Italian Restaurants – Page 2

Cinque Terre – Back to Monterosso al Mare, Aperitivo at Ananasso Bar, and Dinner at Gambero Rosso (Vernazza)

January 18, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Cocktails, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Seafood, Travel

After enjoying our time in Riomaggiore and Manarola, the Missus decided She wanted to revisit Monterosso. Which was not a big deal since it was just a 12 minute train ride to Monterosso and boy was I happy we weren't hiking there! My knees were still stiff from that one! Like before, we got out at the station in the New Town and walked thru the tunnel to the Old Town. This time we went further up the main street, Via Roma.

Along the way, we came across something that kinda reminded us of Japan in a way. A vending machine. This one is like a portable pharmacy!

We enjoyed doing the "Flâneur" thing. After a busy morning, just wandering in the largest village of the Cinque Terre with a "massive" population of 1,300, away from the major tourist stops was relaxing.

It gave us time to really appreciate the beautiful colors of the Cinque Terre.

As we got closer to the train tracks and the shoreline more businesses appeared, but because this was the winter season, things seemed quite sedate.

Sometimes, just meandering around can be more fun then having to see all the required sights.

As we headed back to the New Town and the train station, the Missus decided She wanted another gelato from Gelateria La Scogliera. And of course we needed to sit and have that view of the bay as well.

Gelateria La Scogliera
Via Fegina 20
Monterosso al Mare, Italy

Back in Vernazza, we climbed those stairs back to the apartment and relaxed, before heading back out. We strolled down Via Visconti toward the breakwater to get that "typical" view of Vernazza Harbor and Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.

It seems that more than a few folks had the same idea in mind.

Then it was time for something I'd really taken to during our stay in Milan; aperitivo time. And the lovely Piazza Guglielmo Marconi seemed like the perfect place.

So, we were back at Ananasso Bar, where we'd had our morning espresso. We actually sat at the two top right out the door of the shop. And guess who decided to take a "break" below my seat?

Yep, it was the ferocious feline we saw earlier in the day! Of course, I wasn't going to try to make it move, nor even bother it at all!

As for our aperotivo.

The Missus ordered the "non si sa", the "bartender's choice"! In this case an interesting aperol with tequila and mezcal, which was right down the Missus's alley. I got the Negroni Basilico; made with Cinque Terre Basil and Cocchi Americano which added a nice bitter-sweet tone; the basil added some interesting peppery-anise flavors.

Ananasso Bar
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 30
Vernazza, Italy

We also got some free entertainment, courtesy of this fellow.

I guess he's one of the caretakers of the piazza. He came on down singing, greeting everyone, playing "air guitar" on his broom!

Such a nice and friendly fellow.

By this time, the waves started picking up.

Quite dramatically.

At one point, the first couple of tables nearest the beach on the piazza got splashed. I'm glad we sat where we did!

For dinner, we picked a spot next to Gianni Franzi where we'd had dinner the previous night. We were told that Gambero Rosso was the "finest" restaurant in the area, so we had to check it out, right?

It had started drizzling and the waves were pounding the shore, so we dined in the warm, stone walled dining room.

The service was a bit rushed, but the place was pretty busy. Prices were a bit more than on the previous night. Sticking with local seafood/products and uncomplicated dishes had served us well thus far so we weren't going to deviate.

First up was the Misto de Acciughe alla Gambero Rosso. The house style anchovies. Basically both fried and filet of anchovies.

These were fine; the fried version crisp and savory, the salted filets fine, though not as full of umami as we'd had the night before.

The Trofie al Pesto was better than we'd had the previous night, though not as enjoyable as what we'd had at 5 Terre Bistrot.

The real "winnah" of the evening were the Mussels. Oh my, so plump, mildly sweet – oceany, not a bit of grit to be found!

Cooked simply and perfectly. We plowed thru this in no time!

Like I said, simple and local…….

Ristorante Il Gambero Rosso
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 7
Vernazza, Italy

Things were quite damp when we left the restaurant. And not all of it due to the mild drizzle.

Looking between the buildings you could see what the waves had brought ashore. In fact, waves were hitting the window of the living room of the apartment! I wish I had taken a photo of that!

