The Guide to Being Plump but Happy
Us tourists complain about tourists. The more tourist free the more valuable a place becomes. It is hard to find such place in Italy. Venice is the Prague of all year particularly in the summer. You rarely hear Italian and you pay more than 5 Euros for your slice of Pizza. The historic city is hard to spot from the crowds that seem confused from the makeup of the city. Verona is better. It is still filled with tourists. There are also areas that lack the tourists. You go to Verona for the opera. You can buy tickets for as low as 25 Euros. If you want to escape the tourists (there are still a few) you go to Bologna. Bologna is a rare Italian city - it is big enough yet it does not feel like it is made for those who visit it. Rather it is the culinary capital that lacks the loud pride such a title would give to an area. Perhaps everyone there is too full to brag.
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| Bologna is a walking city. The streets are narrow and are filled with historic corridors such as this one. It is also very conducive to getting lost so carry around a map with you. |
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| The cheese slice at Pizzeria Del Turri. |
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| Afternoon delights at Gamberini. Some are sweet some are salty. My favorite was the one that combined salami and blueberries in a bite. |
I arrived to Bologna with little hope of a love affair. We were going to stay with my cousin who goes to university there. I thought I would walk around during the day. Instead I found a city of food. I also put on a couple pounds after the visit. They are the kind of pounds one is proud of. The extra belly is due to the one too many cheeses I ate and the fuller cheeks is a result of the daily gelato I had. Take a weekend or week and go to Bologna and do the following. I am not going to separate what to do from what to eat as they are connected in the case of this visit. If you are not a foodlover avoid Bologna as it has little to offer to those whose yet to be taken by food or for those who count the calories.
What to Do @ Bologna
Apperativos are the thing in Italy in the summer. They are small bites that are offered to you free if you order a summer drink- in this case the national summer drink of Italy- Spritz. I love Spritz- it is part Aperol (like Camparo), part Prosecco and part sparkling water. Why don't we have Spritz more? It is orange and it goes down like Fanta but beware as it is much stronger.
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| Spritz are bubbly, fun and refreshing. They are also orange. |
Zanarini by the main Piazza is a must. You sit down out and get served small sandwiches with your drinks. If you want a more relaxed option head to Via Marsala and Marsalino. Wines and drinks are cheap. You get served unlimited breads with melted cheese. It is great to have when you are drinking. I often went there alone in the afternoons. Late afternoon/evening go to Via Zamboni- this is the street where the university students hang out. There are tons of outside drinking places. Order your 3rd spritz. Smile and be happy. For an afternoon and dry version of this, go to Gamberini- an amazing patisserie. Replace your spritz with tea or coffee and enjoy your little sandwiches or sweets.
Pizza is always good. Pizza Due Torri on Strada Maggiore is the best pizza by slice. Go for the pepperoni slice. Fold it bite it. It is a great substitute for lunch.After your Pizza right by where Strada Maggiore and Via Zamboni meets is Gelataria Gianni- We sometimes went for twice a day. I like all flavors. Until recently I was not indulgent in icecream flavors- I was more of a vanilla and chocolate kind. Now I wonder the reason behind such stupidity. Icecreams varieties has much to offer particularly in gelato. Even when fruity it is creamy. My favorite at that spot is the chocolate. It may be too much for some. It is dense like a chocolate sauce. Think about your sauce turned into icecream. A scoop is too much but necessary.
Evening meal options are endless. Trattoria da Gianni is where you go for traditional pasta. They have a great setup in a dungeon like downstairs. The prices are fair. The bolognese sauce tagliettelle the city pride is to die for. So are the gnocchi. What I loved doing though was not to have a full meal- you should experiment with that with your own cooking at home- but rather to go for a Tamburuni like meal. Tamburuni is the best delicatessen in town. They also offer a cheese and meat plate. They just ask you for how many you want your plate for. A huge plate coupled with wine is what life was all about. Towards the end of the meal, I sweated from overeating but I kept up. The wine went down to help with the eating.
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Bologna is the food capital so there are amazing food shops. That is why you should rent an apartment as opposed to staying at a hotel (check out airbnb.com or homeaway.com). Everything is by each other. There are amazing fruit and vegetable shops, butchers, fish shops, delicatessen next to one another. What I loved doing was to go for afternoon strolls, buy a few things and go home and eat them. Italy is cheap when you buy out and eat in. For your food shopping head around Eataly- they have basics. Around there is Gilberto where you would buy the Bologna classics (great biscotti, balsamic vinegar and more-- also look for these jams called mustardos - they come in different fruit flavors- a horseradishy taste meets fruit it is amazing with meat or cheese)
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If you want to indulge in food culture more, there are walking food tours and day tours to food plants. What I did was to take a pasta making class. Taste of Italy with Maribel is very low key. We met at the food markets. She showed us around. We head to her house to learn how to make pasta dough and pasta after. For those who are angry at the price they pay for a plate of fresh pasta- note to all- it is worth it. I want to become proficient later in life with kneeding and handling dough. We made tagliettelle, tortellini and other pasta shapes. We also made the famous bolognese sauce. After we made all this from scratch we sat down and ate it all. She offers longer classes for a couple days. I want to go back to learn how to make Lasagna next.
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| The pastas that I produced during my lesson with Maribel. The small penne like pastas are hardest to make. |
There are many more spots Bologna has to offer. You have to go there and go around. Food was always good from the simplest to the most intricate.
What to Think @ Bologna
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| Someone asking you what your favorite kind of gelato is blasphemy. |
How am I going to make up for all the eating and drinking I am doing at Bologna?
Why doesn't everyday end with gelato? If by chance your days start to end with gelato- What flavor of gelato should I try today?
Why is spritz not a major drink? It could compete with a lot of mixed drinks and should be a favorite for hot afternoons?
Why doesn't more places offer little foods for free with drinks? That is such a good idea.
What are the limits to my eating? How much more can I eat?
Even though it is so diverse and great how long can one survive on Italian food?