Italian Indulgence

No matter which part of the world you grew up in, the word “pizza” made sure that your antennas were up and the tummy was rumbling. Now bring this basic instinct to the birthplace of pizza- you are going to be on a nonstop food journey which will ruin pizzas, pastas, gelato and tiramisu in your country forever and ever. But I urge you to stay strong and travel through the country while basking in its rich history and culture and also gaining a few pounds. After all, what is an Italian dish without an extra helping of the parmesan cheese?

My food journey will take you through 5 historically significant cities which have their share of contribution to the Italian cuisine as we know it.

Venice

Gondolas and canals, beautiful architecture and very expensive food. Venice is a gorgeous city. It has got one of the most beautiful city centre squares (Piazzo San Marco ) where you must stick around till the lights come on. It is bustling with tourists and markets. You will be able to pick up souvenirs in these markets but remember that the Murano glass sold here may not be original.

One place that came highly recommended was Nico Gelato. They have fast service and yummy gelato! Make sure that if you happen to see it, you could pick up a double scoop of gelato while you walk around the city.

We had dinner at a very forgettable restaurant in the market area. A word of caution- In Italy, most restaurants charge a very high service fee/charge. This is charged per person and may be north of 4 euros. So make the call if you want to have a sit down dinner and pay the same amount as you would for an entire meal in taxes.

Literary enthusiasts must make a stopover at Caffe Florian in the Piazza San Marco. This 300 year old cafe has hosted the likes of Lord Byron, Shelley, Charles Dickens and even the Casanova of Venice. A coffee here might cost you as must as your room and board but its part of the rich heritage of Europe, not just Venice (as this is one of the oldest cafes in Europe).

Total Hit to the pocket- 20 Euros

Florence

One of the most historical cities of Italy- Michelangelo’s works are seen all over the place because he grew up here and his patron family, The Medicis were the democratic rulers of the city. So this one should not be missed. Also it is very close to Pisa. While the Leaning Tower is not the most impressive work of art you will see in Italy, but it’s a tick on the checklist of seeing one of the Wonders of the World(even if it was on an outdated list).The market in Pisa is a great place to shop for leather items and eat affordable food. It is much cheaper than Florence and perfect for souvenirs- Italian Leather and all that.

So while you walk around Florence, browsing through its ancient leather markets or walking through the Uffici museum, you might get hungry and start looking for a bite. Well, have no fear. A delicious three course meal awaits you. Most small Italian restaurants serve a combo lunch meal for under 20 euros. The one I walked into was nondescript but the food was just delish- a fresh tomato mozzarella salad, spinach risotto and steak with an interesting apple sauce! Dinner will be taken care of by the million pizzerias while you watch the street performances at the Piazza della Signoria.

 

Total hit to the pocket- 25 Euros

Naples

If you could see me right now, I am jumping in my seat because I am so jealous you are heading to the birthplace of Pizza!!!!!!!!!! Even if you hate pizza, you should still visit Naples because you will see the pizza in its true element. Well you could also visit the city because it is really close to Pompei with its beautifully preserved Roman ruins and the towering Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

You should not consider your trip to Italy complete if you haven’t been to Pizzeria Da Michele. Touted to be the best pizza in the world, Da Michele will be one of the few restaurants I have been to that you will never have enough of. The place has no service fee and one pizza costs about 4-5 Euros. The queue is long.. very long… very very long. But the quick service will ensure you get a table pretty fast.  The place is run by the family, so if you are lucky, you will see all of them at the restaurant. Coming to the moot point- the pizza. Well I can try to describe it, but I doubt I can do justice to describing the best Margherita pizza I have ever had in my life. And point to note is that I had a margherita pizza in every city in Italy. I even visited the Pizzeria De Matteo. But one bite of their pizza and I regretted missing out on one more meal at Da Michele. So while in Naples, eat every possible meal at Da Michele since they have been getting their pizzas right since 1870.

Total hit to the pocket- 6 Euros

Rome

Rome is a history lover’s paradise. From the Colosseum to the great roman Forum, the legends of heroes and stories of kings, the Spanish steps to the Trevi Fountain the city is spangled with history. Another plus is that due to its age, the restaurants here are really old. I was in Rome for three days and I must have eaten most of my meals at 100+ year old restaurants. I strongly recommend that you do most of your tours on foot with the always handy Rick Steves auio guide app. This way, you’ll manage to balance out all the pounds you’ll gain eating the amazing food the city has to offer. Through this guide, I will recommend the top places you must try to visit while you are in the Eternal City.

La Carbonara

After you are done walking around the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, you are bound to get hungry. So my recommendation for a hearty Italian lunch of home made fresh pasta would be the 120 year old restaurant- La Carbonara.  At this family run restaurant you will see the octogenarian grandmother still walking around bossing people about while her daughter and son ooze charm at the guests. We tried to get in here without a reservation. Only after we offered to wait for two hours for a table did the management budge and let us take a seat to finish an early lunch. So don’t try to get in without a reservation. You might not be so lucky.

What to order in such a famous restaurant. We went with a plate of La Carbonara Fritters as our appetizer and then ordered 4 pasta dishes. While the signature pasta, the carbonara does stand out, I absolutely loved the pistachio sauce fetuccini that they served. It was nothing like I had had before. The pasta is fresh and hand made at the restaurant so a level of quality is maintained. Our server was extremely patient with us as he explained the menu and made sound recommendations. This one is a must visit if you are hungry while in the area.

Total hit to the pocket- 15 Euros

Gelateria del Teatro

In this land of gelato, how can one judge the best gelato. For an ice cream lover like myself, I loved all the gelato I had equally. This was until my friend dragged me into this little café near the Tiber river. She was enamoured by all the glorious desserts in the window. Since it was our last day in Italy and my friends were feeling crazy, we ordered the rosemary and sage gelato and the fig and ricotta cheese gelato. Sounds a little different from the regular chocolate, hazelnut or lemon flavors that I had tried everywhere else. While we were in Ice Cream Heaven eating this gelato, we saw a bride and groom pose for picture here and share a gelato here. Even then none of us bothered to read up on this place. It was only a week later did I realise that this gelateria figures on a prestigious lonely planet list and the fig and ricotta cheese gelato is one of their most famous gelatos. Now this is the kind of good luck I want to wear on my sleeve.

Total hit to the pocket- 5 Euros

Duecento Gradi- Vatican City

Vatican City is a one day tour with a lot of walking involved. Trust me, reaching the Sistine Chapel will make you feel like you really did reach another country in the process. So to build up your strength for all the exercise, we decided to try the one dish we hadn’t tried in Italy yet- The Panini. Affordable , delicious and fast- Duecento Gradi is a true fast food restaurant with fresh breads, loads of options(so many that you’ll find it had to make up your minds-this applies even to the vegetarians) and easy to carry with you while you enjoy the view outside.

Total hit to the pocket- 8-12 Euros

U Giuliani

This one may be out of your way while you tour Rome, but if you have a train to board at Termini Station, you should stopover here and grab a bite in the 140 year old restaurant. The waiters here look as old as the place and they are sweet benevolent grandpas. The reason I strongly recommend the place is because I had the best spaghetti here. Fresh thin noodles tossed in tomato sauce and parmesan on the side. It was divine. Their desserts are also worth a try. The portion sizes are big and the infamous Italian service fee is small(about 1.5 euro for each person). It will be a perfect end to the glorious Roman food journey.

Total hit to the pocket- 12 Euros