We were really enjoying ourselves. The charming and colorful villages, the views, the wildness of the sea….but, to be honest, it was those little special moments that really made our stay memorable!

Cinque Terre – Passo del Termine, Monterosso, Gelateria La Scogliera, and Trattoria Gianni Franzi

January 10, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Desserts, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Seafood, Travel

So, on our first morning, the Missus was rarin' to go. She wanted to do the typical hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. Unfortunately, due to some landslides that oceanside hike was not available. So, instead it was decided to do the Via Passo del Termine route, which is over 4 miles long and considered at challenging route, sigh.

Instead of starting where the Alltrails hike starts, we went up to the beginning of Via Brigate Partigiane, like we did the previous day.

Because frankly, the views are fabulous.

And also because of the lovely, serene cemetery that resides on a hilltop.

Those "residing" here have one of the most beautiful views of the village. You can read more about it in this post by Rick Steves. Cemeteries were located outside of town by law for hygenic reasons in the early 19th century.

And then we were back on the trail again.

Sometimes you'd get a peak at Vernazza below.

And soon we ended up in a clearing and this church.

This is the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio. And right on the other side is a road that leads to Highway 51.

It was fairly easy to find our way as you'll look for the "signs"…..

We started walking among the terraces; grapes were grown along the steep hills. There were often these devices on rails that went up and down the terraces so folks could maintain and harvest the grapes.

From here we walked along the highway, until we saw the signs indicating the way to Monterosso. At that point we got back onto the trail. This would be the last view of Vernazza on the trail.

And of course, what goes up, must come down.

And soon enough we could see Monterosso in the distance.

And then it was really "downhill all the way". Alltrails says the elevation gain is 1,771 feet and my knees could feel every foot as we descended. Said joints didn't recover until we were in Paris later on during the trip.

Somehow, we ended up in Centro Storico, the Old Town of Monterosso. Monterosso al Mare is made up of two distinct "towns" which are separated by a pedestrian tunnel. One of the first buildings we saw was the Oratorio di Santa Croce o dei Bianchi.

In need of a break, we decided to take a look inside.

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The Oratory was built in the 15th century as is named for the brotherhood, who ran the hospital and dressed in white (Bianchi) robes.

From here we headed toward the shore on the main street in the Old Town, Via Roma.

Taking time to stop at a few more churches; the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista….

And the Oratorio Mortis et Orationis – Confraternita dei Neri.

Basically, the Oratory of the Dead.

So, we'd seen the "White Brotherhood"; this was the home of the "Black Brotherhood" who took care of burials for those who could not afford it. The interior is adorned with skeletons and skulls.

Eventually, you get to the railroad tracks….the actual station is in the New Town and right past the tracks is the beach.

Monterosso is the "resort" town of the Cinque Terre with hotels and beaches.

We took the pedestrian tunnel over to the New Town. And took a stroll along the Fegina, the waterfront of the New Town. This being winter, things were quite peaceful and relaxed. That's the distinctive "Eden Rock" in the photo below.

At about this time, I wanted a break. It was indeed winter, but I thought some gelato would be nice. And this shop is right along Via Fegina.

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And the tables with a view of the beach across from the shop were unoccupied. It was a nice and refreshing stop.

And the view was wonderful as well.

Gelateria La Scogliera
Via Fegina 20
Monterosso al Mare, Italy

After a nice break, we strolled, or in my case "lurched" our way to the Monterosso Train Station…. I'm kinda glad the Blue Trail back to Vernazza was closed due to blockage because there ain't no way I'd make it back.

Needless to say, it was nice to be able to rest my aching knees back at the apartment. When dinner time came around we picked a spot that had been recommended to us; Trattoria Gianni Franzi, which was located right on Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.

The waves were riding high on this day and it had started drizzling so there would be no al fresco dining on this winter evening. The warm and cozy interior of the restaurant was quite busy on this evening, yet we were able to get a table.

The menu is quite large and there was a section of "typico" dishes, which is where we made our selections. The prices were 4-5 Euros more per dish than on the previous evening. The service was a bit rushed, but professional.

We ordered two Antipasti and two Primi. First up was the Pulpo con Patate, yes octopus and potatoes.

