Italy: what I ate this trip

Just slapping this up here for posterity. You’ve already heard about the kilos of mozzarella balls I scarfed down in the south, but surprisingly there was also room in my belly for other food, too, as we made our way up and down the peninsula. Here’s a little taste:

Pumpkin gnocchi with roquefort sauce and artichoke hearts at the unfortunately named Bufalo Cantina’s in Bressanone (Brixen), Alto Adige.

Pastatelli with tomato and porcini mushrooms at Ristorante La Loggetta overlooking the main square in Cortona, Tuscany.

Not pictured: amazing gelato from Gli Svizzeri in Arezzo, Tuscany. Excellent chocolate!

Grilled porcini mushroom caps (they taste better than they look) at Trattoria La Grotta in Cortona, Tuscany.

Tagliolini with fresh truffles, ravioli with truffle sauce, and a side of spinach at Trattoria la Grotta in Cortona, Tuscany.

Some of the food we cooked ourselves: a simple pasta with tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, mozzarella and parmigiano (can you tell the apartment was missing a cheese grater?).

And an even simpler meal: tomatoes with fresh smoked buffalo mozzarella.

A plate of mixed veggies (escarole, roasted red peppers, potatoes with mushrooms, and another green) at a simple but fabulous hole in the wall in Vallo, Campagna, called La Tavernetta del Principe (Piazza V. Emanuele). They also had homemade ravioli and other yummy stuff.

Dessert in Vallo: chocolate ricotta balls rolled in coconut.

A couple veggies, including carciofi alla romana (Roman artichokes) in Bagni di Tivoli.

Pasta cacio e pepe with artichoke hearts. Cacio e pepe is typical of the Rome area, containing pecorino cheese and black pepper. In Tivoli.

At the Pizzeria Stecca (Via G. Bruno, 42) in Padua. This is what a pizza verdure (vegetable pizza) is supposed to look like. Hear that, Zurich?

And in conclusion, I give you gelato from Grom, a high-end chain which has been popping up in all the major Italian cities (and NYC!) over the past few years. Some of the best pistachio gelato I’ve ever had. In Padua.

21 thoughts on “Italy: what I ate this trip”

  1. Hello! I was in Italy 2 years ago… a friend and I ate our way around the country as well. I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, and was excited to read about your adventures in Italy – Padua especially – but was finally moved to comment when GROM caught my eye. Every night in Padua ended with a trip to Grom for Nocciola solo, per favore. Though my friend got their chocolate and loved that.

  2. Pictures of food…my favorite! Hmm…I’ll have to do a post about this from my trip to Germany!

    BTW, I couldn’t find the Smurf Gelato anywhere in Germany. I did, however, find out that it is the 25th anniversary of Smurfs this year…hence the Smurf gelato (I’m assuming).

  3. Wow, you’ve really documented your meals well! For pasta lovers in Zurich, check out Hot Pasta on the Universitatstrasse. Mmm. It’s not Italy, but it’s the best I’ve had in Zurich thus far.

  4. Oooo I love GROM!!

    I had it in Padua as well and was instantly hooked. I don’t even like pears, but the pear gelato was ridiculous. After eating gelato in every city I’ve traveled through, Grom is still the best, no contest.

  5. LOL, and here I was thinking no one would be interested in a post that was nothing but photos of food. 🙂

    I’m going to have to try pear gelato next time I’m near a Grom again…

  6. The food looks so amazing, especially the gnocchi! I’ll never forget when I was in an aerobics class once and the instructor just got back from Italy. Her comment was one of frustration because they eat so much white pasta and bread.

    I mean, I’m in the health field too, but I was like, lady, are you kidding me? You just experienced some of the best cuisine in the world and you were worried about white flour. Give me a break! Italy is inching further up the to-do list due to these photos. 🙂

  7. Yuuuuuuuum! I kind of have the stomach flu right and I’m on the brink of getting my appetite back – those pictures are helping! Must find food…

  8. I learned something else on this post – you are evidently psychic, because right after I read your last post, I was dying to know what you ate. C’mon Italy…food.. yum…

  9. Lori – yeah, she totally missed the point!

    Christina – glad you are feeling better!

    NewWrldYankee – I aim to please. 🙂

  10. so unfair. here i am in a city with no good italian food and am now craving it, thanks to those pix. good thing i’m going to atlanta tomorrow …

  11. I am drooling over the gelato. I really miss this over here. There is none to be found in our area. And pistaccio is my favorite.

Comments are closed.