What a Cajun Ate in Italy in a Week

    My husband and I recently went on a fantastic trip to northern Italy.  We have been to southern Italy before but couldn't wait to see more of the country.  We traveled to Milan, Lake Como, Florence and back to Milan with a side trip on the Bernina Express to St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Day One

    We began our journey with a flight through the Chicago Midway airport where we ordered a Chicago pizza before boarding the transatlantic flight.  Consider this "pre-gaming" for our Italy trip.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

    We flew into Milan's Malpensa airport and into a private transfer to Cernobbio (cher-no-bee-oh), which is close to Lake Como's largest city, Como City.  We stayed at the Sheraton Lake Como which is a great hotel for American travelers who want an "American style" room with a king sized bed.  We were walking distance to the Tavernola ferry stop and when we arrived we settled into our room and headed out to a local pizza restaurant, Vecchia Tavernola, where we ordered fried calamari and prosciutto pizza.  The calamari is very lightly breaded and fried and different from what we were accustomed to ordering in the U.S.  The prosciutto on the pizza was sliced much thicker but just what we needed after a long day of travel.  

Calamari

Prosciutto pizza

Fun Fact: Did you know that they don't cut pizza in Italy? It is served with a knife and fork.

Day Two

    On Day Two, my husband walked to Como to rent a mountain bike for an early morning ride.  

Tip:  Cyclists--rent a mountain bike!  If you rent a road bike, you must bring your own bike shoes, pedals and helmet, so a mountain bike is a great alternative.

    When he came back we headed into Como to catch the lake ferry.  Since we were running a little late, we grabbed brioche from of all places--McDonalds!  Check out the pastry case at the Como McDonalds.  I was definitely curious about the menu because I know that McDonalds has different menu items all over the world. A brioche looks like a croissant, but is fluffier and sweeter.

Como McDonalds Pastry case

    We were disappointed after just missing the ferry and had to wait another 45 minutes for the next one, but this created a great opportunity to stroll through Como.  We toured the gorgeous cathedral (free admission) with amazing architecture, statues, painted ceilings and more.  We popped into a few shops and had time for a quick lunch so we ordered sandwiches from Caffe Maya.  

The pictures don't do these sandwiches justice!  I had a schiacciata sandwich with salami, mozzarella and artichoke. Mmmm, Mama Mia!  When I say salami, it is nothing like what we have in America and there are so many different types.  Schiacciata is an Italian bread, similar in texture to focaccia but usually made without salt.

    Finally we boarded the fast boat to Bellagio.  I recommend starting early in the morning on the long boat which stops at many villages for a leisurely cruise on the lake, but alas, we were pressed for time.  

One of many Bellagio staircases lined with shops

    Bellagio is a beautiful village which has a series of staircases going up the hill.  Each of these climbs is like a little shopping center with shops all the way up.  I'm not the best on climbs but I noticed half way up, a sign for wine tastings!

  

Bellagio wine shop

We stopped into a wine shop and got a tasting card.  There were machines which dispensed servings of wine with chilled whites, rose' and an assortment of reds (try the Brunello or anything from Montepuciano!).  After tasting many varieties, we handed out card in a paid for our tastings which were quite affordable.  

    We continued to wander around Bellagio, taking in the shops, architecture and Italian charm of the place.  As we wandered north, the road curved downward and we saw the Grand Hotel. 

Most beautiful room in which to drink an Aperol Spritz

Since we love historic hotels (check out my YouTube hotel room tours-link below), we popped in and ordered drinks in the lounge.  This room was exquisite with fantastic painted ceilings, architecture and furnishings.  It was apertivo time so we ordered an Aperol Spritz for me and wine for hubby.  Apertivo is the custom of bars and restaurants in this area to offer complimentary snacks with your beverages--more on that later.  At many places, the only snack is potato chips but there was also olives and roasted almonds.

Grand Hotel Bellagio Apertivo

    After a relaxing rest with refreshments, it was time to ride the ferry to the village of Argegno (Are-gen-yo) to meet friends at their home in this small lakeside village.  This village is one of the most quaint on the lake with the absence of droves of tourists.

Argegno view

    After taking pics with their exquisite view, we went to their favorite meeting place, Cafe Colombo.  This cafe has the most amazing ambiance with arched stone ceilings and it is very close to the ferry dock. It was still apertivo time so I ordered a Hugo Spritz (St. Germain instead of Aperol) and the cafe brought out their amazing apertivo tray.  

Complimentary apertivo

This was the best apertivo that we have found anywhere in Italy!

