderful way to kick off our Italian adventure. From Amalfi, we drove east towards Puglia, the heel of the boot.

Battipaglia and Puglia

On our way from Amalfi to Puglia, my cousin Jennifer encouraged us to stop by Tenuta Vanullo, just outside of Battipaglia, for "the best buffalo mozzarella of your life." Tenuta Vanullo encompasses a property of about 200 hectares and is the only organic buffalo farm in Italy. The family-owned farm is dedicated to producing quality products from buffalo milk, including cheese (ricotta and hand-made mozzarella), yogurt, pudding, and ice cream. We stopped by the yogurteria and the cheese shop to sample the goods, then took a stroll around the grounds. As Jennifer promised, the yogurt and cheese were outstanding, among the best we've ever had.

The Yogurteria sold pudding, yogurt and ice cream made from buffalo milk

We had a hard time choosing what to get from all the yogurt and ice cream options

We eventually settled on banana yogurt - it was delicious!

After sampling the yogurt, we popped into the cheese shop, where we purchased some hand-made buffalo mozzarella to enjoy later.

Fresh hand-made buffalo mozzarella

After our purchases we strolled over to the stables where they keep the buffalo. We were impressed with the technology they used in the milking process and the high quality of care given to the buffaloes. The machine below was used to milk the buffaloes. They walked into the machine one-by-one, where the hoses would be attached to their teat and would milk the buffalo. The whole process took about ten minutes per buffalo.

When they weren't being milked, the buffalo were relaxing, grabbing a bite to eat, or cleaning themselves with those giant yellow brushes. Not a bad life ...

The buffaloes at Tenuta Vanullo

Southern Puglia

Our first stop in Puglia was a small town called Cisternino. Cisternino is in an area of southern Puglia famous for its stone houses with conical shaped roofs, known as Trulli. The Trulli are characterized by on drywall (mortarless) construction, though many of the recent Trulli retain the same form but incorporate some modern building techniques. These unique buildings are most abundant in the neighboring town of Alborobello, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Given that these buildings are unique to the area, we thought it would be fun to stay in one, so we booked a great little bed-and-breakfast on the outskirts of Cisternino called Trullo Lavanda, where the owner constructed a few Trulli for guests.

Our Trullo home for 3 nights

Sunset on our patio overlooking olive orchards

Interior of the Trullo

The outskirts of Cisternino were surrounded by farms and olive orchards, giving us a nice setting for running (though a bit hilly). This was our last long run - about 12 miles - before the marathon.

Cisternino is a charming little town in the province of Brindisi, with its main industries being tourism, olives, grapes and dairy. Similar to many other towns in this part of Puglia, Cisternino has an old historic town center containing white washed stone buildings with narrow streets and churches. The town center sits elevated above the surrounding countryside.

Typical street in Cisternino

Old church in the center of Cisternino

Many of the restaurants in town are butcher shops by day, restaurants by night. They serve food that is very typical of the region, most notably bombettes, which are rolls of beef filled with cheese, ham, and sometimes minced meat or sausage. The word "bombettes" means "little bombs," as these things are like flavor explosions in your mouth. We decided to try some of the local fare on our first night at the Trullo.

We ate at the Porta Grande on our first night in Cisternino

This is the entrance to the butcher shop. The restaurant is in the back and only opens in the evening.

We started with the Orecchiette Cime di Rapa (Turnip Tops) - a very typical dish of Puglia

We shared a mixed meat dish that included sausage, lamb chops and, of course, bombette

This is what the bombette look like on the inside - flavor explosion!

Cisternino was a great base to explore the surrounding towns in southern Puglia, many of which have very well preserved historic centers. During our stay in Cisternino, we took day trips to visit Alborobello, Lecce and Galipolli.

One of the most unique places to visit is Alborobello, which is about 30 minutes from Cisternino by car. While there are a few trulli in the outskirts of Cisternino, Alborobello has a large portion of the city that is exclusively trulli and, as a result, the city has been named a UNESCO World Heritage sight.

Alborobello - a city of Trulli

Many of the trulli have symbols painted on their roofs, many of which are Christian in origin

Another charming street in Alborobello

Lecce, often referred to as the Florence of the South due to its rich Baroque architecture, is the capital of the Province of Lecce at the far southern tip of Puglia. The town is over 2000 years old and is rich with historical buildings/sites.

