Elizabeth Minchilli's Blog, page 4
June 9, 2022
Where to Eat in Todi, Umbria
I know that a lot of your end up in Todi, in Umbria, after following me along here on the blog and Instagram. And while some of you actually join me for a tour, I know that more often you are on your own. And hungry.
With this in mind here is my list of places to eat and drink and snack and shop in Todi. If you have anything to add, please do! Especially if you’ve been to any of these places and have some feedback.
RestaurantsPizzeria Cavour
Corso Cavour 21 (open daily)
This is our pizza place of choice in Todi and where we go in the summer months to sit on their panoramic terrace. But it is also lovely indoors. They also have a full menu besides pizza.
Vineria San Fortunata
Piazza Umberto 5 (open daily from 12pm to 2am)
This small enoteca has a great selection of wines and excellent cheese and cured meats as well as a full menu.
Pane e Vino
Via Augusto Ciuffelli 33 (Closed Wednesday)
A darling enoteca with very good food. You can have a full meal, or just cured meats and cheeses and salads.
Pizzeria Le Scalette
Via delle Scalette 1 (Closed Monday)
Simple restaurant that has good pizza. And very nice terrace with view.
Trattoria da Piero e Silvana
Via Giacomo Matteotti 91 (Closed Wednesday)
Lovely family run trattoria. Kind of a long walk, down the hill, but very charming.
Trattoria Jacopone
Piazza Jacopone 3. This is one of the oldest trattorias in town. Good traditional local food. Just next to the hotel.
Pizzeria Italo
Piazza Bartolomeo D’Alviano 1 This small place below the hotel is a tavola calda/rosticerria . It looks simple, but their wood grilled meats are amazing. Great for take out if you want to picnic.
Pozzo del Beccaro
Located at the far end of the parking lot opposite the church of the Consolazione (at the bottom of town). We LOVE this pizzeria, and it’s a great place if you can eat outside in their garden. A kind of long walk, but worth it.
Basico
Piazza del Popolo This is a newish restaurant, and on the fancy side. I’ve never been (the menu doesn’t appeal to me) but some people love it.
La Cantina del Mercataccio
Via del Mercato Vecchio 1. This is located on a stairway leading off of the main street. It has a lovely terrace if the weather is nice. The chef recently changed, but I’ve heard it’s very good.
If you have a car, these are our favorites in the countryside (just a 5 minute drive:
Cibocchi: Our local trattoria near our own house
Rosa dei Venti: Hugely popular with locals for their pizza, but I love their grilled meats. They have an amazing terrace overlooking the countryside
Mulinella: One of the best restaurants in town, they are located in the valley and have a lovely garden.
Bacio di Latte
Piazza del Popolo
This gelateria just opened, so I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I’ve heard good things.
Pianegiani
Corso Cavour 40
If you plan on eating one thing in Todi, make sure it’s at last one stop by this gelateria. The best gelato in town. Also the best coffee in town
Coffee Bars
There are several bars in the main square in town.
Gran Caffe Todi, along the short side of the square, is my favorite. They are very friendly. Great view
Principi
Piazza del Popolo
This is the oldest speciality food store in town, and was carrying balsamico before most people even knew what it was.
Frantoio La Casella:
Piazza del Popolo . Along the long side of the square, you have to go through an archway to get to it. They have excellent products, including olive oil.
Giovenali
Corso Cavour 9
Another great speciality food store, with lots of local products including truffles.
Saturday Market
Located down the hill, next to the Consolazione, it’s the big weekly market. They don’t have a lot of food, but it’s fun to go, in only for the two porchetta stands which are amazing. They also have some fun houseware stands as well as clothes (including house dresses)
Saturday Farmer’s Market Coldiretti : Piazza Atti
This is located in a small parking lot outside the walls, and is only a handful of stands but they all sell fresh and local produce. Great bread stand, as well as vegetables.
Monday Market: Piazza Atti
This is also local farmers selling produce.
I hope you enjoyed this list of where to eat in Todi, Umbria. To find out more about Umbria see my book Eating My Way Through Italy.
