I'm still alive...

I apologize for not posting in a few days, but Napoli has been hectic to say the least. The sights, sounds, smells, food, and people have all been amazing. I'm getting very little sleep immersing myself in the grittiness that is Napoli. I'm looking forward to a little down time to catch my breath and submit more posts. Until then...

First pizzas in Napoli...

We are in Napoli!!!

Food in Bologna

I have already mentioned some of Bolognese dishes we have had since arriving here, but I want to describe the amount of food we are being served and what makes them all special. Italian cuisine is very region specific and each region believes that they are the best - so true! First of all, most meals are pretty much in courses regardless if you want it served that way or not. Our chefs, hosts, or even just our friends have been dishing up the meals for us - this is very dangerous because the portions are ridiculous. Don’t try saying that you do not want anything or that you want a small amount, because this will cause the exact opposite reaction - double portions and more dishes hidden away in the kitchen will appear without hesitation. After about the second or third course, you are typically asked - why you no eat?!? This is too funny, because my plate has been wiped clean of food with my third piece of fresh bread. After about 3 bottles of wine and many laughs, our bellies are full and someone announces the main course is about to be served - no joke! I think it is important to note that Italians take their meals very seriously. In fact these meals can typically last 2+ hours before you even get to desert and coffee. Here is a typical timeline for dinner: Apertivo - Antipasti with vino - Primi with vino - Secondi with vino - Contorni with vino - Dolce with vino - Caffe - Digestivo - Roll yourself home…

True story - at Silvio, a restaurant in Bologna, just prior to our desert course, our Server looks at us with a big grin and proudly states, “the Apocalypse is coming.” We all look at each and laugh and then feel a little worried. Within minutes we had 8 untouched various deserts on our table. When I say “untouched” I literally mean entire cake, pie, vat of gelato, tray of panna cotta, pitcher of chocolate sauce, tray of fruit, and on and on and on…
Amazingly, I’m getting hungry just by typing this…time to go find some food - Ciao!

Bologna to Napoli

Today we had the pleasure of meeting up with Salvatore and Christina whom have been friends of Joe and Jeff for several years. They own and operate a local travel company that specializes in the Firenze (Florence), Napoli (Naples) and the Amalfi Coast areas of Italy. So, today we traveled from Bologna to Napoli stopping in Montalcino in Toscana (Tuscany) to visit the Altesino cantina (winery). They produce an absolutely fabulous Brunello di Montalcino. For all you wine lovers out there, do not worry, I’ll post about our visit.

In the meantime, go visit:
www.simplyamalfi.com
www.altesino.it/en/

Parma

Today we visited Parma - it is about an hour outside of Bologna and very beautiful (hell, what isn’t beautiful in Italy?). For those of you who do not know, Parma is the home of Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano. We use both of these wonderful foods at Tutta Bella. In fact we visited the actual Salumificio and Caseificio that makes these products that we import to Seattle. The employees that we met and spoke with were very shocked that we as an “American Restaurant” would take the time to visit the source of some of our ingredients. It was hard for them to comprehend, but they were very gracious and appreciative. Carlo at La Perla (the Salumificio) was a true Italian character.Our guide for the day was Elena who works for Academia Barilla - they help source food for Merlino Foods (one of our importers in Seattle). I will definitely post a blog about Carlo and Elena as they both were unique and fabulous in their own ways. After spending most of the day in Parma, we headed back to Bologna via the Train - fast, comfortable, and affordable. Buon Appetito!

The heart of an espresso machine

We visited the Nuova Simonelli manufacturing plant in the Marche region of Italy. This is the home of Victoria Arduino. What are those you may ask? These are boilers waiting to be installed on the production line!

Awwwwwww, my heart is contento...

This one is for all my passionate and hard working Baristas back home in Seattle. This is what we do and who we are - wish you were here!!!

Can you guess what this is?

HEY - don't zoom in on the photo!!!

Just take a guess!

*** bonus points to anyone who can comment as to what my favorite sandwich was as a child - it had 4 ingredients and I am salivating right now thinking about it in Bologna, Italy.

Bologna a notte!

Needless to say Bologna is a very special place. It is not overwhelmed with tourists and the weather has been unseasonably mild. By day, the city is alive with activity. At night, the city is electric. The dimly lit porticos and streets are both a little unnerving and inviting at the same time. The eerie orange glow of street and accent lighting is everywhere. After a particularly awesome dinner on Monday evening (who am I kidding, every meal has been AWESOME), we decided to walk off our gluttony. The result was as memorable as any occasion I have ever experienced. The University students were out in force. Dodging scooters, cars, and swarms of people was a little like playing Frogger - those of you who grew up in the 80’s know what I am talking about - those of you who did not…you missed out - sorry. Anyway, the following pictures are just a snapshot of what we saw…again, Enjoy!!!