Roman Amphitheatre in downtown Lecce

Piazza del Duomo

Interior of the Duomo

Church of San Giovanni Battista

Fountain of the Lovers

While wandering around town, we found an unbelievably tasty vegetarian sandwich shop called L'Angolino di via Matteotti where we ate lunch. The shop bakes its bread fresh throughout the day. You go up the counter, choose your filling from about 20 different salads, vegetables, cheese, etc, then wait for the proprietor to warm up your bread and make your sandwich.

Decisions, decisions - you can choose any of the pictured items as filling for your sandwich

Fresh and delicious! The best sandwich we had in Italy (though admittedly, we didn't eat a lot of sandwiches)

From Lecce, we drove about 45 minutes south to the town of Galipolli on the western coast of the Salentina Peninsula. Galipolli's history dates back to ancient Greece, and its port was the largest olive oil market in the Mediterranean in the 18th Century. Today, the town's main industries are tourism and fishing. The main tourist attraction is its historical old town, which sits on a small island. The town is packed with tourists during the summer months, but by October, it's cooling down and there are very few visitors. We found the town a bit sleepy but enjoyable for an afternoon stroll.

Surfers catching some rides at one of Gallipoli's beaches on a windy day

Taking a stroll on Gallipoli's cobblestone boardwalk

View of the mainland behind me - that's the newer part of town

One thing we were most looking forward to in Puglia was eating at a restaurant called Al Fornello da Ricci, which is regarded as one of the best in the region. We first learned about it from Mario Batali's website, then later realized that my cousin Joshua worked there a few years ago.

The handwritten menu cover

The antipasti was the star on this menu - varied and delicious. We followed that with a couple pasta dishes and a couple meat dishes - all were very good.

Polpettini - fried pork meatballs - to get us started

First round of Antipasti

Antipasti plate - fried squash blossom, escargots, olives, crostini with puree of chick peas, pickled onion and roasted pepper

Wild chickory in broth

Home cured capocollo

Linguine with porcini mushrooms

Chlorophyl pasta stuffed with meat, eggplant and artichokes

Beef in a light curry sauce with salad and polenta

Beef with mushroom sauces

Bottomless local wine was included with the meal. We particularly enjoyed this light white wine from Itria named Verdeca - light and floral.

Enjoying a great meal at Fornello da Ricci

Orsara di Puglia

When hearing about our interest in food, my cousin Jennifer suggested that we spend a couple days of our Puglia itinerary with Peppe Zullo. Peppe is a larger than life personality that is passionately dedicated to showcasing the best of Puglian cuisine. He owns a restaurant, catering business and a couple large properties, Piano Paradiso and Villa Jamele, in a small town in northern Puglia called Orsara di Puglia. Orsara is about 40 minutes southwest of Foggia, and about 2 hours northeast of Naples.

Entering the town of Orsara di Puglia

If you spend any time with Peppe, you'll hear him share his philosophy on cooking, aptly summarized as, "Simple Food for Intelligent People." While we had been enjoying the food in Italy up to that point, nothing had knocked our socks off. That was about to change with Peppe, who treated us to an incredible couple days of fresh, flavorful, local ingredients presented in simple and delicious ways.

Ristorante Peppe Zullo

The view of Orsara from our room at Piano Paradiso

Our room was on the far left

Upon arrival in Orsara, Peppe asked that we sit down for a multi-course lunch, which he and his chefs had prepared for us from ingredients found mostly on his properties. It was fantastic - one of our best meals of the trip.

Selection of breads to start the meal. Peppe made the two breads on the left. The bread on the far right was from Pan e Salute, a 500-year-old oven in town that we had the chance to visit.

The meal was accompanied by Peppe's own label of wine - grown from grapes on his properties

Wild figs with prosciutto and aged balsamic vinegar

Squash blossoms filled with caciocavallo cheese, topped with fresh basil

Fresh bread with guanciale, mushrooms and wild chickory

Puree of chickpeas with wild chickory and estate grown olive oil

Parmegian of wild vegetables and herbs

Homemade orrechiete with chickpeas and olive oil. The brown color comes from the use of Farina Arsa, a burnt flour used to make pasta in Puglia (more description below).

