The food in Italy was just too amazing to not dedicate an entire post to it. So as I sit here in my room in Sevilla, counting the minutes until lunchtime (2:30-3ish in Spain), I figured why not make myself even more hungry? Here ya go.
Pizza
I had pizza twice during my four days in Italy, one was good, this one was one of, if not the, best pizza I've ever eaten. If you're ever in Florence do yourself a favor and go to Gusta Pizza. It will change your life. It's owned by four guys, their pictures are on the wall, and two of them were actually there when we were (good sign in any Italian restaurant). It's cheap, it's amazing, everyone working there was great, no frills, fresh ingredients, and most importantly, delicious. This is authentic Italian pizza at it's finest.
I had pizza twice during my four days in Italy, one was good, this one was one of, if not the, best pizza I've ever eaten. If you're ever in Florence do yourself a favor and go to Gusta Pizza. It will change your life. It's owned by four guys, their pictures are on the wall, and two of them were actually there when we were (good sign in any Italian restaurant). It's cheap, it's amazing, everyone working there was great, no frills, fresh ingredients, and most importantly, delicious. This is authentic Italian pizza at it's finest.
Pasta
I'm not the least bit ashamed to say that when I wasn't eating pizza in Italy, I was eating pasta. Or some other carb. Because for four days straight all I ate was carbs. And gelato. My friends and I were lucky enough to have a ton of amazing pasta dishes everywhere we went. I think one of the most important keys to having an authentic meal in Italy is to get away from the touristy places and to ask the locals. On our first night in Rome we stopped for some champagne near the Trevi and asked our waiter where we should go for good food. He told us anywhere in Trastevere, which is this little neighborhood filled with tons of restaurants. It reminded me of the North End in Boston which is one of my all time favorite places. We ended up going to this area for dinner for both of our nights in Rome.
I'm not the least bit ashamed to say that when I wasn't eating pizza in Italy, I was eating pasta. Or some other carb. Because for four days straight all I ate was carbs. And gelato. My friends and I were lucky enough to have a ton of amazing pasta dishes everywhere we went. I think one of the most important keys to having an authentic meal in Italy is to get away from the touristy places and to ask the locals. On our first night in Rome we stopped for some champagne near the Trevi and asked our waiter where we should go for good food. He told us anywhere in Trastevere, which is this little neighborhood filled with tons of restaurants. It reminded me of the North End in Boston which is one of my all time favorite places. We ended up going to this area for dinner for both of our nights in Rome.
My first pasta dish in Italy was from from Gino51, a cozy little restaurant with a great atmosphere and wonderful servers. Pictured above is spaghetti in marinara with bacon (which in Europe is what Americans would consider ham), and fresh parmesan. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, which is the way all pasta should be.
I think this one was my favorite. Sadly I don't remember the name of the restaurant, we stumbled upon it after realizing we needed reservations for the restaurant we were planning on going to. It was a tiny little no frills place but the food was fantastic. In addition to all of our amazing pasta dishes my friends and I also shared a great caprese salad, a couple bottles of wine, and dessert. One of my favorite parts of my trip to Italy were the long dinners spent with amazing company. Above was my penne in an amazing red sauce with eggplant and mozzarella melted into the sauce.
This one was special. Gorgonzola cheese gnocchi. I got a great Florence restaurant recommendation from a friend and I'm so glad we went. The restaurant was The Golden View Open Bar which is right on the Arno River. Definitely a nicer restaurant but we decided to treat ourselves. Our table was right next to the window and the waiter was fantastic. We also realized you can be classy on a budget studying abroad by ordering on the cheap. This restaurant had a 3,000 euro bottle of wine and most of the food was really pricy. We picked the cheapest bottle, split an app, and only ordered pasta dishes which aren't super expensive. The whole meal ended up being around 24 euros each, which really isn't a lot at all for such a beautiful restaurant!
Holy Cannoli (and other delicious things)
I miss you.
I would pay 100 euro to eat another one of these. The cookie was an Italian butter cookie (if anyone from Wakefield is reading this think the colorful Italian cookies from Farmland) filled with chocolate and covered in powdered sugar and more chocolate.
Gelato
Holy yuuuum. The gelato I'm so happily holding above was my favorite but all the gelato was amazing. This one is from Giolitti in Rome which is known to be one of the best. The place was absolutely packed and you had to buy a ticket before hand for your gelato and then fight through the crowds to order it. 200% worth it, the whip cream on top was also unreal.
Holy yuuuum. The gelato I'm so happily holding above was my favorite but all the gelato was amazing. This one is from Giolitti in Rome which is known to be one of the best. The place was absolutely packed and you had to buy a ticket before hand for your gelato and then fight through the crowds to order it. 200% worth it, the whip cream on top was also unreal.
Last but not least, the world champion of gelatos. But really. Gelateria Dondoli in San Gimignano won the Milan food expo for best gelato. I got mint and cream and the mint had pieces of real mint leaves in it! The owner was the one scooping our gelato and pictures of him with top chefs from around the world covered the walls.