Sometimes simple is best, like in this case, the pulpo was just the perfect texture, firm, but not chewy, with a mild "oceany" flavor highlighted by the olive oil. The potatoes brought a bit of starchiness to the dish.

Now, if you wanted an umami boost, well, the Accinghe Salate, salted anchovies had that in spades.

The textures of the anchovies were almost buttery, the flavor was very salty-briny and umami….while I wouldn't call it fishy at all. Just a plain umami bomb.

Of course I got the Trofie al Pesto.

I didn't enjoy this as much as what I'd had the previous evening. The flavors seemed watered down. And indeed, there was a pool of thin liquid at the bottom of the bowl as if the pasta had not been drained properly. I would have also enjoyed a bit more pesto on this as well.

The Mussels in the Spaghetti ai Muscoli might have been the highlight of the meal.

I enjoy my pasta to be nicely coated, not overly drowned in sauce like many places do in the states, so this version perfectly al dente, coated in peppery-fruity olive oil, with a hint of garlic and hidden red peppers did fine. Those mussels were very good, sweet, tender, and without any grit. This got us ordering mussels when we'd see it on the menu from this point forward. And though we'd have even better mussels a day later, this paved the way for our future ordering.

Even though we were eating in touristy type restaurants; we were enjoying our meals

Trattoria Gianni Franzi
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 1
Vernazza, Italy

When we got back to the apartment, I took a quick look at my walking distance for the day.

Whoa….164 floors! No wonder my knees were screaming for mercy!

Vernazza – Exploring the Town and Dinner at 5 Terre Bistrot

January 3, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Seafood, Travel

We had really enjoyed exploring Milan, but it was time for us to head to our next stop. The Cinque Terre, five towns that hug the Ligurian coast had been on the Missus's "list" for years. In doing a bit research, I found that trains from Milan took only three hours to get to Monterosso, the largest and northernmost village. From there the local train service runs every 15-20 minutes or so to each village. The Cinque Terre is a very popular tourist destination, so I thought visiting during the early winter….after all, if we wanted beaches and such, we'd just head "home", right? I figured…quite correctly that the villages wouldn't be swamped.

Our train left Milano Centrale right on time at noon and we got into Monterosso a bit after three. From there, we found the local train which took 4 minutes to get to Vernazza, where we were staying. I decided on Vernazza after looking at all the wonderful photos, it just seemed like the right place. There basically one main street, Via Roma which heads downhill from the train stop.

As you can see, it was pretty quiet when we arrived. Our AirBnb was wonderful, the kitchen, the awesome bedroom, the views. But first, you needed to climb up a good amount of winding stairs…huff…huff…

And the flat was actually two floors with a kitchen on the bottom and the bedroom, bathroom, and a sitting room above.

All the stairs were worth it….just for the views.

You see the couple in the photo below? Well, they were from Australia. We'd end up seeing them almost 5-6 times during our stay. They were so nice and inspired us to travel "down under".

Later during our stay there would be a rather stormy evening and the waves would actually crash against our window.

Of course once settled, the Missus wanted to head on out. So now, it was back down those stairs. It seemed much busier as we headed to the main piazza and the harbor.

Vernazza is known for having the only natural harbor of the 5 villages, there's a breakwater and the waves were indeed breaking!

We would actually see waves breaking on the piazza later on! Folks sitting having drinks got soaked!

The pastel toned buildings, the green mountains….which house vineyards, make for a lovely backdrop.

Right past the waterfront buildings on the Piazza is the Church of St. Margaret.

Which was built in 1318! We took a quick look inside. Saint Margaret is the Patron Saint of Vernazza. And for an even more interesting story, check out this page.

The Missus really wanted to see a bit more of the town, so we, you got it, took more stairs from behind the church.

Where the views start getting really nice.

Then more stairs….

And somehow ended up at the beginning of Via Brigate Partigiane, where the walk begins to the cemetery, which we'd see the next day.

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We decided on taking a walk part of the way up anyway.

Where we could see the vineyards on terraces along the hillside. And get a good view of Doria Castle, which used to protect the village from pirates.

Another place we'd visit a bit later on during our stay.

It was so lovely. There were simple things, like this parked scooter that just seemed to be posed for a photograph…..like a two wheeled, Instagram ready, Vernazza "influencer".