Peppe shaving some fresh black truffle onto our meat course

Beef wrapped around caciocavallo with shaved black truffle and roasted potatoes

Cooked lemon apple with a dried fig and chocolate sauce

Freshly made gelato from local pistachios

Finishing the meal with Amaribel, a liqueur made from black cherry. This was also Peppe's own production.

Aside from Peppe, Orsara is also well known for its bread and the 500-year-old oven they use to make it. The oven is burning throughout the week, but bread is actually only produced twice a week - on Tuesdays and Fridays. The type of bread made in Orsara is believed to get better as it ages, so it's no problem to use the bread a day or two after it's made.

Orsara's famous bread

The oven is used to make other items during the rest of the week - like pizza, foccacia, etc. We spent one morning observing the bakers hard at work making a variety of delicious things.

Outside the entrance to Pan e Salute

The Pan e Salute oven - in operation since 1526

Rosa making pizza

Brian (in the green shirt), a chef from Oregon, and Monique (in the black shirt), a journalist from Canada were also spending some time with Peppe

Freshly baked rolls (on top) and pizzas being prepared (on the bottom)

Posing with our gracious hosts

After we returned home from Pan e Salute, Peppe made us a simple, yet delicious lunch.

Mozzarella produced locally by one of Peppe's friends

Prosciutto

Bean soup

Trofie with a fresh tomato sauce and basil

Following lunch, Peppe took us on a tour of his properties. The first stop was a massive cellar complex that included rooms for wine, meat, cheese, tomato sauce and tons of banquet space.

The entrace to Peppe's cellar complex. Notice the photo of Peppe reclining on his wine bottles ... classic Peppe.

One of the many rooms in the cellar. Peppe referred to this as his naughty room.

This room housed all of the tomato sauce that the restaurant used. The tomatoes are harvested in the summer months and then turned into tomato sauce and canned.

With Peppe in his Cinema Paradiso room

Peppe's other property, Villa Jemele, is much larger and hosts several private functions. The property was incredible, with vineyards, olive groves, huge gardens, farm animals and a large area for growing fruits and vegetables. Despite hosting a wedding that day, Peppe spent the afternoon and evening with us, first showing us around Villa Jemele and then giving us a pasta making class. As he led us around the property, he grabbed what looked like weeds from the ground and asked us to smell them. They were wild herbs, with the most pungent aromas. He then pointed to wild fig trees ... it was like a garden of eden there.

Villa Jemele

The olives were about ready to be harvested and pressed

Peppe's pigs saying hello to us

Peppe showing us some wild herbs from his garden

After our tour of Villa Jemele, Peppe took us back to Piano Paradiso for a pasta making class. He taught us how to make about a dozen different pastas by hand. Historically Puglia has been one of the poorer regions in Italy. The peasants were allowed to scavenge the wheat fields for fallen grains but only after the fields were burnt to prepare for the following harvest. This left them with burnt flour or "farina arsa" which they would mix with water to make pasta. This gives the pasta a brown color, mimicking that of whole wheat but with an entirely different taste. It has a chewy texture and a deep toasted flavor, depending on how much farina arsa is used. Some chefs like Peppe still use a little bit of burnt flour in their pastas to preserve Puglian tradition.

Rolling pasta to make trofie

Peppe used to live in Mexico, so knowing that Lindsay was half Mexican, he decided to switch to Spanish half way through the lesson (despite Lindsay telling him that she only spoke "un pocito")

Peppe and Lindsay showing off the fruits of their labor

We didn't want all the pasta to go to waste, so Peppe made a potpouri of pasta shapes with some fresh tomato sauce and squash blossoms stuffed with caciocavallo.

Greve in Chianti

From Orsara, we drove up to Greve in Chianti to enjoy the Tuscan countryside and delicious food. My cousin recommended we stay at a beautiful old restored villa in the hills above Greve called Villa Bordoni. The Villa, originally built in the 16th century as a noble villa, was purchased in 2003 by David and Catherine Gardner, a Scottish couple who ran a few restaurants in Florence. After three years of renovation, they opened the Villa to rave reviews. The setting is like something from a movie, in the hills surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, and the interior is a perfect mix of luxury and Tuscan charm. The hotel also has an excellent restaurant, which not only makes delicious food but also offers cooking classes for guests in the hotel. If you are looking for a culinary destination-this is it!

