October 24, 2011 by Steve Brenner
Erica Berman was lucky enough to spend a couple months in gorgeous Genoa, Italy, this summer. She met up with HiP Paris friend and contributor Steve Brenner for a leisurely lunch in the historic town of Montepulciano before touring some villas in Tuscany. After reading his mouth-watering account of their meal, we couldn’t keep ourselves from sharing it with you here! -Geneviève
Yesterday I drove up to Montepulciano to meet (in person) Erica Berman of Haven in Paris and her friend Mattia after literally years of email and skype exchanges. I’ve guest blogged on her popular HIP Paris blog, and we list a few of her flats on Cross-Pollinate, but we’d never actually met in person.
Bagno Vignoni near Montepulciano where Erica was staying for a night (Elena Vataga)
She was coming from Genova to Bagno Vignoni (above) to see some flats in Tuscany for her site, so we decided to meet nearby. I checked my trusted Osterie d’Italia published by Slow Food Italia, which has NEVER let me down, and we placed our bet on Acquacheta in Montepulciano.
They were very insistent on us being there at 12:30 sharp. They will only accept reservations at 12:30 or 2pm, and they were passionate about giving us only one glass per person for both wine and water (per tradizione, apparently). The food was good – started with some amazing pecorino cheeses, one aged in walnut leaves, one with black truffles. Without a doubt, the closer you get to Pienza, in Tuscany, the better the pecorino. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Italy tips & suggestions | 7 Comments »
September 26, 2009 by Sarah Raymond
Photos courtesy of La Petraia, Michael Grant & Sarah Raymond
In the US, the vast majority of food & grocery shopping is done in supermarkets. We cook with canned beans or tomatoes, pre-butchered meats, and shrink-wrapped cold cuts – or consume industrially prepared foods – rarely stopping to consider where exactly these things come from. One item could be fresh from a nearby farm, another from halfway across the world. While many Americans are becoming increasingly aware of how and where their food is produced, there is still a sense of detachment between the food we eat and its origins. Recently, however, following an eye-opening Italian dining experience at La Petraia – in Tuscany’s Chianti region – I was inspired to rethink how I purchase, prepare, and consume food.
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Posted in Food, Italy tips & suggestions, Restaurant Reviews, Travel | No Comments »
June 2, 2009 by Erica Berman
Photos: Erica Berman – Forte di Marmi
May 17, 2009 Day 2
Warm sun, breakfast of apricot croissants, too strong coffee and the view with a breeze and birds chirping. Trying to figure out how to make my new Nikon D90 work; frustration and the realization that I am going to have to actually study the manual and learn how to take a photo (examples of my efforts to be seen in this, and all future, posts)!
We are heading out in a bit to the Agristurismo restaurant that Anotonio heartily recommends. Being an apparently avid foodie, we are taking his word and off to enjoy the big Sunday meal amidst a flock of what will most certainly be boisterous Italian families out for their Sunday repast en famille.
Lunch was a bit heavier then we expected. A fixed price menu with a lot of courses (none particularly memorable except for the semifreddo dessert)….three hours (which were two too many) later, we were off direction Forte dei Marmi.
Forte dei Marmi
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Posted in Italy tips & suggestions | 1 Comment »
May 21, 2009 by Erica Berman
One of our views & rose bushes by the villa
Photos: Erica Berman
For some reason, one I am not sure of, most Americans (and the majority of tourists in general) come to Italy for Tuscany, Rome and Venice. Don’t get me wrong, these are all beautiful places, and definitely merit a visit, or many, but there are oodles of other places in Italy worthy of discovery.
The Villa
Liguria is a small region of Italy nestled between the French border and Tuscany, and covers a long coastline bordered by mountains. Genova is the capital and Portofino its most known city, followed closely by the spectacular Cinque Terre. Luckily for those who care to sojourn within, few have heard of Liguria – not even most French, whose border touches it. Miles of unspoiled mountainous coastline and sandy beaches, kilometers and kilometers of hiking, excellent food and friendly hosts – this is right up our vacation alley. Continue Reading »
Posted in Italy tips & suggestions, Travel | 6 Comments »
A square in Montepulciano (Stefano Piemonte)
Giulio Ciolfi, owner of Osteria Acquacheta
