some of the best things i’ve eaten in italy
I have eaten my heart out in Italy several times over now, and each time I seem to leave a piece of it there. I’m not sure anything will ever compare to this country for me; I can’t get enough of its beauty and its culture and most of all its undeniably incredible food.
It could be the fact that I’m Italian so a love and appreciation for this country and its food runs in my blood. It could be the fact that eating is such a special, communal, almost sacred experience in Italy, all about showing love through feeding people and bringing them together, and that really resonates with me. Or it could be the fact that everything is just better there — your pasta was made this morning with superior, specialized flour and eggs that came from the chicken next door; the tomatoes in your sauce were grown in the garden right outside; everything you put in your mouth is local or seasonal or of higher quality than anything you’ll ever find in the states.
I’ve concluded that it’s all of the above. When it comes to Italy, it has everything I could want or need and it’s always all the above.
I could write for years about the good food I’ve eaten there over the years, but I’ve done my best to narrow it down to a somewhat reasonable amount. Here are some of the highlights.
*Note: some of these photos aren’t up to snuff, so you’ll have to excuse the low-quality photos taken on an ancient iPhone (potentially in the Snapchat app…) circa 2017. But in some cases it’s the only photo I have and I felt the food itself was more important than its documentation.
florence
We all know and love Florence. So many iconic sights to see: the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi, the San Lorenzo Market. It’s a beautiful, historic city steeped in Renaissance art and paved with cobblestone streets that are easy to learn your way around. All of it surrounded by the Tuscan countryside where the hills roll and the vino flows. Oh, and there’s some really great food here, too.
burrata + fig
la giostra
This is the famed bite of burrata that literally brought me to tears. That’s how good it was. Look how creamy! You can even tell through this horrible photo. I’ll never forget you, La Giostra burrata.
balsamic steak
acqua al 2
Acqua al 2 is known for two specialty steak dishes — one in a balsamic reduction and the other in a blueberry. I’ve had this several times, in the states and in Florence, and it continues to be one of my favorite dishes ever.
lake como
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Lake Como in terms of food, but give me delicious food to be enjoyed in the most charming lakeside villages and I’m a happy girl. Northern Italian cuisine tends to be richer, with specialties in like risotto and polenta, wild boar, and of course lots of fish.
seafood ravioli +
lobster + shrimp pasta
méditerranée bistrot
This seafood restaurant + pizzeria in Como’s main piazza is elegant and romantic, and the food’s so pretty you almost don’t want to eat it. But obviously I did. And I loved it. The ravioli was super unique and the fresh lobster and shrimp came in heaping amounts. Not pictured is an amazing eggplant appetizer and a margherita pizza, all of it fantastic.
caffè + fior di latte gelato
la fabbrica del gelato
This cute little gelato shop in the village of Lenno is a must-visit. It’s the creamiest gelato I’ve ever had, and the most delightful afternoon snack to enjoy as you walk along the lake.
genoa
Genoa is a completely underrated destination on the west coast of Italy. My guess is most people skip right over it in favor of other Italian Riviera hot spots. But this ancient port city, with its rough, rocky, gorgeous coastline, is known for its fresh and fried seafood, focaccia, and most of all for being the birthplace of pesto — and it’s home to some of my favorite meals I’ve had in all of Italy.
mandilli al pesto +
tagliolini all'astice fresco
piero 21
Wide, silky noodles drenched in the most amazing pesto I’ve ever had, and most delicious lobster over fresh pasta in a super light, fresh tomato sauce. This restaurant basically sits in the water, and the seafood tastes like it jumped out of that water and onto your plate. Still dreaming about both of these dishes.
eggplant pizza
la ola
Doesn’t look like much right? Wrong. This might be the best pizza I’ve had outside Rome. It was just so well executed — so thin, just enough cheese, major eggplant vibes. It was everything I wanted it to be.
amalfi coast
The Amalfi Coast continues to prevail as my favorite part of Italy. Not only are the views drop-dead gorgeous everywhere you look, but I’ve found that the food pretty much gets better the further south you go. Seafood galore, Naples-style pizza, so many lemons! There are endless tasty local dishes to be had, and everything is as fresh as can be. We had the pleasure of staying at a delightful airbnb up in Montepertuso, hosted by the loveliest family who made us the most incredible gourmet breakfasts every morning — which is where both of the below favorites hail from, because honestly, not much has topped it since.
tomatoes from the garden
villa laura
Not kidding, these tomatoes were one of the tastiest things I ate, and they came from our host family’s garden. I mean, have you ever seen a tomato that color in the states? I can’t even describe the optimal sweetness and next level of juiciness.
pistachio crostada
villa laura
I know, this photo is tragic. It does zero justice to the one crostata that deserves all the justice in the world. We had this flaky, creamy, nutty pistachio crostata…every single day…for breakfast. And I’m still not over it.