The villa is a good location for exploring the surrounding wineries and towns of Florence, Siena, and Greve, though visitors should be warned that the road to the Villa hardly qualifies as a road. It's a dirt road that snakes through the surrounding vineyards, and without a GPS, you may be wondering if you're going the right way. We actually got rained in one day at the hotel because the roads flooded and no one could get in or out. Thankfully, the chef made into the work that day and was able to prepare us an outstanding meal.

Entrance to the Villa Bordoni

View of the Villa from the back

The view of the Chianti countryside from the Villa

Our suite at the Villa, beautifully furnished, with a bathtub in the living room

The common area upstairs

The outdoor "gym"

Our favorite employee at the Villa Bordoni - Hugo

Being a restauranteur, David has hired a fantastic kitchen staff. The food we had at the Villa was among the best we enjoyed in Italy. Here are some highlights from the meals we enjoyed in the hotel.

Goat cheese tart

Pumpkin soup with prosciutto-wrapped prawns

Homemade tagliatelle with wild boar ragu, a Tuscan specialty

Apple crostada with a pistachio and chocolate budino

Cheese plate with homemade fig jam. The goat cheese was particularly outstanding!

While we were at the hotel, we got a "once in 20 year" rainstorm (as several locals called it), which flooded the road to the hotel, leaving us stranded in the hotel for the day. Fortunately, the resident chef, Colin, made it into work that day and ended up preparing a feast for the guests in the hotel, which included a beautiful spread of meats and cheeses, followed by three delicious pastas.

The table was set with a beautiful spread of Italian meats and cheeses

Langoustine pasta in a light tomato sauce

Spaghetti with tomato, pancetta, and basil

A highlight of our stay at the Villa was the cooking class that Colin teaches. He led a group of 7 guests through the preparation of a multi-course meal. The participants in class do the main preparation, but Collin completes the cooking and plating, so you end up with restaurant quality food. It was one of our favorite meals in Italy.

With Chef Collin

Browning the chicken for "Chicken Fricassee"

Adding the chicken to the stock

Layering the tiramisu

Stuffing the artichokes

Preparing the focaccia

We made fresh pasta using eggs and very fine flour

Colin taught us how to make several different types of pasta

We made spaghetti by rolling out the dough and pushing through a "chitarra," a wooden board with guitar-like strings

Spaghetti alla Chitarra

After cooking the meal, we gathered in the lounge area to enjoy our feast. It was delicious!

Enjoying our meal with our classmates

Foccacia with rosemary

Artichokes stuffed with pecorino and breadcrumbs with béchamel

Spaghetti all' amatriciana

Fricassee of Chicken

Tiramisu

While at the Villa, we took a couple day trips to nearby Florence and Siena, both about an hour away.

Florence

One of the most beautiful cities in the world is Florence. As a wedding gift, my cousin Jennifer, who lives in Florence, graciously offered to take us on a Food Lover's tour of the city, which was another highlight of our Italy trip. Afterwards, she set us up with a guide to visit the famous sites in town - Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Michaelangelo's David, and the Duomo.

The Food Lover's Tour began with a traditional Italian cafe, where we enjoyed some pastries and coffee, and learned about the myriad of ways that Italians enjoy their coffee. Jennifer explained that the secret to such great coffee in Italy is the way in which Italians roast their coffee and the very particular ways in which the coffee is prepared. We sampled a three varieties: a café machiatto (meaning coffee "stained" with milk - just a bit of steamed milk added to an espresso), a bicerin (made from espresso, drinking chocolate and whole milk), and a Cafe Shakerato (a cold drink consisting of espresso, sugar and lots of ice shaken until frothy).

Scudieri - coffee shop in downtown Florence

Enjoying our pastries with three different types of coffee - Café Macchiato, Bicerin, and Café Shakerato (from left to right)

After coffee, Jennifer took us to a 160 year old shop named Bizzarri. They sell a huge variety of spices, scented oils and they can even create a personalized perfume of your choice. They offered us the opportunity to stimulate our taste buds through smelling a number of different items like sage and honeysuckle.

Jennifer explaining to Lindsay the types of items available at Bizzarri - you can find just about any spice imaginable here.