    Later, we went to the village of Laglio (La-lee-oh) for dinner.  This is a little village halfway between Argegno and Cernobbio.  We had dinner at La Locanda de Cantiere, a combined restaurant and hotel.  The restaurant is another gem with ambiance all day long--lots of stone walls and arches with views of the lake! At this restaurant we tried local fish from the lake, local beef and and Italian specialty, Limoncello sorbet.

Local lake fish

Limoncello sorbet

Day Three

    Travel day! We ventured out of our hotel looking for a "locals" breakfast.  We made our way to a local supermarket to purchase wine for our train journey and inside we found a cafe in the market.  We ordered capuccino and amazing sandwiches, smoked salmon and Italian meats. 

local ham and fresh mozzarella toasted panini

Smoked salmon panini

Fun Fact:  Did you know that it is frowned upon to order cappucino after 11:00 am in Italy?  Most Italians drink wine with lunch and an espresso after.

I have found the portion sizes to be huge in Italy, especially for sandwiches.  Italians need lots of fuel for all of the steps they must climb and walking they do each day.    

    On to the train journey.  We caught a local train from Como to Milano Centrale where we boarded first class seats on an Italo high speed train to Florence. We were served soft drinks and chocolate cookies. 

Italo train snacks

High Speed Train Journey

The journey in a car would have taken 4 hours but it was only took 2 hours on the train.  See video above.

   We arrived at the main train station in Florence, Santa Maria Novella.  Arriving in Florence was a total change from the slow, easy pace of Lake Como.  Florence, or Firenze as the Italians pronounce it, is a small but bustling town filled with tourists on the move.  We walked from the train station to our small hotel one block away from the duomo.  

Tip:  Don't drive to Florence.  Driving is strictly permitted in Florence and if you have a car, you must arrange in advance with your hotel on where to park.  There are taxi stands at certain locations (like right outside the duomo, Santa Croce square and other landmarks). 

B&B Di Biffi room tour

Tip: make dinner reservations!  Reservations are necessary at the best spotsLots of Florence's best restaurants allow you to make dinner reservations online .  However, this is a request and they will email you back with confirmation.

Trattoria ZaZa

    We had reservations at the highly popular Trattoria ZaZa which was near the Basillica of San Lorenzo, Medici Chapel (the smaller red dome) and the central market.  There was a line queing outside for people without reservations. Zaza, as I call it, is an amazing and beautiful restaurant with eclectic decor in different rooms and an extensive menu with bruschetta, pastas, veal dishes and steaks.  Even the dishes on which the food is served is full of pizazz!

    We started with Crostini Misti--an assortment of toasts topped with tomato, marinated mushrooms, and chicken liver pate' (my favorite and a Tuscan specialty). 

Crostini Misti

    Next was the pasta course (we were determined to eat all the courses like the Italians do).  I had the Tomato basil gnocchi and my spouse tried the Bolognese pasta.  We wanted it all, but I had to save room.

Tomato Basil Gnocchi

Bolognese Pasta

    Time for the main course.  I selected Grilled tagliata (beef slices) with porcini mushrooms on a bed of arugula, my favorite fresh green.  I love how prevalent arugula is in Italy.  In Florence, they really have a way with beef.  The mushrooms really take on the flavor of the beef.

Nonna Ines' Fried Veal Cutlet

Tagliata with Porcini Mushrooms

 My husband ordered Nonna Ines Fried Veal Cutlet with a side of potatoes.  It was perfectly cooked--crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  How did they know my husband loves fresh tomatoes which topped it?

Vivoli's Gelato

    At this point, we were so full that we couldn't finish the pasta or the mains (in fact we had "to go" boxes) but we decided to end the meal with by sharing a cup of the famous Vivoli's Gelato.  This was the best gelato we had on the whole trip.  What a day of eating!  Do yourself a favor and go to ZaZa if you get the chance!

Day Four

    Our hotel was the B&B de Biffi, a very small establishment on the second floor of a historic building, one block from the iconic duomo.  Our hotel provided a cooked to order breakfast in a small kitchen.  Each morning we could go into the kitchen and order eggs, brioche, cornetto (croissant), ham and cheese sandwiches, yogurt and even jam tart.  Of course we also ordered coffee--Americano for my husband and capuccino for me.  On our breakfast tray each day were extras like packaged toast and Nutella packets.