If you can find them, my out of print books Italian Rustic, Restoring a House in Italy and Deruta , also have chapters on design in this part of the world.
And of course we’d love to have you join us for a tour. You can find out more about our Week in Umbria tours here. We are always announcing new tours (they sell out fast!) To be the first to know, make sure you are signed up for the Premium Version of my Newsletter.
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March 30, 2022
Carbonara
I’m about to admit something that is a bit embarrassing. I’ve never posted a recipe for Carbonara on this website.
There, I’ve said it. I feel 100% better for having admitted such a glaring lack of a recipe on a site that has become known for Roman cooking. Although I have published this video on YouTube and also written this version in the past, a true, straight forward recipe was nowhere to be found. Unless , of course, you have a copy of my book Eating Rome, in which case you’ve been making it since I first published it in way back in 2015.
Since I seem to be eating a LOT of Carbonara lately, it’s been on my mind. And since National Carbonara Day is fast approaching, I thought you should be prepared.
PrintCarbonaraYield 4-5
I know I repeat this over and over, but with these simple recipes, ingredients make all the difference. If you can get imported pasta, then use it here. I love Faella, which comes from Gragnano, outside of Naples Guanciale: I know it’s hard to find, but do try. If you have to substitute thick-cut bacon, that’s ok, but not smoked. And definitely not lean! (you want that fat). Eggs are the main ingredient here, and you will be eating them raw. So…farmer’s market, fresh please, if possible.
Although I use a sharp pecorino romano for dishes like Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana, for my carbonara I sometimes prefer the milder taste of parmigiano. I know it’s not 100% traditional, but I like to mix the two.
Ingredients1 pound rigatoni (or spaghetti)5 thick slices of guanciale (about 1 cup when cubed)1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil4 egg yolks1 egg white1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano1/2 cup Pecorinofreshly grated pepperInstructionsChop guanciale into small cubes.Heat a pan big enough to hold all the pasta, and pour in the olive oil. Add guanciale and let cook until the guanciale starts to give up its fat, and get crisp at the edges. (But you want it to stay chewy, not get brown and hard like bacon). Turn off heat.Do I have to say it? Do not drain the fat? Well, I’ll say it: do not drain the fat. This is one of the main ingredients of this dish. If you want something with no pork fat, this dish isn’t for you.In a large serving bowl put the four egg yolks and 1 egg white. Beat just to break up the yolks. Add the grated cheese and pepper and mix well with fork, creating a creamy ‘sauce.’ I find this is the secret to a great carbonara, mixing the grated cheese with the yolks before you add the pasta. Bring a big pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until on the hard side of al dente (you will be adding the pasta to the hot guanciale and also letting it sit a bit with the yolk/cheese mixture, so you don’t want to over cook).In the meantime re- heat the guanciale. Drain the pasta, reserving a half cup of the hot pasta water. Add drained pasta to the pan with guanciale, stirring and making sure you coat the pasta well with the contents of the pan. Turn off heat and add pasta to the bowl with the yolk/egg mixture. Toss well, adding a bit of the reserved water if you think it is too thick.Cover the bowl with a lid, and let sit for 2 minutes, to let the egg set a bit. Take off the lid, stir one more time and serve.
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Where to Eat in Monopoli – Puglia
We’re heading to Puglia next week for our first Week in Puglia Tour of the season. I can’t wait to get back to Lecce and Monopoli, where we’ll be based. During our tours we have very full days and – of course – very full stomachs (this is a food tour.) For this reason we give our guests a few nights off to – um – digest everything we’ve been learning about.
But here’s the thing: once you are on the Minchilli Eating Schedule (patent pending) even though you have had a huge lunch and think you won’t be hungry for dinner, chances are you will be. So we always give our guests a list of our favorite places.
Here is our favorites for Monopoli. If there is anything we’ve missed that you love, please leave it in the comments. (For Lecce see this post)
And if you’d like to join us in Puglia we’d love to have you! We still have a few spots left for our tour at the end of April, as well as next Spring (I’ll be posting new dates tomorrow).
