In Florence, I love Bar Cucciolo. Why? Because it has everything you want in a bar, and everything is good, and you can sit down AND there's a washroom. Plus, it's honest service with an honest smile. Every time I go, it's kinda like going home. Nothing that exciting or mind-blowingly exotic, but reliable and good.
Really, you can get most anything, and go any time of day (but not Sundays), whether it be a morning cappuccino (breakfast for 4 was about 8 Euro), or an aperitivo spritz, freshly squeezed orange juice, or heated sandwiches and pizzas - it's all good and super reasonable.
I'll admit that it wasn't anywhere near the best breakfast we had in Florence, but it wasn't the worst either.
I go to Cucciolo when I don't want an enormous meal, but I still want something good. It's best when you just want a little snack, or a light meal.
I was so enamored with my new favorite sandwich that somehow there's no photo... but it has a few thin slices of ham, a few slices of hard-boiled eggs, and a creamy sauce with mushrooms. Love it.
There's a gigantic display case with dozens of sandwiches and pizzas, with a very gentle man ready to take your order. Order. Sit. Eat. Pay after.
Pastries galore.
Bar Cucciolo, Via del Corso, 25/R, Florence, Italy +39 055 287727
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The late afternoon was supposed to be productive. I had already made an ice cream I wanted to share with you, but I wasn't sure about the amounts I used. So I was making it again. And I did, except there is something wrong with the dasher that somehow didn't freeze in a -25C freezer, and I didn't really notice.
The dasher was cold, but just not cold enough. I figured this out about 45 minutes into the whole thing, when I had also toasted sliced almonds and candied them with maple syrup.
I was done. Finito. Completely done. No more patience, and nothing in the house seemed appealing at all.
I thought maybe Jeff and I could go out for dinner, but he's really under the weather, and I am barely able to lift a limb from the couch. Exhaustion is setting in. Somehow I convinced him to find some Indian food, and that we should have take-out. The perfect winter comfort food; hearty, and spicy and just different, and not boring.
I should probably mention that this is a tad bizarre... Jeff and I have never had take-out before, and I can only remember having it one other time within the last five years! So it is a little funny if Jeff is the sick one, and going out for take-out, when obviously there is now something wrong with me.
Luckily we were both completely surprised.
Delhi Darbar is only a short drive from our house, and it is the oddest of locations - in a hotel, but not one you'd really want to go to. I'm sure it's not bad, but somehow the area around it is a little seedy, and there's some pretty crazy wedding bashes there. So it was a little astonishing to know that there even was an Indian restaurant there, but soon became even more delightful when we found out that the food is really good too.
I love chickpeas. A lot. And this dish was fantastic! One of the best chickpea dishes I've ever had; chana masala - chickpeas cooked with tomato garlic sauce and spices.
The butter chicken had a lot of sauce, but was deliciously creamy.
The sauce of the allo gobhi was addictive, especially with the naan bread. It was also refreshing to enjoy cauliflower which was thankfully not mush.
Naan with garlic and cilantro.
This comforting dinner came to about $50. Next time we'll need rice, but Jeff wasn't feeling well, so I guess he has a decent excuse (I'm spoiled rotten!)
I am still very excited about Delhi Darbar, a delicious addition to the East end of town. A perfect haunt for those who live in Chestermere or Langdon and want to pick something up on the way home from work.
Delhi Darbar
Bay #1, 2742 - Glenmore Tr. SE
Calgary, AB
(by Glenmore Inn)
(403) 720-6669
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The menu at Sushi Samba is completely addicting. Sushi Samba melds Japanese, Peruvian, and Brazilian interpretations on food, drink, and design. It's like a little something for everyone, with many unique and delicious dishes perfect for sharing. And really, that is the fun of Sushi Samba, enjoying several beautiful dishes while emphasizing the social aspect of the dining experience. Eating here is also fun; from the whimsical decor, to the food itself, it's a delightful experience.