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And the cats, which seemed totally unafraid of anything.

We'd see one scaring the crap out of a huge mutt in the Piazza the next evening! I guess you don't fool around with the felines here!

Of course all good things must come to an end….so it was back down all those steps. My poor knees!

We headed back to the flat and took a nice rest.

When dinner time came along, instead of heading down to the harbor and piazza, we decided on a place on Via Roma named 5 Terre Bistrot. While the street seemed fairly sedate.

The al fresco tables of the restaurant, which overlooked the pedestrian street were busy.

The menu is small, with a total of maybe 12 items, but I still needed a Negroni to help me make a decision. Plus, we hadn't done Aperitivo time on this day! Yikes, a mortal sin!

In end we had one antipasti, one primi, and one secondi.

We started with the Pulpo e Patate con Bottarga. I'd read that the combination of octopus and potatoes is a Ligurian specialty, so I thought we'd try it here. This version also featured cured mullet roe.

This version is in the form of a Tortino e Patate, a potato based pie. The pulpo was so tender, the potatoes nice and starchy, the cured mullet roe was very savory….an umami blast.

Of course this is Liguria, so I had to have the Trofie al Pesto.

My goodness, what's up with Ligurian Basil?!? This was bright and peppery, nice garlic, the pasta a bit over cooked, but still that pesto. I enjoyed the pesto so much, we had it I think the first 5 straight days in Liguria?

The secondi was Calamari. This version came with a Garbanzo cream, nice and nutty, dots of nice sour lemon jelly, and sweet and sour pickled onions.

The calamari was surprisingly tender, the breading added a nice textural contrast.

This was a nice meal to start our stay in Vernazza. From this point on, we'd be having seafood and pesto all the time! The service was friendly and relaxed; perhaps too much so. But we really enjoyed our meal.

5 Terre Bistrot
Via Roma 44
Vernazza, Italy

After dinner we took a stroll down to the busy, but not crowded harbor.

It was so relaxed….well compared to Milan where we'd been the night before, that it felt like we were on a different planet.

I was looking forward to a nice restful night. Especially since the Missus had a hike in mind for the next day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Milan – Osteria Da Fortunata and a Stroll Around All Those Familiar Places

December 29, 2024 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

After our lovely Aperotivo, we walked around the corner to a place we'd passed on every evening. There was always a line. In the morning, when I would take a walk, I'd see the hard working Sfoglina making pasta by hand.

So, this is where we decided to have dinner. We went a bit early and there was still a short line but we got in after a ten minute wait.

Now, when I had done a bit of research, I found that Osteria Da Fortunata is based in Rome. So, I went with one of my favorite pastas; Strozzapreti, in a typical Roman style, that would Carbonara. The Missus ordered the Tagliolini Pomodoro Fresco.

The service was very friendly and warm; totally NOT like Rome at all.
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The pasta was a bit more doughy than I prefer; though the strozzapreti did a wonderful job of "holding on to" all the creamy-cheesy-savory sauce. I was surprised at the amount of pepper on this, but it really heightened the dish.

The texture of the Tagliolini all 'Ouvo (egg noodles) was just perfect. While a bit rustic looking, it had a wonderful stretch.

The sauce had a nice fruity-acidity.

While not a fancy meal, this was a nice, fairly inexpensive dinner, right in the heart of Brera, which the Missus enjoyed so much that She had me cancel reservations we had at Ratana on this evening. And like I said, we really liked the service.

Osteria Da Fortunata – Brera
Via Fiori Chiari 13
Milan, Italy

After dinner, we headed on out for a stroll, it was drizzling, but we enjoyed seeing all those now familiar places.

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The Duomo sure is lovely at night!

And the Missus enjoyed the lively, but not crazy streets of Brera.

It was interesting to walk those same streets in the morning. Such a contrast.

It was so peaceful and mellow…..

We had a light breakfast, then caught the metro to the huge Milano Centrale Train Station.

Next stop? Liguria…..