La Locanda dei Mercanti
Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 44
A simple, cozy trattoria with local food, including seafood
La Locanda sul Porto
Via Cristoforo Colombo 10
This modern looking restaurant is located just on the edge of town. The menu is all about fish, which most people order raw (antipasti) or cooked (main course). We always go here for our final group dinner.
Terrazzamare
Via Portavecchia 50
As the name suggests, this restaurant has a huge terrace with a view of the sea. We’ve never been, but it is supposed to be one of the best seafood restaurants in town.
Trattoria San Domenico
Via S. Domenico 3/5
Very simple, good, trattoria.
My Wine
Via Cavaliere 9 080.205.9095
We love this little wine bar
Osteria Perrici
Via Orazio Comes 1, 080.937.2208
Great little trattoria with seafood. One of our favorites.
Carlo Quinto
Via Santa Maria 52
Just down the street from our hotel, on the water. All of our guests love it.
Trattoria da Pierino l’Inglese
Via Amalfitana 14, 080.930.6842
Cozy classic home style cooking, with focus on seafood.
Ai Portici
Via Milazzo 26 334.880.7891
Although I’ve never been here, it’s supposed to be the best pizza in Monopoli.
Caffe Venezia
Piazza Garibaldi 18
This is the big cafe in the main piazza. Great for a coffee or a cocktail. Large terrace.
Annese
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 57
This small grocery store sells their own products made in the countryside outside of Monopoli.
Great for picking up gifts, like pasta and taralli, or even olive oil or other jarred things if you want to carry that home.
If you’d like to join Sophie and me in Puglia you can find our full schedule of tours here. New tours are announced all the time, first via our Premium Newsletter, and then on this website.
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February 9, 2022
Where to Eat in Bari
Lately it seems like everyone I know is headed to Puglia. And of course they have asked me for a list of where to eat in Bari. Which made me realize that I’d never written up my Bari List here on the blog. Sorry!!
Here follows Sophie and my list of things we love to eat in Bari. Some are restaurants, some are street food and others fall somewhere in between
Some people skip over Bari when headed to Puglia, but it makes the perfect base from which to explore the central part of Puglia (which is a very long region). In fact, that is why Sophie chose Bari as the base for her new tour which takes place in April 25-30, 2022 . If you join her you’ll have a chance to visit most of the places in this list, plus fun/delicious day trips to Alberobello, Matera and more. You can read more about it here or else just send me an email for the details.
In the meantime, if you end up there on your own, we’ve got you covered:
RestaurantsAl Pescatore – The best fish restaurant in Bari. In Bari VecchiaBiancofiore – A newer more modern take traditional Pugliese food, mostly fishPer Bacco – A classic traditional restaurant in the new part of town.Terranima – The first restaurant in Bari to focus on Slowfood point of view. Very traditional local recipes.La Usascezze – very simple trattoria in Bari VecchiaIl Sorso Preferito – Very old traditional restaurant in the ’newer’ part of Bari. Famous for their pasta Assasina which is one of my favorite things ever. Also fantastic antipasti & fish.Mostofiore: A great enoteca focussing on Natural wines.StreetfoodIl Focacciaro – Located in the new part of town, this is the Minchilli family favorite place for focaccia. Also panzerotti.Antico Chiosco da U’RUSS – Famous food stand located just outside the walls of Bari vecchia. Known for its grilled meats (especially sausages) served as panini. Corso Antonio di Tullio 2Panificio Fiore: The best place to get focaccia in Bari Vecchia. 30 Strada Palazzo di Citta, BariPasta LadiesStrada Arco Alto – This is the street in Bari vecchia where you will see the ladies who make pasta selling on the sidewalk in front of their homes.Nunzia – Nunzia is the most well known of all of these ladies and where we buy pasta, panzerotti and taralli. She also has a small ‘restaurant’ upstairs. Call her son on this number to reserve a spot 393.251.8948.ShoppingAnnese , Via de Rossi 176. Located in the new part of town, this is the store that belongs to one of my favorite producers of products from Puglia. You can buy olive oil, jarred goods, pasta, etc. All great.Bari Fish Market– Molo S. Nicola Located along the waterfront, the market is now illegal, but there are still a few stands.Fruttivendolo Rizzi – Via Nicola de Giosa 63, An amazing fruit and vegetable store in the new part of town.Mercato – Piazza Balanzano – This covered market is the biggest one in the center of town.Il Ficodindia , Via Cardassi 4, Bari Very cute little ceramic store.