    After a huge breakfast, it was time for tours.  We did a golf cart tour (a fantastic idea to learn your way around Florence, especially for mobility impaired travelers).  After our tour, we had tickets to enter the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (the big red dome).  We basically skipped lunch after the big breakfast but a little gelato never hurts!  I was a victim of a tourist trap gelato shop.  Don't buy from the shops that pile up the gelato in the case.  I ordered Stratiatella but it tasted like cookies and cream (not my jam).  But still, it's Italian gelato so not so bad, right? 

Duomo Gelato

    Next we headed around the corner from the train station where we met our bus for a Tuscan wine tasting tour.  We went to two different wineries and we tasted olive oil and Tuscan bread as well at Michele a Torri.

Fun Fact:  Around the time of the Renaissance, Pisa controlled the sale of salt in the region.  They imposed a tax on salt which our tour guide told us the coined phrase, "Everybody hate Pisa!" He said to this day most of Tuscany still has a rivalry with Pisa.  The result of the tax was unsalted bread which is the traditional type of focaccia bread in Tuscany.

Our next winery was Poggio Torselli and this was the most iconic Tuscan villa!  We were served deep red Chianti wines first with snacks and then crisp whites.

Poggio Torselli Villa

I highly recommend visiting Tuscany not only for the wines but the iconic hills, cedar trees and lush landscapes.

    We were dropped off near the main train station which was only a short walk to the Mercato Centrale' (the central market).  If you are any kind of foodie or just looking for an inexpensive meal, you must visit the market.  This is a large two story building.  The first floor closes at 2:00 p.m. and is the real market where you can purchase cooked food as well as produce and meats.  The second floor is a fabulous dining hall, featuring every type of iconic Florentine dishes, that you can imagine.  

Truffle Pasta

    We ordered a few crostini with varied toppings (of course, I got chicken liver pate' again) and I had to try the fresh truffle pasta.  It was done with a light creamy sauce and fresh truffle shavings on top.  I often find truffles to be an overpowering flavor but this was perfect.  I could have eaten three plates!  If you know anything about truffles, you'll be shocked at the amount of fresh truffle shavings on this plate for only $12! While dining at a table across from a wine stall, we were serenaded by a random opera singer!

Mercato Centrale Dining Hall

Day Five

    We were in for a slower paced day and rainy weather.  We breakfasted in the hotel and then headed out to the Academia Gallery to meet our tour guide who gave us a detailed tour and description of the iconic statue of David and other Michelangelo works of art.  Although there are many copies of Michelangelo's David to view free in public, do yourself a favor and book with a guide to see the real thing. The history of the statue is quite interesting.  Upon leaving the museum, we were met with a torrential downpour so we ducked into the first open place we could find, right down the block.  It's never too early for an Aperol Spritz in Italy.  After the rain eased, we were ready to set out and asked for a plastic cup and we got a whole new drink!

    For the rest of the day, we wandered around Florence, looking in here and there.  There's lots to see that is totally free in Florence.   

Most beautiful church in Florence-Free to enter

    After a while, we returned to our room for a little rest.  We were still full from breakfast so we skipped lunch and enjoyed some snacks. 

    On our last night in Florence, we decided to venture across the Arno river to the Oltrano neighborhood for dinner.  This is where you go to get away from the tourist traps and have an authentic Florentine dining experience.  However, after waiting a long time for a taxi at the taxi stand at the Duomo, in the rain, when we got to Il'Brindelone, we could not get in.  They don't do online reservations so we assumed it was walk in--wrong!  They suggested Trattoria Pandemonio down the street. We put our name in at the restaurant and wandered around Oltrano for a while.  We finally ducked into a very Italian little pizzeria and bar, Il Gusto e L’Uva.

    We ordered wine and were served Taralli circle crackers.  These are complimentary everywhere, but to me, they are dry and flavorless.  Finally it was time to go to Pandemonio for dinner.  I am forever thankful for the suggestion.  We had not yet tried the ultimate meal in Florence--the Florentine Steak, which is an aged t-bone and four fingers thick!  It is cooked over a fire grill and for those of you who like your steadk "well done," this is not for you.  Now, I could eat pate' and bruschetta ever day of my life, but since I knew the size of the steaks (definitely enough to share), we passed on antipasti and primi (but how I long to go back and try the pasta)!

Florentine Steak and fried zucchini

    Wow, do they know how to do steak in Florence!  We ordered a side of Zucchine e Melanzane Fritte--fried zucchini and eggplant.  I would suggest a different side if you go such as the grilled eggplant or potatoes with sage and rosemary.  Here's the problem, the steak is huge but so good that you hate to leave any on the plate!  Since we were in Italy, I felt that we should try Tiramisu at least once so we ordered this lovely, creamy dessert.  You must try it in Italy!