Milan – L.O.V.E., Panetteria Mercato, Santa Maria del Carmine Church, Aperitivo Time at Rosso Brera, and More Exploring

December 7, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

I got up rather early on our first morning in Milan. We had done a bit of shopping before heading to dinner the night before, so we had breakfast and lunch covered. After a light breakfast, I was ready to head on out. The Missus just wanted to relax, so I went in search of something I'd read about before our trip. This walk had me going down Via Mercato, which we'd walk pass several times a day during our stay; with bakeries and such, it was a fun street to shop and eat. The street eventually turned into Via Broletto and there's a lot to see here as well. Like the Neoclassical designed Church of San Tomaso in Terramara.

Via Broletto ends at the very busy and picturesque Piazza Cordusio.

From here, there was an interesting public art piece I was looking for. A bit further west lies Piazza Affari where the Milan Stock Exchange is located. It is quite busy.

As for me, I was more interested in the sculpture right across the way; which seems to send a message to the bankers and financiers of Milan, considered to be the "economic" capital of Italy.

Yep, for real. You gotta love it! The name of this sculpture is L.O.V.E, which stands for Liberta, Odio, Vendetta, Eternita (Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity).

Could you imagine something like this standing outside the stock exchange in the states?

From here I took a now familiar route back to the apartment. I noticed that the Instagrammers were out in full force in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

On the way back, I stopped at this bakery.

And got the Missus some cannoli to have with lunch.

She especially enjoyed the pistachio version; saying that it was not overly sweet.

Panetteria Mercato
Via Mercato 24
20121 Milan, Italy

After lunch we headed on out. To do a some exploring and shopping. As we passed this church for the fourth time, seeing that it was open, we decided to check it out.

This is the Chiesa del Carmine (Santa Maria del Carmine Church).

The church dates back to 15th century. And the chapel, which dates back to the Baroque period is considered a masterpiece.

And if to really display the contrasts between the ancient and modern; right in front of the church is this sculpture.

Named the "Great Toscano" by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj.

As we strolled down Via Broletto, the Missus stopped at this sneaker/shoe shop. The brand was Golden Goose?

Looking at the prices, I jokingly told the Missus that She was limited to one pair. Her response; "no, I already have the one's I want at home." !!!!!!

We enjoyed wandering the streets of Milan.

Walking thru places that now seemed quite familiar to us.

As we headed a bit further afield and headed past the Duomo.

That's the Chiesa di Santa Maria presso San Satiro, a church that dates back to the 15th century!

That's San Giovanni in Conca above. The remnants of a church which dates back to the 4th century. What remains of the church is the crypt! I've always thought of Milan as being so modern, so hip, but what I saw really gave me a better appreciation of the city!

And yet, there were places we walked past that just brought on a smile….

Heading back to the apartment, we strolled thru Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II once again.

No matter how many times we walked thru the shopping center; there always seemed to be something we'd notice that we hadn't paid attention to before.

On the way back to the apartment, we stopped at this shop.

Where the Missus found a small purse She loved. Heck, this was Milan, you want a purse….well go for it, right?

We got back to apartment and took a break. I had dinner reservations nearby. But first, we decided to do the Milanese thing…. Yes, it was Aperitivo time! There was a Chinese restaurant that was recommended to us that we decided to try. It was located close by; in fact less than a block from where we'd had dinner the night before. So, we decided what the heck and went to Rosso Brera for Aperitivo. It was really funny; the same young man who waited on us the night before came on out. He smiled and I told him we were here for Aperitvo. He cracked up and we were served with a smile! So yes, a Negroni for me; Prosecco for the Missus, and some typical snacks.

Before heading off to dinner.

Rosso Brera
Via Marco Formentini 7
20121 Milan, Italy

We were really enjoying the Milanese lifestyle. You could say that we were falling in L.O.V.E. with Milan!

Milan – Our Arrival and Dinner at Rosso Brera

December 6, 2024 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Milan, Travel

After London, our next stop was Milan, where we'd be spending three nights before heading to the Cinque Terre, which is was one of those "bucket list" places for the Missus. Now, I had mainly wanted to visit Milan for one reason. But we'd end up really enjoying the city. We loved the walks, the Missus enjoyed the shopping…heck, Milan is considered the fashion capital of Italy! We both took to Aperitivo Culture. And we especially enjoyed where we stayed. Our good friend Candice recommended staying in the Brera District. The lovely cobblestone streets, artsy-bohemian-hipster vibe, and location, still within walking distance of the main sites really won us over.