After the rich breakfast we enjoyed at Bouchon, we were looking forward to enjoying a few vegetables. More often than not, vegetables are virtually ruined by excessive or ransid oil. Luckily, Sushi Samba perfectly prepared the field green salad with sliced radishes, and beets. It came with a light and flavourful carrot ginger dressing. Very refreshing.
The tuna tataki was a nice combination of salty and sweet, tender and crunchy.
We loved the shrimp ceviche, with perfectly chopped vegetables, and a crunchy plantain to top it off.
The sushi platter, with the samba strip roll, was gorgeous, in every sense. It was a nice surprise to have a few bites of lobster to accompany our rolls, but the unagi (bbq eel), hiding in the background was absurdly good. My caipirinha is in the background, just as strong as it should be.
This cake looks too simple. Fortunately, it was not. It was a warm chocolate banana cake, but hiding underneath the vanilla rum ice cream is this toffee-like maple piece. Now it does sound simple, I agree, although it tucked a nice little surprise into a warm chocolate cake, which wouldn't otherwise compete with the hundreds of other warm chocolate cakes available elsewhere.
Christian Louboutin. This is for Shauna, and other lovers of shoes. It makes getting to Sushi Samba not half bad, cough, cough, as you wander through the shops of the Palazzo.
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It's not what you think. I mean really. I am married you know.
Two Calgary restaurants in one night. I hope that explains it.
Jeff and I joined a couple friends for a night out. Although, we couldn't just eat at one restaurant. Oh no, that would just be too simple. No, we had to eat at two restaurants. Looking back, it was twice the fun, really. First we went to Alloy for drinks and appetizers, and then we were off to Parker House, for the mains.
To start, we were served these fabulous martini's with red wine tequila at Alloy. They looked beautiful, but were also an addiction for the taste buds. I am not usually all that fond of overly sweet drinks, and generally shy away from martini's. Luckily, these just hinted at sweetness, with a whisper of coconut. Just as there were visual layers, there were layers of taste as well, finishing with margarita as you worked towards the bottom.
Jeff ordered the duck spring rolls. He certainly must have enjoyed them, as they disappeared before I could say boo.
The tempura lobster was beautifully presented, and I was almost worried...sometimes food this pretty doesn't taste as desirable as it looks. I am more than excited to report that the food at Alloy does not fall into this category; it is delicious. I will definitely crave the lobster sometime next week. It was just the right consistency, and even buttery in flavour. I also enjoyed the slaw plated underneath as it had a nicely tangy, but not overpowering, dressing. It also added an additional memorable crunch.
Of course, somehow my absolute favourite dish did not get photographed. I was too absorbed in devouring it and savouring every last bite. I implore you to go to Alloy and try the steak frites.It was my favourite dish of the evening. We all expected the dish to be just fries, but it was more than that. The mini fries were so very cute, over top of capers and the most tender pieces of steak; a successful combination of salty, sweet, tender, and crunchy. There were many flavours involved in saucing the steak, but just imagine whatever it is that makes your mouth water, because that is the only way to really describe it.
When I eat out, I want to be blown away. In the least, I want to be inspired. I need to be satisfied for sure, but I know the food is extra good when I also yearn for more. This dish of ahi tuna tartar with chimichurri soy and wonton crisps, is everything I want to eat when I eat out. The deeply flavourful and buttery tuna, was a match made in heaven when spooned onto the crunchy wonton crisps. The best part is not even in the menu description; it's the extra creaminess of the accompanying avocado that made me swoon.
Then, we were on to Parker House Grill. It officially opened on October 22, so we weren't sure what to expect. It feels very spacious. Immediately, I felt that gobs of cash must have been thrown at it, to create a feeling of luxury. It also feels very metropolitan, aimed at the downtown business lunch, expense account crowd.
The menu.
I understood that Parker House Grill was aiming at comfort food, and indeed this was on the menu with lobster mac and cheese, and a few pizzas. However, I honestly, could not decide what to order. I always try to order what I think is good, not necessarily what I want to eat. I want to order something that the chef can do well, and is possible to do well under the circumstances. But, I was torn, and confused. Did a chef actually create this menu? Or someone who flashes the cash for the decor?