Example of items sold at Bizzarri - Essence of Gardenia. Even the bottles are classic.

The interior of Bizzarri - this cabinet was brought over from the shop's old location. It fits the apothecary vibe perfectly.

After Bizzarri, we headed over to Procacci to learn about truffles. Procacci is a delicatessen located on the famous Via de' Tornabuoni, now a pedestrian street filled with high end luxury retailers. The shop dates back to 1885 and specializes in truffles and other delicacies like chocolate. In particular, it's famous for its small truffle sandwiches. The truffle hunting culture in Tuscany is strong, with many people training their dogs to smell truffles (including Jennifer). We enjoyed one of Procacci's famous truffle sandwiches with a glass of prosecco, as well some of Tuscany's famous chocolate (only served in the winter).

Entrance to Procacci

Jennifer teaching us about truffles

Delicious white truffle sandwich

Local Tuscan chocolate

Next stop was the central market in Florence, where Jennifer took us to Nerbone for a local specialty - lampredotto, which are cow intestines (tripe) cooked in water along with tomato, onion, parsley and celery. The Florentines love their intestines, as you can see from the many varieties available at their butcher shops. Lampredotto is prepared from the fourth and final cow stomach (cows have four stomachs in case you were wondering).

We tried our lampredotto at the famous Nerbone sandwich shop, which has been an institution in Florence since 1872. The line at the shop winds around the market as people wait anxiously for their sandwiches, which come in two varieties - lampredotto and brisket. You have a choice between smaller or larger rolls for the sandwiches. The bread is first dipped in the cooking broth then layered high with your chosen meat. We tried both varieties of sandwiches and decided we liked the lampredotto better. It didn't have the gamey flavor or chewy texture I usually associate with tripe.

Nerbone sandwich shop

Nerbone is very popular as you can see by the long line

Brisket

Lampredotto

Enjoying the lampredotto sandwich with a glass of Tuscan red wine

After eating our sandwiches, Jennifer took us to the other side of the market to visit a specialty store to where we tasted some local cheeses, olive oils, and a few varieties of balsamic vinegar. We ended up buying some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to send home.

The store also had a great selection of cured meats

Local cheese tasting

Selection of balsamic vinegars

Our final stop on the Food Lover's Tour was Grom, offering Florence's best artisinal gelato. Some of you may actually be familiar with Grom already, as they have shops in the West Village in NYC and Malibu in California. Grom was founded by a couple of young Italians in 2002, who were focused on finding the best and freshest products globally to make artisinal gelato. Their first store was opened in 2003 in Turin. They now have several shops throughout Italy and abroad (US, France, Japan).

There are several gelato places throughout Florence, characterized by huge piles of gelato displayed invitingly in the windows. Jennifer pointed out that these piles mean much of the gelato at the bottom has been sitting there for days, if not longer. If you want the freshest gelato, one should look for stores where the gelato is packed in smaller containers that are covered to ensure proper and even temperature.

Enjoying our gelato with Jennifer

Thank you, Jennifer, for a sharing with us the most delicious aspects of Florence! After tasting the best of Florence, we spent the rest of the afternoon seeing its most famous sites. Considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is extraordinarily beautiful - full of spectacular buildings and beautiful art around every corner. We started our afternoon tour in the main square - the Piazza della Signoria - where we admired the Fountain of Neptune, many outdoor statues and the Palazzo Vecchio. From there we walked across the famous Ponte Vecchio before stopping by the Duomo and visiting Michaelangelo's David. We ended our sightseeing by climbing to the top of the Duomo to catch the sun setting over the city.

Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza della Signoria

In front of the Ponte Vecchio

On the Ponte Vecchio with the Arno River behind us

Fontana del Porcellino - a fountain dating back to the 17th century. Rubbing its snout is believed to bring you good luck. There is also superstition around putting a coin in the boar's mouth. If the coin drops into the grate below, you will return one day to Florence. Evidently, Lindsay will be returning on her own since my coin missed the grate.

The construction of the Duomo di Firenze was begun in 1296 and completed 173 years later in 1469, though the beautiful facade, covered in green, pink and white marble, wasn't finished until the 18th century.

In contrast to the outside of the Duomo, the interior is sparsely decorated.