If you’d like to join Sophie in Bari this April (2022) you’ll have a chance to visit most of the places in this list, plus fun/delicious day trips to Alberobello, Matera and more. You can read more about it here or else just send me an email for the details.
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January 25, 2022
kumquat old fashioned
Are you wondering what to do with the kumquats you bought at the farmers market because they were so cute then got them home and thought now what? In theory I love kumquats, and buy them when they show up in the market in Rome. I eat a couple and then kind of forget about them. Now I have a specific reason to buy them: Kumquat Old Fashioned
The other night, while making our evening aperitivo, they came in very handy. Not only cute and pretty, but just the right amount of bitterness from the skin and acidity from the juice to work. I’ve never quite figured out the fine line between a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned, but this falls somewhere in between. It’s got added sweetness (like an Old Fashioned, from the maple syrup) but it also has red vermouth (like a Manhattan). You can call it whatever you’d like, but do let me know if you like it.
Yield 1
Ingredients2 oz bourbon1/2 oz sweet red vermouth1 tsp maple syrup2 kumquats, cut in halfCardamom BittersInstructionsPut bourbon, vermouth, syrup and one kumquat in a shaker and muddle. Add ice. Stir to chill and dilute. Strain into glass and garnish with the remain kumquat. Add a few drops of either orange of even better, cardamom bitters.
If you’d like to join me one of these days for an aperitivo in Italy, you can. We’ve still got a few more spots on our June and May trips to Umbria this year.
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January 20, 2022
best winter soups
I figure that about now you could use a list of best winter soups?
One of the reasons I love winter so much is because it’s soup season. When it comes to choosing what to make for dinner I’m definitely on team soup. Which is not to be confused with what I order in a restaurant, in which case I will never ever order soup. Is anyone else like that? I think that it the ‘idea’ of soup – a big pot bubbling away, a bowl with steam rising from it – that just seems to homey and cozy to me in the winter.
And when I am talking about soups, I’m not referring to dishes like Tortellini in Brodo, which is more about the tortellini and the broth, but instead I’m talking about stick to your ribs, warming soups that are usually thick and chunky with vegetables or rich and creamy with beans or other pulses.
I figured that about now, as we head into the depth of winter and many people are posting photos of snow blocked roads, you might appreciate a bit of soup inspiration. Here are some of my best winter soups, but I’d love to hear some of yours in the comments below.
(The captions link to the recipes)
Farro and Butternut Squash Soup
Cauliflower and Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Dried Fave and Tuscan Kale Soup
One of my favorite books for soup recipes is Zuppe : Soups from the American Academy in Rome.
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January 14, 2022
Spring in Umbria Tour May 2022
You know those gorgeous photos I post from Umbria? The ones with yellow broom bursting into bloom, swags of wisteria hanging from the pergola and bunches of roses filling every vase in my home? I take most of these photos during the month of May when the landscape literally bursts into life. While I love all the seasons, Spring in Umbria is quite special. So special that I decided to add one more tour during this glorious season.
Although you’ve gotten used to seeing me lead tours with my daughter Sophie, this May I’ve got a new traveling partner: my sister Robin. After a successful career as a graphic designer and art director for companies like Martha Stewart Living, Conde Nast and ESPN she has recently embarked in a new direction. She founded Go Love NY, a tour company which creates day trips in the Rivertowns and the Hudson Valley, outside of New York,.
Like me, Robin spent formative years in the 1970’s in Rome. After living abroad in Hong Kong and London she has been called Westchester home for the last 20 years. But for the last 30 years one thing has been constant: she has spent as much of her vacations as possible with us in our home in Umbria. And she is very excited to share her love of her ‘second home’ with our guests.