The menu is all over the map, and I couldn't decide what could be good. What is the specialty? There was no focus. A part of me was a little intrigued, since I had heard that the restaurant was very good, but I couldn't possibly see how every dish on the menu could be good. Roast chicken pizza on a restaurant menu terrifies me. So does a BLT salad with iceberg lettuce. Scary, very scary. Very Calgary.
The wine menu was equally frustrating. There are extensive choices. Fine. However, the list had to be read in order from front to back, or it was trickier to tell which type of wine was featured on the page. A couple times, I just flipped to a random page, and then had to flip back several pages to ensure I was still looking at red wines, since there was no heading which indicated I was still looking at reds. Fortunately, another in the party decided upon a Rioja. The server also passed a wine question test with flying colours, when asked to describe the wine for us. We were impressed.
Despite the menu frustrations, I was still curious about the food.
We received a little amuse-bouche, oooh! I was tickled pink to have a taste of foie-gras. It was beautifully cooked, and paired well with a fruity combination. Although, it just didn't bowl me over in any enormous capacity. It was nice.I should probably mention that before the main courses arrived, we received some of the strangest buns I have ever seen in a restaurant. Not only were they excessively salty, but I could easily have broken any of the windows by simply tossing them in the general direction. Rocks. And I should mention that I don't have a good throwing arm. Another blip in the picture we hoped.
Then the bison osso-buco with risotto Milanese arrived. It looked good. Immediately, I grabbed my fork and lunged at the meat to check if I needed my knife. Thank goodness I did not, I just daintily applied a bit of pressure with the fork. Then, I tasted it. I let the flavours linger. I had a sip of wine. I tried water. Sadly, nothing worked. No flavour. There was just no substance there.
If the risotto was made with saffron threads and arborio rice, as opposed to saffron powder and shards of broken rice, it might have had some substance. For $40, I expected a bit more quality, even if the portion size had to be smaller to compensate.
Jeff ordered the "Crystal" rib-eye, aged for 40+ days, with the funghi risotto du jour. He didn't like it. The risotto had the same problem as the milanese, and the steak was nothing special.
I do wish that some restaurants in Calgary would spend less attention to creating bling-bling decor, and more attention to food quality. Start with quality ingredients, and make something great - not just something that sounds good on paper. I could have done without the foie-gras amuse, if it meant that the risotto or bread would be better than terrible.
All in all, it was an adventure with some good, some great, and some bad. Fun, none the less. I can't wait to go back to Alloy for drinks, appetizers, and dessert. That would make for a great night out.
Alloy
220 42 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB
If you only have one day in Aspen, it's going to be a busy one. You'll need some hiking gear, biking gear, and your finest understated yet flattering fashions. While Aspen is famous for it's skiing, the summer more than exceeds expectations in every possible way.
Start off at Ink! Coffee for the caffeine injection of your choice - you'll need it. If you haven't found the right rocket fuel to start your day there, devour a granola and vanilla yogurt parfait from Zele Cafe a few blocks away; it's loaded with fruit. While taking in the morning sunshine, pick up a free copy of the Aspen Times, or an Aspen housing magazine and become delirious while laughing away the cost of housing in Aspen.
It's time for a hike. Ask anyone, where the Ute trail is, and be prepared to breathe heavily. Aspen is at 7900 feet, making it one of the most precarious airports to land, asides from accidentally running into a Gulfstream, as there is hardly any descent to the runway -- but also a fitness fanatic paradise. At elevation, you will work hard, and your efforts will be rewarded by loose-fitting pants, lean-mean muscle, and most importantly - glorious food to enjoy. Be sure to take a bottle of water, or a camel-bak if you decide to hike all the way up the mountain, as the Ute is only part of the way. If you make it to the top, attempt to take a deep breath, smile at your accomplishment and the vista, then fortunately for your knees, you can also take the gondola back down into town. There are many other hikes around, ask a local, or stop in a sporting goods shop, and they will point you in the right direction. Nothing is easy, but that's the best part.