Tiramisu

We were so full and could only taste the Tiramisu when the waiter brought us a complimentary carafe of their Limoncello which was a perfect after dinner aperatif and the end of another fabulous meal. 

Complimentary limoncello

Day Six

    Day Six started with an early morning time to enter the Ufizi Gallery.  I'm a huge Botticelli fan so I couldn't wait to see it.  I was sad to miss breakfast on our last day at Di Biffi, but I had saved packs of nutella and packaged toast for breakfast and we managed to figure out the espresso machine.  The Botticelli's did not disappoint!  The Birth of Venus is the signature artwork for Florence and magnificent in person.  Being an artist myself, I could have stared at it and Primavera all day.  There is so much symbolism in Renaissance paintings!

Botticelli Birth of Venus

Spring by Botticelli

FYI:  Many people pay for private tours at the Ufizi, but for 5 euros, you can rent a hand held "guide."  However, they hold your passport until you bring it back!

    This was our last day in Florence and we had ticketss for a 5:00pm train to Milan.  After the Ufizi, we were starving and headed straight to get scaciatta sandwiches from the Instagram and Youtube famous All'Antico Vinaio (we also found a location if Milan).  These are huge sandwiches on scaciatta bread, a famous traditional unsalted flat focaccia type of bread that is as big as your head!

Favoloso Sandwhich

    At All'Antica, you can order from a list of sandwiches or create your own.  A long queue usually forms each day so be prepared to wait but the line moves quickly.  We ordered the most popular sandwich, the Favoloso which was Sbriciolona salami, cream of pecorino cheese, cream of artichokes and spicy eggplants.  It is a very generous helping so you can easily share this sandwich.  Since the popularity has risen, two new locations have popped up on the same street and one has seating.  Most people eat these sandwiches on the street. 

    This was our last day in Florence so we headed to Santa Croce square for a free activity that we just couldn't miss.  Behind the Santa Croce cathedral, there is a leather school which opened in the post World War II.  The purpose of the school, was to teach orphans a trade.  In Florence, there are street stalls near the central market selling leather good which come from China.  At Scuola di Cuoio, however, you can be sure that you are purchasing quality leather goods manufactured in Florence.  The school is open each day but no artisans are working on Sunday.  This is a must see stop! 

Behind Santa Croce Cathedral

    To get to the school entrance, walk along the left side of the cathedral and see the entrance.  One of the reasons I love this place is you get to walk through the back gardens of the Cathedral.  The school is upstairs-just follow everyone. 

Leather School entrance

    After touring the school, we were ready for a snack before heading back to the train station.  The Santa Croce area is a less touristy area with lots of shops and restaurants.  We found a pizzeria on the left side of the Cathedral with outdoor seating.  We ordered wine and bruschetta and followed with chocolate gelato.

Tomato and Tuscan chicken liver bruschetta

Chocolate Gelato

    Next we picked up our luggage and headed to the train, perusing the street market stalls on the way--I couldn't resist.   It is a great idea to get to the train station early to buy wine and snacks for the train (we had a 2 hour trip on a high speed train).  We picked out our wine and I spotted a Florentine street food which I had not yet tried.  Of course, it was at McDonalds!  The McDonalds location in the Santa Maria Novella train station has panzerotti on the menu.  These are fried dough balls stuffed with tomato sauce and cheese.  If you have ever had a beignet, it is that type of light dough.  They were a nice snack!

McDonald's Panzerotti

    The next leg of our trip was a stay in Milan.  We arrived in the evening at around 7pm.  Luckily, our hotel was right across the street from Milano Centrale station.  I booked this hotel through American Express travel and we reaped the little used benefit through which we found this 5 star hotel.  Our deal included breakfast each morning and credit to use in the hotel restaurant.  See the video below:

Gallia Restaurant Breakfast Buffet

I can't tell you how welcome this hotel stay was in such a comfortable room.  It is also a pick up point for many group tours.  We decided to use our credit in the Terrazza Gallia Bar & Restaurant, a rooftop restaurant/bar overlooking the majestic historical train station.  

Wine with a view

Amuze Bouche

Antipasto 

We ordered wine and an antipasto plate featuring the local proscuitto.  I've never found anything matching the wonderful flavor and texture in the U.S.  It was a day of informal dining but we were just fine with it.  

