Last weekend we visited my Mother in Naples. Florida. On Sunday we had about as perfect a day one could have: family, baseball and Italian food and wine. Ro and I spent the late morning and early afternoon in Port Charlotte, Florida watching our nephew Michael play in a Tampa
Uber Chef/restaurant owner, Mario Batali, opened Babbo Pizzeria with much fanfare at Boston’s Fan Pier several months ago. The reviews have been excellent, but yours truly until last weekend had never been to Babbo Pizzeria. I was stunned; the wine list includes only wines from Italy; no California or French wines. Further,
Salerno, a centrally located city with a population of less than 140,000 with many miles of waterfront and many attractions, is often ignored by tourists. Salerno features a two-mile promenade with the Tyrrhenian Sea on one side and a park with palm trees on the other side. The promenade is busy with early morning
Last week I sponsored the annual Krokidas & Bluestein wine tasting. About 50 people, including current staff, family members and alumni enjoyed a sampling of 12 different wines, 5 cheeses, 3 olive oils, cured meats and bread. Joe, Dave and Bob Griffin are in the photo above. Below are photos
About thirty years ago Peppe Mancini “rediscovered” the pallagrello and casavecchia grapes. These grapes are cultivated only in the Terre del Vulturo wine area. The annual wine tasting will feature Terre del Principe’s Piancastelli 2011, a 70-30% blend of pallagrello nero and casavecchia, respectively and Nanni Cope’ Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco
What little I know about Italian wines I know less about Italian extra virgin olive oil. I am on a crash course to develop a baseline understanding. One thing is clear – there is an 800 lb. gorilla in the room. Fraud is rampant in the Italian extra virgin olive oil
The map has been updated to include places that are referenced in blog postings. At top of the home page click on the word “map”; then double click on the map.
Azienda Agricola Andrea Reale I have visited Azienda Agricola Andrea Reale four times over the past five years. The winery, which is operated by Luigi Reale, is located in the mountains of the Amalfi Coast frazione of Gete in the town of Tramonti. The vineyards have been owned by the Reale family for over
It seems everyone has several favorite Boston North End restaurants. I am no different. Most Italian-American restaurants that I have tried in this popular neighborhood serve excellent food. With this post I will not rate restaurants in the manner of Tripadvisor, Yelp, etc., but, rather, I will explain why the restaurants below are my
As gift-giving season approaches here is a suggested gift that most will be pleased to receive – olive oil. Of course the only olive oil to give should be imported from Southern Italy. Of the approximately 40 wineries that I have visited over the past six years, almost all make their