The gondola will drop you off near Big Wrap, one of the best values in town. For $6.70 + tax, pick up a savoury wrap, such as the Mr. Potato Head, which includes fresh roasted potatoes, spinach, grilled portobello mushrooms, pinto beans, jasmine rice, salsa, lettuce, cheese, with a roasted garlic vinaigrette in a whole wheat wrap. My favourite, is Rock Your World with fresh roasted turkey breast, confetti slaw (jicama, carrot, cucumber, green onion), lettuce, sprouts, guacamole, ranch dressing, and toasted pumpkin seeds in whole wheat.
For further satiation, ice cream is a summer afternoon necessity. Paradise Bakery is the place, just follow the line. The peanut butter cookie, and chocolate brownie ice creams include their fabulous baked products, in creamy, dreamy ice cream, and are served with a mini chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. The muffins are scrumptious too. While Paradise Bakeryis a chain, there aren't many ice cream shops that frequently have bassoon(!) or string quartets performing in the summer air.
Now it's time for a quick change into cycling attire, and head up to Maroon Bells, just off the traffic circle (trust me, there's really only one). Maroon Bells is one of the most frequently photographed images anywhere, and often visited by tourists, but not by car. It is a road-bike ride with minimal traffic as it is accessible by bike or bus only. It is a definite climb, but well worth the effort, if not just for the racy downhill portion of the ride. Alternately, the entire morning can be rearranged to cycle a much further distance, but somewhat easier ride, and enjoy lunch at Pine Creek Cookhouse.
A summer sojourn in Aspen would not be complete without enjoying a concert at the Aspen Music Festival and School. All the concerts are good, so don't worry too much, if you can only make one. It features the best of the best - the best young musicians to international starlings such as Canadian Measha Brueggergosman, John Zirbel, and Joaquin Valdepenas, to Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chan, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Even if you aren't sure of what to do at an orchestral concert, you will be dazzled and amazed, if even only by the fashion, and by the tent itself. It's not exactly a tent, but more of a semi-permanent structure, of higher quality than most concert halls.
Finally, it is time to relax. Reserve a table at Montagna, located within the Little Nell, a Relais & Chateaux. Enjoy an aperitivo at the bar, the negroni are quite good, or save yourself for Master sommelier Richard Betts fine wine picks. A table outside near the pool can be lovely, and inside is equally enchanting, elegant and refined. You are in for a treat. Just to tease, the butter is sprinkled with fleur-de sel. It is a hotel, yes, but the food is strikingly good, with an emphasis on local products. Of the two nights we were here, the chef's farmhouse tasting menu, is to die for and a steal at $42 for three courses. Local vegetables, melt in your mouth pork with herbed pappardelle, and peach crepes to finish. It changes nightly. The second night we opted for a la carte, and were not disappointed. As expected, the service is impeccable.
Above - porchetta with zucchini and chili
Homemade lamb sausage with rapini and mustard:
Ribeye with porcini, parmigiano-reggiano, and arugula:
Pistachio gelato, chocolate-hazelnut gelato, with fabulously fresh local cherries:
If further hiking time in Aspen is not an option, try to swing a drive up to Independence Pass. Make sure your car has turbo, or one can invariably be left to walk back down. The views, and race-track driving possibilities are well worth the effort.
Finally, to conclude the day, take a stroll around town and gaze into glowing shop windows. A little window-shopping, and star-gazing, is just the way to end a delightful summer day.
Ink! Coffee520 E Durant St. - Downstairs(970) 544-0588
Zele Cafe
121 S Galena St. Aspen
(970) 925-5745
Big Wrap
520 E Durant Av. Aspen - Downstairs
(970) 544-1700
Paradise Bakery320 S Galena St. Aspen
(970) 925-7585
Aspen Music Festival and School
Pine Creek Cookhouse
314 South 2nd Street
(970) 925-1044
Montagna, at the Little Nell675 E Durant Ave.888.843.6355For more info on eats: EatAspenBig Wrap video (not mine):
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I refuse to travel and eat exactly the same things I can eat at home. Then frankly, why bother going anywhere at all? The more I travel, I make it my goal, to purposefully go out of my way to find rare, unusual, or even bizarre things and places to eat while travelling. Okay, maybe not quite like Anthony Bourdain, just yet. I still prefer to accidentally choke on bugs only when I'm sleeping.
