Madrid, Spain

Although my trip to Spain was drawing to a close, I had no less energy with which to limp around Madrid in my walking boot. This city certainly felt more modern and congested with foot traffic and vehicle traffic. There was road construction blocking some sidewalks and roads and throngs of people in large city squares, as well as lines at all of the eateries.

Juana Laloca

Pinxtos in Madrid, located in the oldest district, La Latina. There was already a line forming when I arrived before the restaurant opened, a place said to have the best tortilla de patata in the city! 

This was definitely my style menu with a section entitled "Fanciful Pinxtos" for more unusual combinations. Everyone around the packed restaurant looked nothing less than pleased with their food, despite the elbow to elbow crowd in the morning!

Smoked Sardine. No regrets. 

Alabaster

Madrid, Spain

This little high end restaurant was quiet when I stopped in the middle of the day. I enjoyed the peace of a nearly empty dining room. The decor was sophisticated and pristine and the food was delightful, both in presentation and flavor. My only dismay was the challenge of deciding what to order.

Tuna tartare with almond soup and avocado cream

Baby squid with broad beans and mustard

Vides Wine Bar

This wine bar delivers a wide variety of wines by the glass with all wines sourced from Spain, a truly curated list. The menu lists the region from which the wine originates, as well as having a map available to highlight the wine regions. Also, the staff are very engaged with each customer and are knowledgeable to deliver a glass to suite your taste. It is unusual to have such an extensive list of wines by the glass from small wineries around the country. The establishment is run with some sentimentality, as the owner really draws attention to a large picture of himself as a child standing in a vineyard with his grandfather. This is a centerpiece of the decor, honoring his heritage and something he is clearly proud to share. This was a highlight of my entire trip. The wine was superb, there was much to learn, and the staff were welcoming and happy to share their knowledge, with the owner serving most customers himself.

If I return to Madrid, this will be a stop that I will certainly revisit! 

 

Rome, Italy

Rome was where I ended my journey around Italy.

I stayed several days and explored many different areas. Food memories were my favorite, of course! However, I did see the Vatican, the Sistine chapel, and the Colosseum, which was a large stone ruins, with perhaps more ruins in general that I anticipated in general as I walked around the city.

I tasted Giolitti Gelato. the oldest gelateria in Rome, established in 1890. There will always be a line waiting to enter, but it moves fairly quickly, highlighting that the staff is accustomed to a constant inundation of patrons. The flavors seemed endless! I enjoyed my scoop on the sidewalk just outside the store, after which I snapped the picture below. 

It was not my only stop for gelato! I also tasted Fatamorgana, which is also a popular establishment that is entirely gluten free, as the founder has celiac disease. It was delicious! 

There were other unplanned gelato stops, too, such as when I saw this gelato shop and did not leave until I had a scoop in hand. 

Gelato îs one of my favorites, as ice cream was my favorite childhood food, but cheese is where a more recent passion lies! I combed reviews to try to find information on the best places to buy local cheese. I ended up with several stops, only one of which was a little disappointing and I only enumerate my favorite stops below.

ANTICA CACIARA

A little cheese shop that felt local, situated in the Trasteverina area of the city. The store is bursting with cheese, sausage, wine, and bacalao. 

The cheese selection felt very local. Was it the limited English spoken in the shop? The handwritten labels on the goods that were for sale? I am uncertain, but I was very pleased with the pricing and the flavor of the purchases I made here, which was limited to cheese and bacalao. 

VOLPETTI SALUMERIA

This was reviewed as having some of the best selection of fine foods around the city and I was impressed by the variety of offerings as well as the service. I purchased a mountain of cheese that I put into my suitcase to eat back home in California. The store was overflowing with items to make a perfectly elegant charcuterie spread, ranging from meats and olives to artichokes to oils and vinegars, but also freshly cooked items, such as cake and arancini. 