    The following morning, we dined at the Gallia restaurant-the breakfast restaurant.  This was the best (I'm not exagerating) breakfast buffet I have ever been to.  The variety was just fantastic with cured meats, smoked salmon, eggs to order, fruit, fresh artisan breads and more.  See the video below.

Hotel Excelsior Galia breakfast buffet

    After breakfast, we boarded a bus for our group tour to ride the Bernina Express to St. Moritz, Switzerland.  The bus took us to St. Moritz, but riding the train back through the Alps was the focus of the tour.  We had an hour to shop and eat lunch in the little Swiss town.  We opted for a quick little pizzeria so that we had time to shop for Swiss chocolates to bring home as gifts.  I ordered a what was called a chicken wrap but I would compare it to a chicken shwarma with a spicy sauce.  My hubby opted for a slice of pizza.

Chicken Schwarma Wrap

Pizza topped with Italian ham, peppers and artichoke hearts

    I highly recommend dining in local restaurants in Europe but also ordering food right off the street.  These were some of my favorite meals of the trip.  

    The ride on the Bernina Express shouldn't be missed if you are in northern Italy.  An expensive group tour isn't necessary once you learn how to ride the trains in Italy.  Check out my blog post about the Bernina Express. How Not to Ride the Bernina Express.  After returning to the hotel, we just wanted to relax in the room and snack on our leftover snacks and sandwiches.  

    On our last full day in Milan, we started out with the hotel breakfast.  Since we had no set agenda today and the weather was a little rainy, we had a long and leisurely breakfast with mimosas.  We really took our time, trying many of the different meats, salmon and delicous European scrambled eggs.  We were so full, we did not feel the need to eat lunch.  We took the hotel's free van shuttle to the city center which dropped us at the La Scalla Opera House and just across from the mall and duomo area.  

Duomo di Milano

It was still raining so we only ventured out a little into the square for photos (see video above).  The Vittoria Emanuel mall is magnificent example of Italian architecture with all of the high end shops you could want (see video below). 

Vittoria Emanuel-oldest mall in Italy

We found a food market where we bought Italian pasta, truffle oil and 5 year aged Parmesan cheese to bring home.  We decided to skip the tourist heavy da Vinci's Last Supper and instead went to a lesser known attraction.  

    The National Leonard da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology features many science exhibits but the best part is the Leonardo exhibit with actual replicas of da Vinci inventions and so much more.  It is a fantastic alternative to the tourist heavy attractions in Milan (especially when it is raining). 

DaVinci science museum exhibits

    We headed back to the hotel for our last night and decided to find a local restaurant.  We looked at trip advisor to find a little pizzeria one block away.  This tiny little place also featured seafood and this is what I was craving.  The breading on seafood is a little different from what this Cajun girl is used to and FYI, there are no dipping sauces in Italy.  However, the seafood was extremely fresh.  We arrived at around 6:30pm and the place was empty which was worrying at first until we realized Italians typically don't eat dinner until at least 8pm.

Seasoned puffy bread

Italian fries

Fun Fact:  FYI, it is common for Italians to eat French Fries with pizza. 

    To start, the restaurant brought out a giant puffed bread brushed in olive oil and spices and cooked in a hot oven.  I saw French Fries on the menu and I just had to have them.   My husband ordered a pizza and he said it had the most delicious and spicy pizza sauce.

Milano pizza

    I ordered a frito misto--mixed fried seafood with calamari, shrimp and whole fried anchovies (way to fishy tasting for me).  The use a much lighter breading which is a nice change from what we have in Cajun country.  They also fry the shrimp unpeeled which creates an interesting texture.

FYI:  Italians don't use dipping sauces such as cocktail sauce or ranch.

Frito Misto-Mixed fried seafood

Whole fried Anchovy

    On our last morning in Italy, we had a 1pm flight.  We took our time at breakfast again with mimosas and bought train tickets to the airport (the best way to travel to Malpensa airport.  Taxis are very slow with the traffic). We had just enough time to take a walk around the area before heading to the train station.  The station has quite a number of shops for any last minute souvenirs but so does the airport.

    We boarded our train which took about 45 minutes.  At the airport, once we finally arrived at our gate, we bought panini sandwiches to take on the plane (we were on United Econony class so we didn't expect a delicous meal to say the least--see video below). 

Economy class meal on United Airline-Milan to Chicago

    After a long day of travel, we finally arrived in New Orleans with a worrisome short layover in Chicago O'Hare airport.  Our fantastic foodie trip was over, but it is always good to be home!

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