Perhaps I just get bored easily, but I just don't see the point of eating exactly the same thing everywhere, and expect it to be the same. I think if I really needed that kind of consistency, I would choose a particular drive-thru restaurant found the world over, and at every interstate exit and mundane shopping mall food court, and never divert to any other hidden gem I would otherwise be missing out on.
Chances are good, or I'm completely a naive optimist, that in every town, there is at least one ma & pa place with something delicious to eat. Made with love. Is that such a terrible quest?
Or I may just as well stay home, and stick with what I know. Which isn't half bad, but sometimes you just gotta get off your tooshie and find something else good to eat. Go ahead, I dare you.
Although, this really puts me in a bit of a conundrum; I also tend to prefer foods which are authentic, but then what can I even eat most of the time? What does authentic even mean anymore? Does this mean I should exclusively eat pizza in Naples? I don't think so. Then if I lived in Naples, I would have to forego sushi, pho, and falafel, and that's just plain wrong. I think in some other universe there just must be a good pizza in Californian-style, but there is also certainly a Neapolitan-styled pizza in California which is probably good too. (although, a part of me never wants me to admit that there could even possibly be a decent pizza pie with BBQ sauce on it, but I'm sure it exists, at least somewhere. OK, probably not).
Luckily, there are places like Restaurant Six89 in Carbondale, Colorado. The ingredients are pretty much local, but the dishes are well, not from anywhere. They aren't fancy or exotic dishes. But just darn good stuff. Like really good stuff. And, in some ways, therein lies the absolutely terrible thing about traveling: it makes you want to go back!
OK, maybe that's not such a bad thing, but let's face it; travel can screw you. It can mess with your head, your stomach, and your soul, and make you completely confused. You are forever changed, and completely incapacitated. Let's face it: really you're #^#(&#@$!. Yep, that's right. $#%^@*&.
I haven't had any kids yet, but I know that when I do (gawd, my ma better not be reading this!), poor Jeff will have to cook his arse off, and I simply don't know where he's going to get his ingredients from (please Doug, and Julie?), but I bet that as a pregnant woman I will want everything that is impossible to get or make at home. Seriously, what if I "need" Chubby Hubby Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (which you can't get in Canada, please start writing letters on my pathetic behalf), and then I "need" biscuits 'n fried chicken, and then I "need" steak tartar (which pregnant women are recommended not to eat) and then... I get into the list of things pregnant women "aren't" supposed to eat. Let's leave that for another day.
In any case, I really enjoyed the food at Six89 in Carbondale. It wasn't complicated, or fussy. And I wish I had more pictures, but it was such a beautiful night...ahem...the first night (yes, we went back the very next day, and snagged a few pictures then) that we sat outside in the summer warmth and enjoyed the meal. It was too dark for any decent pictures, and I'm not a good flash photographer, plus this is still an Aspen crowd, and it would just be well...weird.
Anyways, it went like this: first we got a nice little amuse buche (both nights), which was simple and delectable; a fresh rainier cherry stuffed with essentially a corn nut (yep, like you ate in high school, but the real deal), in a little bit of basil oil and syrupy balsamic.
I ordered this great farm fresh egg (literally, I think the chickens were in the back, as Jeff noticed a chicken coop near our car) with a deeply flavourful hash with bacon, and chanterelles. I discovered I love chanterelles. I mean, really, I was mmmminng, and awwwing, and just would not shut up. I'm sure everyone there thought I was nuts, but hey, it was that good. Jeff wasn't sharing his dish either, so I know it was good (don't worry I still stole some!); he had something girlie with a manly twist like agnolotti and goat. He says the goat tasted like a finer version of lamb. What a manly description.