And we loved our AirBnB which was located right off the fun and bustling Via Fiori Chiari, yet with a small courtyard the place was quiet and comfortable. It made me feel like we were staying right off Rue Montorgueil in Paris.

Of course we had to go wandering around immediately!

We headed down Via Brera and took a short stop at the Pinacoteca di Brera, a well known art gallery.

There's an interesting statue in the courtyard.

It's a statue of Napoleon, nothing overly strange about that, right? Well, in this statue, Napoleon is cast as Mars the Peacemaker.

Other than some of the basic sights, I really hadn't done much research, so coming across various statues and such was fun. Like this statue of Francesco Hayez, the Italian painter.

Soon enough, the streets started getting much busier.

And then we came upon this iconic entrance.

Yes, it's the oldest and probably the most well known (and expensive) shopping center in Italy, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. We'd be returning to these places, so I'll go into more detail later. For now, I thought I'd just post some photos.

And right across the way is the Duomo, Milan Cathedral.

Busy, huh? Did you know that Milan Cathedral is the largest church in all of Italy? It's even larger than Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican!

We veered off and walked into Piazza Mercanti. Compared to the surroundings it was quite sedate and peaceful. Hard to believe it was once the ruling center of the city.

The piazza is also home to an interesting acoustic phenomenon. We tried it out and it actually works!

We headed back taking different streets.

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And ended at Castello Sforzesco.

Like I said, we'd be visiting these places later on during our stay.

We strolled a few blocks east and voila, we were back at the apartment. We had a nice break and then decided to head on out for dinner. I hadn't made any dinner reservations for our first night. I thought that with all the dining options in the area, we'd easily find a place. And, right across Fiori Chiari, in one of the courtyards, we came across a restaurant named Rosso Brera, which had outdoor seating.

The menu looked interesting, it had some dishes I was interested in. The service was initially very perfunctory, but hey, it wasn't even close to being like Rome! Of course, I got things off on the right foot by ordering an Aperol.

And once I placed my order, our Server warmed up to us. There seemed to be quite a few locals; perhaps he had us pegged as obnoxious tourists?

Anyway, first up was the Crostone Toscano; which featured raw Tuscan Pork Sausage.

Nice seasonings, quite refreshing, excellent salt, there seemed to be a hint of anise flavor. Nice with my Aperol Spritz.

Of course I had to get the Tartare di Manzo; beef tartare.

A bit too mushy for my taste. There was a tinge of metallic going on as well. The raw pork sausage was much better.

The Missus wanted a simple pasta; so I ordered the Garganelli.

Perfectly cooked house made pasta. The ribs in the pasta did a great job of "picking up" the simple tomato sauce, light basil tones, milky cheese. Sometimes, simple is best.

One of the dishes I really wanted to try in Milan was the Risotto a la Milanese. And since it was on the menu…..

The arborio rice was perfectly cooked, great texture. The earthy tones of saffron came thru quite strongly perhaps edging on almost bitter. The Missus, who is not a fan of saffron tried a taste and was done. I was glad to have finally tried this.

Service ended up being quite friendly and warm after an interesting start and we'd end up returning for Aperotivo time the following night.. It was a nice way to start our stay in Milan.

Rosso Brera
Via Marco Formentini 7
20121 Milan, Italy

We went and took a nice walk after dinner.

Under the central dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II you'll find four mosaics which depict the coat of arms for Rome, Florence, Milan, and Turin. Turin (Torino) is represented by the bull. Looking at the mosaic you'll quickly notice a dip right where the bull's…well, private parts are. Well, supposedly, placing your heel right on the family jewels of the bull, then spinning clockwise three times will bring you good luck. Folks were lining up to do this when we visited later on.

We were really enjoying Milan! And that's no bull!

Lidos Italian Foods (Lemon Grove) (again)

April 26, 2024 Cathy Italian Restaurants, Pizza, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy for the next few days, while Kirk and His Missus enjoy some well deserved time off.

Apparently, I write a post about Lido's once a year, so it's time for this third chapter (which look like my previous posts, other than the prices).

