We have returned from an incredibly delicious honeymoon
filled with beautiful sites, culinary endeavors, and local wines. We traveled
to Rome, Sardinia, Pompeii, Positano, Capri, and Paris. Each city had so many delicacies and I
spent much of my time ooh-ing and aah-ing
over the smallest bite. I consumed so many memorable meals that I could write a
new blog to cover all of the food I tasted. Instead, I will devote two blog
postings to the trip: one to Italy and the other to France.
In Rome, we stuck with the basics: pasta, pizza bianca, cappuccinos, and
gelato. One of our most memorable dinners was at Campana. I had the fettucine with cream and black truffles. As you can imagine, this dish was incredibly decadent. I never have had such amazing truffles in my life. Every bite enlivened my senses. Make sure to get your share of truffles next time you're in Italy.
For lunches, we explored the sinuous streets and found two
restaurants that we loved.
One was Il Bocaro, a tiny restaurant situated on a
cobblestoned alley. We stuffed our faces with homemade burrata like we've never tasted and rigatoni
with crispy sage, bacon, and Parmesan cheese (let me know if you have a recipe for this dish as I need to recreate it).
We also explored the
Jewish district, which had interesting food. We feasted on eggplant Parmesan and fried artichokes prepared in a Jewish style at the famous Giggettos.
I have never tasted fried artichokes like these. The artichokes were the
perfect balance of crunchiness and saltiness. Every leaf was a pleasure to consume.
In Alghero, Sardinia, we dined on local seafood. One of our
most memorable meals was at Il Pavone, where I had an amazing sea bass served in
a gratin style with crispy potatoes and fresh local spinach. Every bite was
fantastic and you could certainly taste the freshness of the fish that was caught earlier that day. Even my husband said it
was one of the best seafood dishes of his life.
In Positano, we went to Lo Guarracino, a pizzeria that came
highly recommended by friends. We sat on a cliff that over looked the sea. For
12E we sipped on a liter of local red wine while we gobbled down a 14E pizza topped with
mozzarella, caramelized red onions, and local ham. The pizza was so delicious
that we actually considered returning for dinner, instead we went to Next2, which featured local farm food. During our stay, we also ate sublime bruschetta with toasted bread that was rubbed with fresh garlic and topped with local Italian tomatoes and mozzarella.
And that wraps up my Italian culinary highlights. If anyone is going to Italy soon, please let me know as I have many restaurant recommendations. Stay tuned for a Paris
post!