We were just devouring everything, and one of the reason's Six89 is so fantastic, is that they really do only make what is fresh and seasonal. It is only a couple days later, and the website is already different (making this more difficult to do as accurately!).
Then, I enjoyed Milagro ranch meatballs with lemon ricotta ravioli. The meatballs had a roasted tomato sauce, and a walnut parsley pesto on the ravioli. The meatballs? They were tender, and huge! I know size doesn't really matter, but these were good. Three of them. Jeff was lucky, and I gave him the last one since he shared a few bites of his dish. The ravioli were good too. I know it seems kinda weird to have what seems to be a lot of different flavours going on at the same time, but I liked it. It worked.
Now, I admit, I kinda had a crush on Jeff's dish (yes, of course that's why we went back the next day!) of slow roasted Berkshire pork and anson mills stone ground grits with smoked mozzarella. This is what I had the next night (and it's the picture at the top). This stuff was really great! Nothing fancy, although it might look like it, just soft and gooey, and well, fatty-tasting. Good stuff.
The second night, Jeff ordered the burger. And well, now, I can say that I thought it was a mistake at the time, but I didn't say so. I mean, everything there is local, or the restaurant made it. But as if, they are going to spend the time to make a damn good hamburger bun. Jeff says, "the hamburger bun was a day old piece of WuunderBread without the preservatives, so it didn't quite survive the trip. It disintegrated with any pressure, as it seemed to be made with faux eggs".
Surprisingly, the other complaint he had, was that the burger too rich. With cambozola cheese, and nearly burnt red onions, it just needed a bit of moisture from tomato apparently. Jeff thought this would be a unique burger experience given everything else we've had, but it just didn't live up to his expectations. It's got a start, just not quite right yet.
Instead, Jeff thinks it would be cool to find a plate with three or four mini burgers. Each one could feature a different ingredient: one with the cheese, with the onions, another with heirloom tomatoes etc. Sounds like fun, and fits the sharing part of Six89's menu.
Somehow, we also ate a combination of three side dishes; truffled parmigiano fries, feta dumplings, and fava beans. These were good too, but we didn't finish them.
Desserts were a distinct favourite and great value. Nutella semifreddo for $4.50? Is the joke on me? It was great, with a dollop of not too stiff whipped cream, and sweet dark cherries. Yes, we both ordered it - it had Nutella in it! (Can you blame us?) Then, the next night, I ordered the cinnamon donut with rhubarb strawberry cream. Not my favourite, but still good. The donut was pretty heavy and more like a gingerbread cookie.
Jeff had the semifreddo...again.
The infamous for the wrong reasons burger:
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Disclaimer: there were eight of us at this meal. I didn't have time to memorize or write down all of the names of the dishes. I barely got the photos, and am happy that I took them. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Thai Nongkhai was tasty. Everyone at the table agreed that there is so much flavour in their food, that it is like an explosion of flavour in every bite.
The dishes arrived hot, which seems like a simple thing, but it still doesn't seem to happen often! Unlike many similar restaurants we didn't leave feeling ill or wondering what we really ate. Really nicely prepared food, lovingly prepared and served. It is deceivingly in a strip mall. However, once you are inside, this place is warm, cozy, and makes you want to linger.
Really, the soup I had is based on being yummy! OK, OK, it is "tom yum" soup. But it was yummy. It is a broth based soup with chunks of tomato and mushrooms. Watch out for enormous pieces of ginger; this soup has a kick to it. This is definitely a soup to get if you think you might have a compromised immune system. It will warm you from the inside out! This is the "tom kha" soup, coconut based soup: The appetizer platters were my favourite part of the meal. Just plain fun. Purple dumplings, and little birdie shrimps. I don't usually like to play with my food, but the best part was that the food had an interesting presentation AND tasted great. Tender chicken satay too. The little tarts were tasty at the time, but unmemorable. The red curry paste spiced meat and vegetable stuff chicken wings were also loved by all, even a sometimes picky six-year-old! The appetizer platters came with these sauces, and pickled vegetables. I enjoyed the sauce on the right with the chicken wings. It was a little sweet which completed the crispy salty wings. Dr. S knows his wines, and made an excellent choice as it was a little sweet to complement the spiciness of the food. OK, so you can't see the rice, and packages aren't everything albeit this one was unique. It was coconut rice, and exceedingly addicting. This is the best preparation I have had of tilapia in a while - "pla tod rad prik." It is fried to a golden crisp on the outside, and the inside was tender and flaky. It was in a light sauce with a number of cilantro and green onions scattered over top, really top-notch stuff.
