Each year I seek out the best dishes from around the world so I can share them with fellow food-lovers through my small-group food & wine tours and writing.
In 2023, I was hosting a tour in Emilia-Romagna and then spent a few days in beautiful Roma to research for an upcoming Southern Italian food & wine tour. Here are some of the best dishes I ate and where to find them.
Carciofi alla Giudia Osteria La Gensola (Rome)
My first stop in Roma is always this osteria in bohemian Trastevere, and the first dish I order is always deep-fried Jewish-style artichokes. This typical Roman dish comes from the Jewish community that have lived here since before Christ. The artichokes, which are just large flowers, open up in the oil so that each bract (petal) is crisp and delicious. This dish is best eaten at a leisurely pace, savouring each tasty petal.
Emilia Burger di Massimo Bottura Franceschetta58 (Modena)
You can’t visit Modena without experiencing the genius of Massimo Bottura. And the most approachable way to do that is at his casual bistro, Franceschetta58. Guests on my food & wine tour love his ‘Tradition in Evolution’ menu which gives a different view of Modena’s traditional cuisine and includes this cute slider of cotechino, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salsa verde, and balsamic-tinged mayo.
Rigatoni alla Gricia Roscioli Salumeria (Rome)
While classic Roman pasta carbonara is widely known, its close cousin, alla gricia, is rarely seen outside Rome. So it’s worth grabbing a seat at the counter of one of Rome’s most famous delis (pictured above) to taste the real thing! While carbonara contains guanciale, Pecorino Romano, egg and black pepper, alla gricia is egg-free, the rendered guanciale fat, cheese and pasta cooking water emulsifying to make a delicious creamy sauce.
Strozzapretti with Salsiccia & Radicchio Ristorante Lazaroun (Santarcangelo)
I love the medieval hilltown of Santarcangelo, just inland from the Adriatic resort town of Rimini. It’s full of delicious places to eat and one of my favourites is Lazaroun, run by brother and sister Roberto and Sabrina Lazzaretti with their Mamma Tina in the kitchen making the pasta. My favourite is the twisted strips of strozzapreti (‘priest chokers’) tossed with pork sausage and red radicchio.
Chicken Salad with Mostarda di Frutta Hosteria Giusti (Modena)
I love this simple salad at tiny Hosteria Giusti, a 20-seater restaurant in the cellar of an ancient deli in Modena’s historic centre. It reminds me of a famous dish from nearby Mantua in Lombardy called insalata di cappone alla Stefani, combining mustard-preserved fruit and pine nuts with poultry. Giusti’s version includes a generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar of course.
Red Mullet, Amberjack, Boiled Seaweed, Tomato da Lucio (Rimini)
Local seafood is the star of menus along Italy’s Adriatic coast and I love what chef Jacopo Ticchi does with it: dry-aging it to serve raw or simply charcoal grilled with some unusual flavour combinations. I especially enjoy the texture and flavour of this combo of raw amberjack and seared red mullet finished with strips of boiled seaweed on a bed of rich tomato puree.
Freshly-churned Gelato Trattoria ai Due Platani (Parma)
This restaurant in the Parma countryside has a bit of a cult following thanks to its popularity among the food fraternity. Dishes are simple, traditional and prepared with care. The ice cream trolley is a show-stopper when it’s wheeled around the tables. The gelato is freshly churned twice a day and served immediately (usually around 10pm for dinner) with a choice of toppings. I love it drizzled with bitter-sweet Borsci liqueur.
Caramel Semifreddo Osteria Bartolini (Cesenatico)
When you’re craving ice cream but don’t have the inclination or equipment to churn it, you make semifreddo. The crème caramel version I had at Osteria Bartolini, the canalside restaurant of one of Romagna’s most famous chefs in the Adriatic town of Cesenatico, is the best I’ve ever had. It’s like a delicious combination of ice cream and crème caramel.