DetailsWhen May 22-28, 2022
Where We’ll be based in Todi, the hill top village in Umbria. You will have your own private room in a family run 4 star hotel
Who Space is limited to 10 people
What The days will be full, with trips in our private bus all over Umbria. But don’t worry, you will also have some down time in Todi too, to explore on your own.
A few of the things we’ll be doingWelcome drinks and dinner at my home PergolaccioVisit to an olive oil mill, tour of olive grove, guided tasting & lunchPrivate visit to our favorite ceramic workshop and Museum in DerutaLunch at our favorite truck stopTruffle Hunting and cooking lesson and truffle lunch feastFull day at an exclusive private estate and cooking class with author Patrizia ChenVisit to medieval Orvieto and lunch at a winery in the vineyardand more….Would you like more information? Just send me an email for details.
To find out more about Spring in Umbria with Elizabeth and Robin including prices and dates, please send an email.
And for more tours in 2022 and 2023 see our full schedule here.
If you would like to keep up to date, please subscribe to my newsletter. The free version comes out twice a month. I hope you consider upgrading to the Premium version. This includes my periodic podcast, meal plans, Discounts and Discussion Forums and more. PLEASE NOTE: I also announce my new tours first in the Premium version. They fill up quickly!
The post Spring in Umbria Tour May 2022 appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
Spring in Umbria Tour April 2022
You know those gorgeous photos I post from Umbria? The ones with yellow broom bursting into bloom, swags of wisteria hanging from the pergola and bunches of roses filling every vase in my home? I take most of these photos during the month of May when the landscape literally bursts into life. While I love all the seasons, Spring in Umbria is quite special. So special that I decided to add one more tour during this glorious season.
Although you’ve gotten used to seeing me lead tours with my daughter Sophie, this May I’ve got a new traveling partner: my sister Robin. After a successful career as a graphic designer and art director for companies like Martha Stewart Living, Conde Nast and ESPN she has recently embarked in a new direction. She founded Go Love NY, a tour company which creates day trips in the Rivertowns and the Hudson Valley, outside of New York,.
Like me, Robin spent formative years in the 1970’s in Rome. After living abroad in Hong Kong and London she has been called Westchester home for the last 20 years. But for the last 30 years one thing has been constant: she has spent as much of her vacations as possible with us in our home in Umbria. And she is very excited to share her love of her ‘second home’ with our guests.
DetailsWhen May 22-28, 2022
Where We’ll be based in Todi, the hill top village in Umbria. You will have your own private room in a family run 4 star hotel
Who Space is limited to 10 people
What The days will be full, with trips in our private bus all over Umbria. But don’t worry, you will also have some down time in Todi too, to explore on your own.
A few of the things we’ll be doingWelcome drinks and dinner at my home PergolaccioVisit to an olive oil mill, tour of olive grove, guided tasting & lunchPrivate visit to our favorite ceramic workshop and Museum in DerutaLunch at our favorite truck stopTruffle Hunting and cooking lesson and truffle lunch feastFull day at an exclusive private estate and cooking class with author Patrizia ChenVisit to medieval Orvieto and lunch at a winery in the vineyardand more….
Would you like more information? Just send me an email for details.
To find out more about Spring in Umbria with Elizabeth and Robin including prices and dates, please send an email.
And for more tours in 2022 and 2023 see our full schedule here.
If you would like to keep up to date, please subscribe to my newsletter. The free version comes out twice a month. I hope you consider upgrading to the Premium version. This includes my periodic podcast, meal plans, Discounts and Discussion Forums and more. PLEASE NOTE: I also announce my new tours first in the Premium version. They fill up quickly!
The post Spring in Umbria Tour April 2022 appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
January 13, 2022
Puglia with Sophie: April 2022
Are you feeling and intense craving to be somewhere else? Like, in Puglia for instance? Sophie will be there in April and would love it if you could join her. A Week in Bari with Sophie is our new tour which highlights everything Sophie loves about Puglia in a 5-day exploration based in Bari.