The shrimp pad thai was lovely, with everything you hope for in a pad thai. Just right. Shrimp with basil and coconut milk. Again, well prepared with the shrimp at the right consistency, and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. I have no clue what else was in this beef dish besides carrots and ginger. It was great with the coconut rice. I like that the beef tasted like beef, and didn't have a thick bizarre sauce, as is so often overdone. This dish exemplified the quality of all of the dishes - the ingredients shone through and the flavours weren't masked by starchy sauces. Again, the sauce appears very rich. However, it was not too heavy and did not overpower the seafood and vegetables in this dish. I was ecstatic to have seafood which was not cooked to a rubbery mess, but was instead tender and delectable. This dish was also not too salty, but also wonderful with the complementary coconut rice. When looking for a dinner in SE Calgary - check out Thai Nongkhai: 10, 7400 Macleod Trial S.E., (403) 705-3329.
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Buffalo mozzarella is an Italian treasure - or is it? I had intended to start off writing that these gems might no longer grace the deli's at Italian grocery stores, or fortunate recipients in North America. However, it seems that there could be some dioxin contaminants, which are potentially cancer causing, and which were found in several samples of buffalo mozzarella from Campania. A recent NYTimes article, would lead you to believe that the odds are perhaps unlikely you would come in contact with these dioxins if you were to buy buffalo mozzarella. But who knows.
This potentially doesn't look good for Obika, initially a Roman mozzarella bar, which has also recently opened in Milan, London, and is soon to be open in NYC, Kuwait City, and Torino. This bad press is like mad cow disease for a steak house. The website for Obika is also not it's normal self - is this because of the buffalo mozzarella problems? I am not sure, but hopefully the situation gets better before it becomes any worse.
The fascinating thing about Obika is that at first glance you think mozzarella is the only thing of importance, when in fact many Italian specialties are highlighted. Culatello from Zibello, and prosciutto di parma are already a good start. I was really excited to check out Obika this past summer, and I think the concept is great especially...for curious time-crunched tourists. Lucky for us, Roma was on the tail-end of the trip, and we had already been to many of the regions with specialties highlighted at Obika. We had already sampled some of the best products that these areas have to offer. That being said, Obika is still a great place to check out many unique items without going to the grocery store, or traveling all over Italy....
I had a spritz and Jeff had a Peroni. We ordered burrata which came with a spicy sausage (right), and three balls of mozzarella (left). These mozzarella's were described to us as one which was a little sweet, one which was pretty standard, and a smoked mozzarella. The "sweet" one was my favourite, but I have to say that the smoked mozzarella was incredibly unique, unlike anything I had tasted before. Jeff describes it as a "dry-wet cheese with no hickory flavour or anything, but just like campfire smoke." Burrata (below) is like the creamiest goo, you ever wish mozzarella could be. There were also accompanying breads, oils, and vinegars which were great - especially for the leftover greens. Really yummy cherry tomatoes too! As you can see, the interior design is quite modern, and in a very different style than most of the other restaurants we enjoyed on this trip. I really sincerely hope that the fears created by this media monster are mostly just that - some isolated pieces of cheese somewhere which have probably already been destroyed. The article seems to be quite vague, and not entirely specific. ie. "While the exact cause of the contamination has not yet been established, they said the producers with elevated levels of dioxin in their milk were few and that none belonged to the consortium that receives the Protected Designation of Origin quality seal from the European Union. The protected region, they noted, is big, and much of it is far from illegal trash." This actually sounds quite promising.
