The Heart of the Table | A World of Inspiration

A Taste of Italy

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I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Italy! We visited Sorrento and the Amalfi coast and then motored our way north to the region of Tuscany. Most of us on the trip took in the sights and attractions, but I focused on the food and wine.

We interspersed multi-course meals in Michelin star restaurants with neighborhood trattorias, many of which offered menus featuring pages of pizza and pasta choices. I came away with three favorite dishes. At the Don Alfonso 1890 Ristorante in Sorrento, my favorite course was dessert... a large platter filled with bite-size pastries from truffles to cookies to nut-coated cake sticks, all set atop a smoke-filled background. It was something!

Just a quick nine minute helicopter ride from Sorrento you are transported to cliffside gardens and vast views of the Amalfi coast in the quaint city of Ravello. The Belmond restaurant in the Hotel Caruso sits at the top of the village and offers an outstanding dining experience. The menu features fresh Mediterranean cuisine, starring seafood from the coastal waters.

"My favorite dish was an elegantly presented tuna tartar infused with fresh peaches. It was almost too gorgeous to eat, but I took one for our team and devoured every bite."

My final meal was a delicious lunch at Osteria di Passignano in Tuscany. The restaurant sits next to an ancient abbey house where a few monks still reside. The fields are filled with grape vines. A few varieties of wine are grown here, but the pride and joy is the Chianti Classico, a designation of wine that is solely made in this area. After a quick tour of the winery and gardens, we were treated to a multi-course meal that started with an extra virgin olive oil tasting. My favorite dish was a brothy fish stew accented with shaved vegetables that rose like stalagmites from the center of the dish.

I arrived home after a lengthy 24 hours of traveling. After a day of emptying suitcases, petting the parent-deprived dog, and checking in with pals, I found myself in the kitchen. Inspired as I was, my first dish was neither pasta nor pizza. Instead, it was the delicious Mediterranean-inspired fish dishes that won me over.

I share this memory with you, not only because it is a simple, yummy dish, but also because it might inspire you to make Italy a destination in your own travel plans!

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