Since 1955, Lido's has been a mainstay on Broadway in Lemon Grove. This family run restaurant has been a gathering place for families, co-workers and various school sports teams as well as other community events. The take out business has been doing well, especially during Covid-19.
The antipasto salad for two ($11.95) is easily shared. Greens, crisp pickled vegetables (carrots, celery and cauliflower), olives, fresh tomatoes and wedges of stacked salami, mortadella and mozzarella, all topped with a house made Italian dressing make this shared salad a wonderful accompaniment to any meal.

The minestrone soup bowl ($5.25) is my usual order; the daily made rich, herby stock with chunky, slightly crisp celery and carrots along with onions, tomatoes, chickpeas and pasta is consistently flavored and traditional.

Of course we ordered a large sausage and mushroom pizza ($21.95). It's a throwback to our first date. Fresh, thinly sliced mushrooms, chunks of a mild and wonderful Italian sausage; all on a thin crust with a mild sauce.

We will return, and probably order the same things.

Lido's Italian Foods 7252 Broadway Lemon Grove 91945 Website Open daily 11-8:30 (619) 469-9901

Every large pizza includes 'Hors d' Oeuvres', or you can.purchase one (or additional plates) for $3.95.

La Pastaia

April 2, 2024 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants

**** La Pastaia is now Romanella

Back in May of last year, I noted that Farmers Table was going to be an Italian Restaurant named La Pastaia. I had never been a fan of Farmers Table, as the food seemed very “corporate” and generic and lacking in soul. I was excited to learn that the owners were two women from Italy and the pasta was hand made. And yet, when our good friend “Alle” whose dad is from Italy and both parents live there, who travels to the country quite often, visited La Pastaia and was quite disappointed. Well, it gave me pause. I told her not to give me any specifics; I want to try the place, and see how I thought of things. And, while they opened in June of 2023, we waited until October of last year to finally visit.

La Pastaia 01

We like the al fresco seating, so nice on a typical San Diego evening. Our Servers were friendly and warm.

La Pastaia 02a

We started with an apertivo. I found that what I ordered the “La Pastaia Spritz” while rather low in alcohol, was quite refreshing and clean tasting.

La Pastaia 04b

We started with the Trio de Bruschette.

La Pastaia 04

This was pretty good. The bread was on the chewy side; but the toppings; especially the mushroom was so good, creamy and earthy. The tomato and Parmesan a good milky-acidic, adding in the pesto. It was probably the best item we’ve had here.

Now, looking at the menu I was intrigued.

La Pastaia 03

Now, having had pasta alla ruota in Italy, this sounded exciting. And of course there the truffle and porcini!

This however, was not good.

La Pastaia 06

The pasta, made inhouse was very good, al dente, so springy. But when putting things together in the Parmesan wheel it was amateur hour, huge clumps of cheese which over-powered everything. The truffle seemed strangely flavorless, one could only be wrestled to the ground by all the mass of cheese; where was the earth-sweet flavors of the porcini and truffle?

The Missus, in full Emilia-Romagna mode ordered the Bolognese, even though I had doubts, since if this was really Italian, they’d call it the “ragu”. What arrived looked like some kind of beef-tomato noodle soup.

La Pastaia 05

Again, the pasta was perfectly al dente, so wonderfully springy, but that gross, watery, bland sauce just brought the dish down. The watery, soupy sauce just wasn’t good to our taste.

After this visit, I had coffee with Alle and we chatted about La Pastaia. It was quite interesting as we both had the same opinion; nicely made pasta, with sauces that diminished the dishes. In fact, we had both asked our Servers if La Pastaia sold their house made pasta (they don’t). Heck, I’d buy it in an instant.

I had fully thought I wouldn’t go back. But recently, the Missus and I wanted a nice date night close by. La Pastaia has an Happy Hour and is just a walk away. We decided to just walk on over.

And of course we started with a spritz.

La Pastaia 08

Nice and refreshing.

And we took a look at the Happy Hour menu.

La Pastaia 07

The prices were so reasonable, our Server so funny and kind. We placed our order.

Things started with the Carpaccio de Manzo.

La Pastaia 09

This was fine. though the slices of beef were super thin, which was mismatched with hard chunks of Parmesan. I would have enjoyed a more assertive olive oil, but this was not bad.