I have never regretted eating a single morsel of calorific-cheese, or any food, made by real people with real ingredients....or what I perceived to be real food by real people. Now should everything be "certified organic" for me to eat it? Perhaps, but what is really organic anyways? You can't change the air of the world, or have perfect water either. (although I do buy many "organic" and local products because they just simply taste better) This makes me think that now even ingredient listings are not doing anyone justice. Sad as it is, perceived threats or not, we all need to keep examining the sources of our foods, as well as the media-hype regarding these issues, which may or may not be exaggerated. I'm still confident that there are "worse" foods to eat, with far dire consequences....we're not talking about excessive consumption of generic burgers from cardboard boxes, but artisanal cheese. I think I'll fore go the media hype until there are more facts. This cheese is really good stuff! In the meantime, I'll just drink more green tea, and hope that there are not excessive dioxins in that!
And I'll hope that places like Obika, can make it through this media onslaught, and the ensuing multiple bans many countries have created against the import of the cheese. Not everything can be contaminated, or we're all pretty much screwed anyways.
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Trust me it's gastronomica for good, very, very good. After planning a trip to try some of the best restaurants in Italy, there is only one thing you want to happen....to do the entire trip again! However, if i could, I would want to eat at Arnaldo's Clinica Gastronomica, in Rubiera, every night, or every night for the rest of my life if I could.... It is THAT good. Next time, I would also stay at the hotel and explore the area with a car during the day....then have a 9pm reservation for at least a week straight. I would want to try everything on every cart...at least a taste.The easiest way to describe how Arnaldo's works is a little bit like many dim sum restaurants. There are several carts or trolleys, and the server puts the final touches on the dishes. The only exception to this is pasta.I am certain that I could live on the antipasto cart alone. Okay, if you doubt me, that is fine - you are correct - I would also require the wine list and their puffy, salty gnoccho fritto. Jeff ordered a taste of everything on the antipasto cart, and I ordered prosciutto and melon. The prosciutto is cut traditionally, by hand. Every item I snagged from Jeff's plate was sublime, and so was the service throughout our meal.There is great pride in every dish, and in their exceptional service. Arnaldo's is recognized by Michelin.But it isn't just about service; at Arnaldo's you will find the best gnocchi, period. Perfectly plump. Each gnocchi melts in your mouth, before you even noticed it was there. I will spend the rest of my life trying to recreate gnocchi like that in my own kitchen, dreaming to the day I will get back to Arnaldo's. The "special" Arnaldo's pasta with mushrooms and cheese was also exceptional. It was so rich, and so flavourful. But just in case my appetite was not yet sated, the semifreddo with zabaglione was also ....absolutely perfect.You would find that Italians love Arnaldo's too. There are families with children, and beautiful young couples in glamorous designer clothing - their Ferrari's waiting outside. Piazza XXIV Maggio, 3 Rubiera (RE) Tel. 0522 626124
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In Florence, I love Bar Cucciolo. Why? Because it has everything you want in a bar, and everything is good, and you can sit down AND there's a washroom. Plus, it's honest service with an honest smile. Every time I go, it's kinda like going home. Nothing that exciting or mind-blowingly exotic, but reliable and good.
Really, you can get most anything, and go any time of day (but not Sundays), whether it be a morning cappuccino (breakfast for 4 was about 8 Euro), or an aperitivo spritz, freshly squeezed orange juice, or heated sandwiches and pizzas - it's all good and super reasonable.
I'll admit that it wasn't anywhere near the best breakfast we had in Florence, but it wasn't the worst either.
I go to Cucciolo when I don't want an enormous meal, but I still want something good. It's best when you just want a little snack, or a light meal.
I was so enamored with my new favorite sandwich that somehow there's no photo... but it has a few thin slices of ham, a few slices of hard-boiled eggs, and a creamy sauce with mushrooms. Love it.
There's a gigantic display case with dozens of sandwiches and pizzas, with a very gentle man ready to take your order. Order. Sit. Eat. Pay after.
Pastries galore.
Bar Cucciolo, Via del Corso, 25/R, Florence, Italy +39 055 287727
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