Pentolaccia time!

If you ever happen to be in Le Marche (maybe shopping around the outlets and shoe factories), you must stop by Civitanova Marche, a town in the Adriatic, famous also for its shoe market which takes place on Saturdays in the main square and neighboring streets. The shoes you find there are very good quality because some of them come directly from the factories in the area and the prices are also good!

But the main purpose to come to Civitanova Marche is to have a pentolaccia. What? Pentolaccia is a delicious seafood dish that consists in mixing different kinds of shellfish (mussels, clams, oysters), shrimps, squids, crabs, etc. with handmade pasta and a delicate tomato sauce (optional).
The best place I have eaten it at is called L'Oasi and it is located in the southern promenade of the town (lungomare sud), it's right by the sea, they also have sunbeds and umbrellas in the beach during the summer. The atmosphere of the place is relaxed, it has windows overlooking the beach, air conditioning and friendly service.

Circolo dei lettori - Turin

For my birthday (which we celebrated in Turin) I decided I wanted a nice candlelit dinner. After some research I chose the 'Circolo dei Lettori' restaurant, located inside the Reader's Club (Circolo dei Lettori) in the Palazzo Graneri della Roccia, a beautiful building from the late 1700's in the centre of the city (near the Egyptian museum). The club was the first public space dedicated to Italian readers. A place to read and listen to others read. It hosts many cultural events, courses and an e-library, among other things.

Reds: Pinot Noir (Südtirol)

"I'm not drinking any f %*#ing Merlot!!!" - Sideways (2004)


What an amazing quote! I should get a t-shirt with it! For all of you who saw this great movie (and who have read the follow-up novel, Vertical), there's no need to explain Miles' hate for Merlot and adoration for Pinot Noir, but for the rest of you, I'll try to explain:


Pinot Noir is also called "the king of wines", why? because it is sooo good (that's my explanation, but you might want to look for other, more scientific ones). Anyhow, this grape grows all over the world but it is very difficult to find the right place with the right temperature, and when you find it, and when the wine is well produced, you'll understand why it's called the king of wines.
Some of the difficulties when producing Pinot Noir are: the vines are unstable so they can produce a fruit with a completely different aroma and flavor than the one of the parent vine; it is also very sensitive of the spring frosts (even if it resists cold climates quite well); bugs that can destroy the whole vine; its leaves are not enough to protect the fruit from the birds which can damage them; the presence of a high number of aminoacids make it especially difficult to ferment in a smooth way (this process is very violent in a Pinot Noir); difficult color retention; etc.
Some places where you can find Pinot Noir include:
- Burgundy region, France (but also in the Champagne area, Sancerre and Alsace)
- Australia and New Zealand
- Austria and Germany (where it's called Blauburgunder or Spätburgunder) 
- Canada and USA (California and Oregon)
- Italy, obviously (mainly in the South Tyrol in Trentino and in the Oltrepò Pavese region, south of Milan)
The one I'll be writing about is the one from the Südtirol, which is one of my favorite wines.

Eataly: Paradise

A couple of years ago, on a cold winter evening in Turin we discovered paradise, well, foodies' paradise. 

It's called Eataly and you have probably heard from its branches in New York, Japan and several locations around Italy.

Eataly is a supermarket for quality foods, wine and beer. It brings together farmers, fishermen, butchers, bakers, beermakers, winemakers and cheesemakers who produce quality products.

Eataly Lingotto

Principi di Piemonte - Turin

To celebrate my birthday we chose to spend a weekend in Turin, a city we like a lot, because it's just an hour train ride from Milan (AV train, the fast one) but also because of its delicious food.

We booked a room at the 5-star hotel Principi di Piemonte, which seems to be the best hotel in the centre of Turin... Well, it is in the center, just off Via Roma, where all the nice shops are and a 5-minute walk from Porta Nuova train station, but I wouldn't give it 5 stars.