My room at the Una Hotel

We are staying at the swanky Una Hotel in central Bologna. It is directly across the street from the train station and a short stroll to the historic district. Each floor has a theme and each room is unique. I have a corner room with a nice view of the city. The bed is very comfortable and the staff is super friendly. The bidet is little tricky to get use to - not like the all-in-one toilets in Japan. The bath/shower combo is also a little odd - just a small partition with no curtain. It takes a little skill not to soak the floor with the shower water. The rooms are very energy efficient - you must keep your room key in a card reader for the electricity to run - when the card is pulled, so are the lights. Each morning there is a nice spread of food and each afternoon there is an Apertivo service that most guests seem to participate in. Pretty nice accommodations for our business trip. This has been a great starting point for our daily adventures. Enjoy the pictures!

http://www.unahotels.it/en/

Attibassi, Ducati, and Lamborghini...

These are just a few of the companies that are based here in Bologna. In fact, Bologna is not only known for it's world famous companies, it is also known for its intellect and cuisine. This is the home of Mortadella, Bolognese sauce, Lasagna, Tortelinni, and Tagliatelli. In addition, Bologna is in the Po River valley, which many of my Tutta Bella friends and family know is the home of Grana Padano. It is also the home of the Western World's oldest University (founded in 1088). However, the best feature of Bologna is its use of Porticos.
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. I know that Bologna has been around for several Millennia, but why can’t Seattle have these incredibly smart structures? Not only do they protect you from the elements, they encourage the masses to stroll and enjoy the city. The porticos front cafes, libraries, apartments, churches, shops…you name it. Ladies take note: the shopping in Bologna is to die for - that’s for you Tarah. I digress…after strolling, we made our way to the Piazza Nettuno which is simply breathtaking. The statue of Neptune, with the Sirens each representing the oceans of the world is a sight to behold. Next to this plaza we stumbled into a café that served Attibassi espresso - way cool! Sipping espresso in this plaza was straight out of a movie.
Afterwards, Joe, Jeff, Joyce, and myself wandered into a little portico covered cafe that was broadcasting the Italy vs. New Zealand World Cup match. We sat to watch the second half and enjoyed some Nastro Azzurro birra. The old world sign above us read "BUCA/S. PETRONIO.“ Not sure if that was the address, the block, or some old world sign, but it looked cool and sounded sexy when you said the words, so we knew we were in the right place. Our main sights, beside the 1-1 tie of the match, were random dogs wandering around, people drinking and smoking, and the occasional cheer or jeer. After the match was over, we walked around some more and met up with Karen. We decided to have dinner at a restorante named "Diana." If the courses were any indication of meals to come...WE ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE. As Joyce so aptly stated, "we are going to have to ROLL ourselves out of here." Watching the staff and eating the fine cuisine was a real pleasure. On the way back to the hotel we had a Caffe Corretto - "Coffee Corrected" for those who do not know...and by corrected, I mean with liquor added to a shot of espresso. This is not only the best way to top off a great meal, it makes for an interesting walk home. So far, Bologna has been a real eye opener and definitely a training center for us before we head south to Naples. Our bellies are full, our minds are electric, our feet are a little sore, yet our hearts are mui contento. Ciao for now...

Buona Notte Bologna!

Does 36+ hours count as Day 1? Not sure, maybe I am a little delirious or maybe I am just dizzy with excitement, but all I know is that Italy so far has been far beyond my expectations. After 3 airplanes and 18+ hours of travel, we arrived in Bologna at about 12:00pm local time. First flight was from Seattle to Philadelphia on an Airbus 320. Not too impressed with US Airways - sorry Jason. I mean the plane itself was safe and smooth, but the creature comforts..wait, there were no creature comforts. Thanks to my lovely wife for packing me some snacks. Flight number two was from Philadelphia to Brussels on a Boeing 757. Again, smooth and safe, but nothing special. Both flights were packed - I think there were some small bambinos in the overhead bins. There was even a guy who got so uncomfortable that he raised his shirt up over his head and started to apply deodorant - maybe he was sweaty with nerves or maybe he was just trying to gross out Karen Stutesman - I'll go with the latter. The third leg was from Brussels to Bologna on an AVRO RJ85. This plane was much smaller, yet it was much more comfortable. Maybe because the flight only had about 30 passengers or maybe it was because I drank two beers. Again, I'll defer to the latter. I got a great picture of Joyce Morinaka sprawled out napping. Anyway, landing in Bologna was a treat. It absolutely felt like we stepped off the plane in Seattle. 50 degrees, rainy, and people waiting in lines - sound familiar? As for baggage, Karen and Joyce had their two bags arrive with us - "Tutto va bene" we all said!
I did not check any bags, but I did help Joyce on every transfer carry her satchel with the Hello Kitty tag - she was amused by this to say the least. After Walter, yes Walter is apparently an Italian name, picked us up and zoomed us to our hotel, we preceded to find our first doppio espresso. In true Italian fashion, we walked up to a little bar, ordered our caffes', paid a Euro each, and walked away very happy. The next few hours were dedicated to relaxing while we waited for Joe Fugere and Jeff Lewis to arrive...and by arrive, I mean by Business Class on Lufthansa - Come Fortunato! La dolce vita...