As you probably already know, Sophie has been spending time in Puglia since before she was even born. Domenico is from Bari and our family home there has been our base to explore the entire region. She grew up eating raw squid from the fishermen in the old port, gnawing at focaccia before she could walk and charming people and making friends all over this city. She has since built a career there, sharing her passion for this region through social media, her tours and her new book.
During this 5 day tour you’ll have the time to truly explore all Sophie loves about Puglia. And if you know Sophie, then you may have already guessed that food will be the theme that ties everything together. You’ll visit some of her favorite places and meet her friends — in small towns, through the countryside and by the sea.
A few of the things you’ll be doingVisit to the Unesco heritage town of MateraDay at a family farm in the Valle d’Itria making cheese and baking biscottiGuided tour of Unesco heritage town of AlberobelloPasta making lesson and lunch in private homeDay exploring the seaside towns of Monopoli and PolignanoLunch on the beachand more….DetailsWhen: April 25-30, 2022Where: You’ll be based in Bari, the capital of Puglia, staying in a 5-star hotel in a private room with sea viewWho: This tour is limited to 10 guests.What: The tour will include very full days, with trips in our private bus. But don’t worry, you’ll also have some down time in Bari, to explore on your own.How: If you’d like more information, just send me an email.If you’d like to see some of the things we’ll be doing in Bari, you can watch the episode we filmed with CBS Sunday Morning recently.
To find out more about A Week in Bari with Sophie, including prices and dates, please send an email.
And for more tours in 2022 and 2023 see our full schedule here.
If you would like to keep up to date, please subscribe to my newsletter. The free version comes out twice a month. I hope you consider upgrading to the Premium version. This includes my periodic podcast, meal plans, Discounts and Discussion Forums and more. PLEASE NOTE: I also announce my new tours first in the Premium version. They fill up quickly!The post Puglia with Sophie: April 2022 appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
Bari with Sophie: April 2022
Are you feeling and intense craving to be somewhere else? Like, in Puglia for instance? Sophie will be there in April and would love it if you could join her. A Week in Bari with Sophie is our new tour which highlights everything Sophie loves about Puglia in a 5-day exploration based in Bari.
As you probably already know, Sophie has been spending time in Puglia since before she was even born. Domenico is from Bari and our family home there has been our base to explore the entire region. She grew up eating raw squid from the fishermen in the old port, gnawing at focaccia before she could walk and charming people and making friends all over this city. She has since built a career there, sharing her passion for this region through social media, her tours and her new book.
During this 5 day tour you’ll have the time to truly explore all Sophie loves about Puglia. And if you know Sophie, then you may have already guessed that food will be the theme that ties everything together. You’ll visit some of her favorite places and meet her friends — in small towns, through the countryside and by the sea.
A few of the things you’ll be doingVisit to the Unesco heritage town of MateraDay at a family farm in the Valle d’Itria making cheese and baking biscottiGuided tour of Unesco heritage town of AlberobelloPasta making lesson and lunch in private homeDay exploring the seaside towns of Monopoli and PolignanoLunch on the beachand more….DetailsWhen: April 25-30, 2022Where: You’ll be based in Bari, the capital of Puglia, staying in a 5-star hotel in a private room with sea viewWho: This tour is limited to 10 guests.What: The tour will include very full days, with trips in our private bus. But don’t worry, you’ll also have some down time in Bari, to explore on your own.How: If you’d like more information, just send me an email.If you’d like to see some of the things we’ll be doing in Bari, you can watch the episode we filmed with CBS Sunday Morning recently.
To find out more about A Week in Bari with Sophie, including prices and dates, please send an email.
And for more tours in 2022 and 2023 see our full schedule here.
If you would like to keep up to date, please subscribe to my newsletter. The free version comes out twice a month. I hope you consider upgrading to the Premium version. This includes my periodic podcast, meal plans, Discounts and Discussion Forums and more. PLEASE NOTE: I also announce my new tours first in the Premium version. They fill up quickly!The post Bari with Sophie: April 2022 appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
