Mangia! Mangia! Torta della Nonna
December 19th, 2016Eating at Nonna’s – ‘Nonna’ being the Italian word for grandmother – is never a disappointment. The stereotype of the bustling Italian women serving platefuls of pasta until their families are stuffed are not far from the truth. Spot-on, at least, for my family. ... Read More
Italian Street Food: Six Fabulous Faves to Delight Your Palette
October 10th, 2016There is something magical about sitting in an Italian piazza at dusk, ordering a bottle of wine and carefully studying a menu to decide which delicious dish looks the best that day. The atmosphere is unparalleled, the food is sure to be amazing – the perfect ending to a day. But what if there isn’t time ... Read More
Salute! Cin Cin! Essential Italian Aperitivi
August 9th, 2016Relax with a reverie of your trip to Italy while you sip one of these iconic Italian aperitivi (pre-dinner cocktails). An aperitivo is your chance to transition from your day to dinner, lightly alcoholic to relax and with some flavor and nibbles to stimulate your appetite. The classic Italian aperitivo is often based on one of ... Read More
Roman Gelato Joy: Top 5 Gelaterie Picks
July 12th, 2016No trip to Rome would be complete without sampling cool and creamy gelato. The origins of ice-cream are steeped in legend, with little hard historical evidence to support any of the numerous tales surrounding its invention. Nonetheless, Italy tends to feature pretty centrally in these stories, so even if the first recipe might be traced ... Read More
Tour Italy’s Foods Without Leaving Rome
March 21st, 2016Ask anyone: what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Italy? The food, the wine. (And the history and culture, of course), but most people get a vision of pizza and pasta dancing around their head when asked. And for a lot of people, experiencing all of the different types of ... Read More
Sweet Italy – Dolce Italia
August 31st, 2015Italy is a seemingly endless landscape of culinary delights. The Italy Perfect team put together a tour of our favorites Italian sweets. Full of flavors, from fruity Gelato to chocolate gooey Nutella, from the crunch of Biscotti to the flaky delicious Sfogliatelle, this list has a taste for every palette. Try one or try them ... Read More
Indispensable Italian Coffee Primer
June 8th, 2015The caffeine landscape in Italy is rich with ritual and tradition. The espresso is as much a staple as pizza and wine. Italy is very traditional in its choice of coffees; popular American and British brands have never really made their mark here. So the Starbucks vocabulary such as latte and venti, while they are Italian words, don’t mean the ... Read More
Florence Mercato Centrale: A Tour of Tastes
June 30th, 2014The newly renovated Mercato Centrale [Central Market] is the epicurean center of new and old Florence, a veritable tour of tastes. The ground floor has always offered a wide array of fruit, vegetable, meat and other specialized local vendors. The 140 year-old Mercato Centrale recently celebrated the opening of its new HUB gourmet food hall ... Read More
A Moveable Feast Tuscan Style
April 11th, 2014Food traditions are a big part of Italian culture so it’s no surprise that eating well is a tradition of our Italy trips! A highlight of a recent trip was a marvelous dinner prepared for us by Chef in Tuscany at our accommodations near Florence. Graziella and her staff arrived cheerful and efficient; settled us ... Read More