The one exception to the sparse interior of the Duomo was the fresco of the Last Judgment on the ceiling of the dome, which was magnificently painted by Giorgio Vasari and Frederico Zuccari

Climbing up to the top of the Duomo

Enjoying the view of Florence from the top of the Duomo

Watching the sun setting over the bell tower and the city of Florence

The Duomo lit up at night. The brick dome was a marvel of engineering when it was built and remains one of the world's largest.

Jennifer recommended a great restaurant in town for dinner called Il Santo Bevitore which gave us the opportunity to try some local dishes in a hip modern trattoria. The highlight of the meal was the Pappa al Pomodoro, which is a traditional Florentine peasant dish made from stale local (unsalted) bread, tomatoes, garlic, olive and basil. We also had a delicious pumpkin soup with lobster crudo, spaghetti with mutton ragu and a shrimp risotto.

The outstanding pappa al pomodoro

Pumpkin soup with lobster crudo

Pasta with mutton ragu

Shrimp risotto

Siena

The other city that we really wanted to visit while in Tuscany was Sienna, which we also did as a day trip from Greve. Below are some highlights of the day.

Typical street in Siena

Pizza del Campo - the center of Siena's old city and one of the most beautiful medieval squares in the world. That's the Palazzo Pubblico in the center, which was built in the 14th century and was the inspiration for many other town halls around the world including Copenhagen's.

In the Piazza del Campo

Siena's beautiful cathedral, built in the 13th century.

The interior of Siena's Duomo was spectacular, particular the floor mosaics

While in Siena, we stopped for lunch at La Taverna di San Giuseppe. The place had a great rustic vibe and the food was delicious. We started with some Tuscan appetizers - souffle of pecorino cheese and involtini di melanzane (eggplant rolls) covered with porcini mushrooms. We then shared a primi - homemade stracci with pumpkin and leek cream sauce, and a secondi - filet of beef wrapped in dough smothered with porcini mushrooms. Every course was great, but the pasta and beef were particularly memorable.

La Taverna di San Giuseppe

To Start: soufflé of pecorino (front) and involtini di melanze (eggplant rolls) with fresh porcini mushrooms

Homemade stracci in a pumpkin and leek cream sauce

Beef filet wrapped in dough covered with fresh porcini mushrooms. Awesome.

The meat was cooked perfectly

Venice

After 5 relaxing days in Tuscany, we made our way to Venice, the final destination of our Italy tour. On the drive to Venice, we stopped by Le Calandre in Padua for lunch. Le Calandre is Italy's top ranked restaurant (number 27 on the world's top 50 restaurants list) and is run by the Alajmo family. Chef Massimiliano Alajmo was the youngest chef in the world to receive his third Michelin star at age 28 (in 2002). The restaurant has a very playful vibe, which is reflected in their menu, the presentation of their food, the design of their space and in the attitudes of their staff. To celebrate this youthful attitude, they are running a special in 2013 called "Carpe Diem," which offers half-priced tasting menus to anyone that is 40 or under. I noticed the deal when I was doing some research on Italy restaurants and jumped on the opportunity. We were both very happy that we did, as the meal was one of the best tasting menus we've ever had.

Antipasti

"Pizza" with burrata, red pepper, olive oil and fresh basil

Naked and raw meat and fish

Seared scallops with apple and green celery foam

Steamed potato ravioli with aromas of the sea. Each of these little potato pillows were stuffed with a different type of seafood - calamari, anchovies, and lobster

Thin pasta sheets over ricotta and chickory filling, with a liquid carrot center, covered with shaved white truffles

"Bone and herbs". I was jealous that Lindsay got the bigger bone.

Wild duck in marsala with liver pate, white truffle and crispy polenta

Palate cleanser - simple lettuce salad with shaved white truffle. Contrary to Lindsay's and my first impression, the while ball on the left was NOT edible. It was a cotton ball meant to clean our hands after eating the salad.

"Perfumed Fruits" served with cold blueberry soup that served a palate cleanser before our dessert

The dessert was hands down the best dessert Lindsay and I have ever had. Each year, Chef Alajmo creates a new "Gioco di Cioccolato" (Chocolate Game) - this year's game was called "In.Time" and was a play on how we experience time through all of our senses. It was an immersive experience lasting almost 30 minutes, utilizing props, and consisting of 11 different chocolate-based dishes. The dessert was phenomenal and a lot of fun. Every flavor we tried was outstanding, which is extraordinary considering how many components the dessert had.