The Missus loves Her meatballs, so we got the Polpette di Carne.

La Pastaia 10

The meatballs were decent, if barely lukewarm. It had a nice meaty texture, though a bit under seasoned for our taste. That marinara sauce though, was really watery and lacking in flavor and even with the sprinkling of Parmesan, this was really bland. And being served at barely room temperature didn’t help things.

For the last item we chose the Pizza Patate e Salsicca, basically a sausage and potato pizza. I was interested to see what this would be.

La Pastaia 11

I cracked up when this arrived. Think of potato chips on a sausage pizza. The sausage was really flavorful, herbaceous, with nice spice, but it was unevenly distributed on the pizza. There was one slice that basically had no sausage on it. And beyond that; the crust was so doughy and chewy, this was not pleasing to eat at all.

It’s kind of sad; the Missus and I really would like to support businesses in our neighborhood; I mean we are regular customers of many places nearby. La Pastaia, in spite of the great service, just didn’t deliver. That said, because of the friendly service, I’m sure we’ll give them another try in the future….though I don’t think we’ll be doing it soon.

La Pastaia
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 4pm – 830pm
Friday 4pm – 930pm
Saturday 1030am – 930pm
Sunday 1030am – 830pm

Where in the world are we – part 1

October 27, 2023 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Chinese Restaurants, Italian Restaurants, Italy, London, Milan, Travel

So yes, we're off on another trip and are having a great time. We are now on the third "stop" of this holiday.

The first stop was a place we've flown thru so many times, but really never took the time to enjoy. This time, we wanted to check things out and enjoy. And that we did. It's a bustling city, full of iconic locations.

Yes, it's an easy guess……

There's so much to see that we limited our visits; I'm sure we'll be back. After all, there's so much history here.

And spent a good amount of time at places we did visit.

And, as we've done in recent years, we carefully picked tours to suit us. Which usually have an interesting wrinkle to them.

What about the food you may ask….after all; the main focus of our humble little blog is still food.

Well, what we ate here ranged from two Michelin Star Chinese.

To more traditional grindz.

Our next stop was a pleasant surprise for us. Considered to be the fashion and business center of this country; it still seemed quite laid back. We enjoyed strolling the streets and plazas, which included one of the oldest shopping malls in the world. Which was quite stunning.

The Duomo was also something to behold.

We included a visit to the roof as part of our admission. Even though raindrops were falling, it was stunning.

There was one main reason for our visit, which did not disappoint.

And our favorite meal of our trip thus far was here.

Which was located in the wonderful little neighborhood we were ensconced in. In fact, we ate all of our meals in this area. Which included some traditional dishes of the region.

We're now at our next destination and enjoying things. We hope all is well with you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Volare (Loma Portal) (again)

July 9, 2023 Cathy Italian Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is usually written by Kirk, who is presently enjoying a summer weekend while Cathy writes the post today.

I wrote about Volare in 2014 and The Mister and I have returned to this family owned and operated restaurant (since 1978) many times since, here's an update.

The building, signage and interior has remained the same and survived Covid-19.

I chose (as always) the wonderful, vegetable filled minestrone soup as my side
70898000034__4B09DF96-55FA-4232-9086-2F79A3876602 to the 1/2 eggplant parmesan sandwich ($9 on the board at the door specials). This is a favorite order, served on a wonderful toasted Italian bread-the tomato sauce, crisp fried, breaded eggplant and melted cheese is a blend of comforting flavors and a texture filled meal.

The Mister ordered the baked (cheese or meat) ravioli from the menu at the door ($9). The serving comes with the bread, as well as a choice of meat or meatless sauce as well as the optional mushroom topping (of course He wanted that!). He also ordered a side salad ($2); quite large and we shared it. Great, tasty ricotta filled ravioli, meat sauce, fresh mushrooms. Just perfect.

The menu at the door also offered an individual size white pizza ($8). We had to. Quite large for an appetizer (we thought of it that way) (there were leftovers) and exactly the way I like pizza- simple with a thin, somewhat crisp dough and toppings which conveyed the flavors of the cheeses.

Volare 3528 Barnett Ave San Diego 92110 (619)224-0030 Open Mon-Fri 11-9, Sat-Sun 4-9, Website