TRATTORIA MONTI

This spot required a reservation, which I did not have, but put my name on a list and returned several hours later to be seated at the beginning of the dinner service. 

Red onion flan in gorgonzola cheese sauce

Tortello, which is a large ravioli with a fresh egg yolk inside

There were rave reviews about this dish, so I ordered it, but have to say it was underwhelming considering the hype. I do respect the art that is put into such a delicate dish, but compared to the flavor bomb offered by the flan that I had just eaten, I imagine that other items on the menu were worthy of attention as well.

PROLOCO DOL

This cheese shop was a trek out of the way, but I am glad that I went. The shop is unique in that it offers all items from small producers in the Lazio region. Below I am pictured with the owner, who was as passionate to tell about his products as I was to listen, especially once I told him that I had taken public transit and walking to reach him from the city! He could not believe it since it is thirty minutes by car, but I was determined to visit! 

This photo of the meat counter does not look like much, but the bresaola (air dried beef), which is to the left side of the prosciutto, was so remarkable that I still recall it clearly years later. It was sweet as it had been soaked in a sweet liquor, such as brandy or port, but I am uncertain which.

TRAM TRAM

This restaurant was another located a small trek from the bustling city center. In fact, when I told a local where I had eaten, his reaction was, "but that is the other side of the tracks where only the Romans go", affirming for me that only those who know the area would venture there. 

Again, I was committed to visit this location, albeit inconvenient to get to, as I had heard the food was remarkable with traditional Roman cuisine as well as Pugliese fish dishes in the S Lorenzo district of Rome. 

The restaurnt felt homey with a bunch of ladies in the kitchen. I had the distinct feeling that they had all been working in the restaurant and cooking up the same familiar dishes for years. 

Puree of dried cod on cream chickpeas with polenta chips. 

Anchovy and indie tart with pine nuts, olives, tomato, and cheese. 

Beautifully executed dishes that had just enough effort put into the plating that it felt more like a nice meal than just a hearty meal from home.

And so I conclude with a nod to the coffee in Rome. Caffe Castroni was a popular spot, as was the highly reviewed La Casa del Caffe Tazza d Oro. Neither particularly wowed me with the quality of the coffee, a pronouncement from an open coffee snob, which many others would certainly disagree with. Nonetheless, it was memorable to stand at the counter with my espresso and sip along with the other patrons lining the counter. Caffe Castroni was a place I visited several times as they boast a wide variety of gourmet goods, so I was spellbound as I wandered the isles and decided what I could pack into my suitcase to enjoy later. 

Rome is definitely a popular destination and I found special niches that were perfect for my trip! 

 

Bologna, Italy

Bologna, the city for the gourmand. 

I excitedly explored the city of Bologna, wandering first quickly and then slowly through the streets of the quadrilatero area, which is filled with foodie shops, It is itself considered a market, but also has markets within its boundaries, such as the Mercato di Mezzo. The streets are cobbled and it certainly feels as though nothing has changed in hundreds of years. Enotecas dot your view as you peer down an alleyway, dispersed between shops to buy fish, cheese, and even high end fashion. Although I didn't have a drink there myself, Osteria del Sole is one of the oldest pubs in the world and can be found on these streets. It has been operating since 1465! 

One of the many counters stacked high with food for sale.

SETTE TAVOLI

This was a destination restaurant for me! It is unusual in that it presents a menu entirely sourced from a different region of Italy each month. I thought this was a fantastic way to experience the tastes from a region that I would not be able to visit during my trip.

The featured region on the menu when I was there was Campania. 

Eggplant parmigiana 

Octopus with its mayonnaise, potatoes, and black olives 

Grilled scallops in mozzarella de bufala cream, prickly pear, basil oil

Homemade Cavatelli pasta with Mazara red shrimp, bisque, burrata cream, and lemon flavored thyme

Foodie fact, the Mazara red shrimp is from Sicily and the only red prawn in the world to be certified as bisulfate free.

smoked tuan with grape and balsamic reduction 

DA CESARI

A family run restaurant known for serving classic regional cuisine for more than fifty years.