Truthfully, the concept behind the dessert wasn't totally clear to us, but the flavors were so delicious and our senses were so stimulated that we didn't care much. The first part of the dessert related to a faster experience of time. The waiter brought a timer over that was set to 25 minutes, an hour glass, ear plugs and a small chocolate wafer for each of us. He asked us to put the earplugs in, flipped the hour glass and started the clock. He asked us concentrate on the sounds of eating, which isn't something we usually pay attention to. The chocolate wafer was crispy and filled with a bit of chocolate cream and pop rocks. As we chewed the wafer, the sounds of the wafer cracking and the pop rocks popping creating a symphony of sounds in our heads. The timer moved more quickly during this part of he dessert and slowed down as we progressed to the second half.

Part 1 of our In.Time dessert

The second part of the dessert related to time moving more slowly. We received 10 small chocolate dishes plated beautifully in a bath with dry ice. In addition to chocolate, we experienced a wide range of flavors including fruit, truffles, goat cheese, caramel, cream, etc. Each one was just as delicious as the one that preceded it.

Part 2 of the In.Time dessert - Experiencing time more slowly

Chef Massimiliano came out of the kitchen on a few occasions to greet us and make sure we were enjoying our meal. We really appreciated spending some time with him - a rarity in restaurants of this caliber. The whole meal was an all around outstanding experience and one worth making a trip for.

Chef Massimiliano Alajmo with two happy customers

We arrived in Venice that evening by water bus. I kept telling Lindsay how surreal it is to be in a city on water - there's nothing like it in the world.

Arriving in Venice

Since we only had three days in Venice, we wanted to be in the city. We stayed in a small hotel called Ca Dogaressa in Cannaregio, which is the Jewish quarter of Venice. The neighborhood was a great option because it's a bit cheaper and much less touristy than most of the island, yet it's still walking distance to all of the major sites and restaurants.

The canal where we stayed in Cannaregio

Our hotel in the Jewish quarter

Enjoying breakfast on the canal in front of our hotel

We arrived in Venice on Friday evening. The marathon was on Sunday, so we had Saturday free to explore Venice.

On one of the many beautiful bridges in Venice

Doge's Palace in Piazza San Marco

Looking across the Grand Canal

One of the most romantic cities on Earth

Though touristy, there are some great restaurants in Venice if you do a bit of research. One of our favorite meals of the trip was at Trattoria Alle Testiare, where we stopped for lunch. The restaurant had some of the best seafood we've ever had, as well as fantastic pastas.

We began with this fantastically fresh and vibrant garden salad with lagoon shrimp and porcini mushrooms. The pineapple was a great addition.

Best razor clams we ever had, simply prepared in olive oil and parsley.

Homemade potato gnocchetti with small calamari in a cinnamon scented sauce. It sounds a bit strange but it was phenomenal, one of the best pastas of the trip.

Artichoke and ricotta ravioli with scampi

Seppie in Nero - a traditional Venetian dish of squid cooked in its own ink alongside some polenta. This was cooked well, but it wasn't our favorite as the sauce is quite strong. It's a local specialty so we wanted to try it.

We ended with a classic tiramisu, which was one of the better ones we had on our trip. It had a good ratio of cake to cream.

Another traditional Venetian restaurant that we enjoyed was Trattoria Anice Stellato, though it's not in the same league as Alle Testiare.

Pulpo (octopus)

Spaghetti with crab and leeks in a light butter sauce

Bigoli pasta made from whole wheat flour and coated with an onion-anchovy sauce and fresh pepper. This is a very traditional Venetian dish.

Our trip to Italy culminated with the Venice Marathon on Sunday, October 27th. The course started in the town of Stra, about 25 kilometers outside of Venice and finished on Riva dei Setti Matiri in Venice. The final three miles of the race were inside Venice proper, with the highlights being a section through Piazza San Marco and of course the finish. With the exception of the part in Venice, the race is not the most beautiful marathon, but it was a fun accomplishment to do it together, completing my first marathon and Lindsay's second.