| Italy.

All of Italy is a gastronomic delight. No matter where you go, you’ll eat regional specialties and fresh foods that will be a feast for the senses. The best of the best cities to visit are arguably Bologna and Torino.

Bologna’s nickname is “La Grassa” (the fat one). We’ll leave you to wonder why. All of the province of Emilia-Romagna is renowned for its food – Parma ham and cheese (parmesan/parmeggiano), balsamic vinegar from Modena, and many others, but NOT spaghetti bolognese as we know it (or spagh-bol as it is affectionately known is some parts of the English-speaking world).

Torino (and its province of Piedmont/Piemonte) are known for cheese, gnocchi, torrone, and other foods, but much of the rest of the world knows the region only by its main export, Nutella, the breakfast spread of millions.  Piedmont is also the birthplace of the Slow Food Movement.  Visit the Tourist Information Centre in the main train station and buy yourself a Chocopass (for 15 Euros you can get 22 tastings over 3 days. See http://www.turismotorino.org for more details). You’ll get a map of the artisanal chocolate shops throughout the city and vouchers that you can exchange for samples at each one. And while you’re at it, pick up a Torino+Piemonte Card, which will allow you unlimited access to most public transport, museums, and attractions at a very reasonable price. And for the true chocoholic (like us) visit in late February/early March and attend the annual chocolate festival, CiocchiolaTO.

In an old vermouth factory near the old Fiat factory you can shop at Eataly (http://www.eataly.it), which can only be described as a gourmet hypermarket, and also many ristorantini (little restaurants), including a wonderful gelateria that makes fresh gelato from milk from the local mountain cows. There are now Eataly shops in Bologna, Milano, and Tokyo! New York City Eataly is due to open Spring 2010 near Madison Square Garden.

Since Italy is a category unto itself here is a list of “Extra Delicious/Good Things We’ve Eaten in Italy”:

Balsamic steak — Our honeymoon was a gastronomic feast, spent in Italy’s province of Emilia-Romagna (know to Italians as the pinnacle in gastronomy, and therefore pretty much the best food in the world). At a small restaurant in Modena (Pavorotti’s home town, which explains his girth), we had a tender steak marinated in Modena balsamic vinegar. To die for, and we still talk about it.

Honey (Miele) Grappa – If you’re visiting the Veneto region of Italy (the province of the town of Bassano del Grappa), you’ll be astounded by the great variety of grappa in various flavors, often sold in very attractive bottles. Poli is one of the largest producers, and they have a Grappa Museum you can visit (near the town of Bassano). You can sample and buy different grappa, including our favorite Honey (Miele) variety.

Tortelli con zucca (pumpkin filled pasta) – This is a specialty of Mantova/Mantua, in the Lombardy region.Most every restaurant in Mantova serves it. We had a stressful day en route to lunch in Mantova because it was the one time we got lost driving in Italy, and we knew we weren’t going to make it before restaurants closed for lunch.  We didn’t have time to stick around in the city until they re-opened for dinner. Luckily, we found a truck stop en route, and they were grilling meats in their outdoor, wood-fired grill. Before sitting down I just double checked that they indeed had the tortelli, and they did. We had a scrumptious meal, and the truck drivers looked pretty happy, too.

No menu/No name restaurants — Naples has a number of hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the center of town that have no names and no menus. They serve the catch of the day in whatever way they decide to make it. One night the menu consisted of zuppa di cozze (mussels), shrimp, and linguini with seafood. All of it just incredible, downed with a bottle of cheap wine and a complimentary limoncello, all for less than $40 for two.

Truffles – We’ve had plenty of delicious truffle meals in Italy, but a simple butter and garlic pasta topped with freshly grated truffles at a small restaurant in Milan on the last night of our honeymoon stands out.

Radicchio risotto – At a roadside restaurant along the shores of Lake Garda we enjoyed a rich risotto made with grilled radicchio (a popular ingredient in the lakes and alpine region). I’m not sure we ever would have thought of cooking with that ourselves, but it was delicious.

Ricciarelli di Siena – If you like marzipan, then this is a cookie made for you. They are diamond shaped cookies made with almond paste and are widely available at bakeries in Siena. Annabella and her marzipan-loving travel buddy Marian had both separated one afternoon and joined up again in the evening, both toting bags of ricciarelli to share with the other and then realized they should have known that the other would have sniffed out this treat on her own.

Hole in the wall pizza – There is good pizza to be had all over Italy, and the fresh mozzarella in lieu of the gloppy, goopy globs of cheap mozzarella that is ubiquitous on American pizza really makes Italian pizza a treat. A stand out is pizza from a no name little pizza booth (take-out only, no tables) on the island of Ischia.

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   Roman Pizza

Gelato – Everywhere in Italy there is delicious gelato. As a child my mother told me it was poisoned, I think so we wouldn’t keep bugging her to let us have some. As an adult, I can eat all the gelato I want, and it is a daily ritual while traveling in Italy (Argentina also has good Italian-style gelato). We recommend getting vanilla at least once so that you can really taste how creamy and good it is. Turin/Torino is particularly famous for its gelato (and chocolate), and Lonely Planet Italy devotes a whole page to gelaterie in Torino. Now one of the best know, Grom, has opened in New York City. While good, it does disappoint when you’ve had it in Italy (no doubt the FDA has restricted ingredients, so it just doesn’t taste as too).

Gnocchi with smoked mozzarella – This was a daily special we had at lunch one day in a small town somewhere in the North. You could smell the smoked cheese wafting throughout the restaurant, and the gnocchi (so often poorly done in the U.S.) was just the right density.

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