Porcini flan with seasonal mushrooms 

I will admit, the flan pictured above with mushrooms was not what I expected upon ordering this dish. I was assured it was served exactly as is typical, but I had anticipated a moist and rich egg custard, but this was a much drier style without the significant creaminess that I anticipated. The porcini were in season, so it was an excellent time to order the mushrooms, but I may have enjoyed it more if I had not been wrestling with the disappointment that it was not the decadent vision I had in my head. 

tortelloni in beef broth, made by the mother in the family. 

Tortelloni en brodo. Classic from Emilia- Romagna dish most strongly associated with Bologna as the city of origin. It was a must order item and this was handmade by a mother in the kitchen behind me, so I felt I had no choice. In sincerity, I felt this restaurant would provide an authentic version. I found it to have a greater ratio of pasta to filling than I anticipated and with less broth than I imagined, but beautifully made and I enjoyed it immensely.

panna cotta

Again, a classic dish of Italy, although originating in Piedmont, Italy. This had a highly sweet flavor due to the sauce, but with a very light texture which avoided a cloying nature.

Pictured here was a most welcoming host at the restaurant. He is the son in the family that runs the restaurant. I really wanted a picture with him to capture his exuberant persona. I think you can see it well! 

While I was dining, it was a quiet afternoon. His mother was in the kitchen and his father was sitting in a back corner table, appearing to be working on balancing books or some such business work for the restaurant. Their son served my meal, playing host and server and all around entertainer. They are certainly experienced at the art of food service as I enjoyed my entire visit.

 

Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre is famous for the gorgeous views of the rocky landscape dotted with buildings. At the time that I visited, there were clear days, but also days of rain. I went for a hike in the rain and ended up slogging through muddy trails and paths that wound through grape vines and quiet cobblestoned streets. I kept trying to remind myself to embrace the moment, but I really just felt cold and wet and wanted to find the end of the path so I could get warm and dry!

The area has five tiny villages and I visited Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, but did not make it to Monterosso and Vernazza. I stayed in Riomaggiore and enjoyed the gorgeous views and local spots to eat. However, the most memorable eatery I'll share below.

Trattoria dal Billy

Manarola

The restaurant is positioned on a steep street, providing a cliff side view, although not exactly set on the edge of the water. The popularity of the restaurant requires a reservation, which I did not have. However, I was sure to arrive as the restaurant was opening and was kindly offered the opportunity to wait and see if any reservation did not arrive. As luck would have it, I was seated after a short wait as I sipped a glass of white wine on the sidewalk as I kept hopes high. 

After being seated, I decided to order much too much food. Their popular lobster pasta dish as well as an assortment of single bites of seafood, each plated individually, but presented to the table at once. 

Each taste of fish was unique and perfectly balanced. I only wish that I had a list of them all, but they were only explained to me in English by the waiter and I definitely could not remember them all! This was a must have experience, so do yourself a favor and order this if you ever have the fortune of being seated in this restaurant. Unforgettable! 

Although I arrived as the restaurant opened, I did not depart until they closed! I savored the food and then was offered a variety of liquors, which I was more than willing to sample as after dinner drinks. Busily imbibing though I was, I did snap pictures of a few of the bottles, pictured below.

Basil liquor

Limoncello 

Amaro-in the biggest bottle! 

Cafe Matteo

Corniglia 

Sciacchetra wine 

A traditional wine in this region, the wine is made of Vermentino, Bosco, and Albarola grapes and is sweet, with a taste of honey, apricots, and figs. Of course I had to taste it just as part of my experience since it is made locally. It is certainly a sweet wine, as advertised! 

Gluten free pizza! I ordered pesto as my topping because this is another food item that tourists are instructed to "not miss" while in Cinque Terre. I had no complaints about this satisfying pizza and thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the outdoor square and people watching while I ate.