February 2022 News from Elizabeth

Usually in February or January I’ll start off the newsletter with a particularly wintery photo. Like that time it snowed in Rome. Or frosty olive trees up in Umbria. But this past month has been one crystal blue sky after another. While I always say that January is my favorite month in Rome, this year the weather out did itself. I can’t remember a more perfect January. It was cold (which is nice, because some years it never quite feels like winter) but the sunshine meant that it warmed up enough during the day to enjoy it.

This past month has also felt like the way January always used to feel. And I’m talking about the lack of tourists. January and February (and even November and some of March) used to be considered ‘off’ season in Rome. In the past 15 years, with the arrival of cheap mass tourism, it seemed like places like Florence, Venice and Rome never had an off season anymore. I’m not welcoming more lockdowns or anything, but maybe the current lack of tourism in these places is a much needed correction. I’m sure things will pick up again as this thing ends, but I’m hoping that it will be a gentler, more intelligent type of travel, that allows for popular destinations to have a bit of a breather every now and then. What do you think?

WHAT’S NEW

Even though there are no tours at the moment, this is the time of year when I’m busy planning, organizing and getting all my ducks in order. One of the fun projects has been designing a new tote bag. All of our guests always get a tote bag to schlep stuff around during the week. My last version had a nice artichoke on it, and while I love the design I think it’s time for something new. I’m working on it with my sister Robin (a graphic designer) so it should be fun!!

One thing I’ve noticed is that people are making more last minute travel plans than they used to. I guess they don’t have a choice! If you’re thinking that you can’t stay away from Italy for another season, we’ve got a few openings left for our Week in Puglia tour with Sophie in April, as well as our May and June tours to Umbria. The June tour is with my good friend Evan Kleiman , who you might know already from her radio show Good Food? And the May tour is with my sister Robin. Anyway…they will all be lots of fun and I hope you can join us. Send me an email if you’d like to know more details about any of these tours.

All of our Fall 2022 tours are completely full, but I’ll be adding a trip to Parma in November next week (very similar to the Pasta Grannies tour we did last fall). I will also be adding a few more tours to Puglia for 2023. If you are signed up for the Premium Newsletter you’ll be receiving an email about about it next week.

Otherwise you can find out about them on my blog later in the month. Our full schedule of tours for 2022 and 2023 here

WHERE I’VE BEEN

January and February is usually when Domenico and I take a ‘big’ vacation. In 2019 we splurged and went to South Africa. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime. I had hoped to follow up with trips to Australia and Japan. As you can imagine that didn’t happen. I am already planning though.

In the meantime I still wanted a ‘vacation’ vacation. Although I do travel a lot, it’s usually for work. I wanted a short, easy but totally decadent trip to someplace easy to get to. And so of course thought of Venice. Also? It was our honeymoon, so it seemed a romantic place to celebrate.

I meant to get up to Venice last winter, before Italy really opened up, to experience the city without hoards of tourists. While Italy is definitely open at the moment, it is low season and people are still, for the most part, laying low. So I knew Venice would be blissfully (and maybe never again) so empty. Even when things get back to ‘normal’ I would 100% recommend visiting Venice in January / February (before Carnevale begins). Although the weather can be cold and foggy, I personally love it. In any case we were blessed with bright blue skies and bright clear winter sun.

Here follows my itinerary

3 day getaway to Venice

This is not an exhaustive guide to Venice. It’s just a report, with links, of what we did.

Transportation: We took the train, which I love. It’s a very easy 4 hour trip. We took the 9:35 train from Rome and I brought panini, so that once we arrived at our hotel by 2:30 we could hit the ground running without worrying about lunch.

If you don’t have much luggage you can take a vaporetto to your hotel (or walk). In any case, make sure you buy a 3 day vaporetto pass in the office in the train station. Good for 72 hours from the first time you use it, it will come in handy. Otherwise a water taxi (available outside the station) is about €60.

Where to stay: We splurged and stayed at the St. Regis Venice. Formally the Europa Regina, and then briefly the Westin, it has recently be completely redone and is fabulous. Our Canal View Room was upgraded to a Suite, so that was amazing!

Thursday:

I decided that during this trip, instead of visiting much loved places we always go to, we would try to visit the places we usually avoid because they are too crowded.

Doges Palace- Located on St. Marks Square, next to the basilica. This is the seat of power of Venice and includes rooms decorated and designed by Palladio, Tintoretto, Veronese, Sansovino, etc. It was also the site of the prison and we got to walk over the Bridge of Sighs. We were basically in most of the rooms by ourselves. It was magnificent.

Dinner: Anniversary dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Venice: Al Covo . Run by the ever charming Diane (from Texas) and her husband Cesare, some of the best seafood in town. They also have started growing their own vegetables and they were so good they made me cry. Don’t miss Diane’s desserts.

Friday:

Coffee: I love the charming Illy bar located in the pavillion just off of St. Mark’s Square. They also have tables in the Giardini Reali next to it. A great place to take a break.

Correr Museum: I’m not sure how I had never made it here. This museum which stretches the entire length of St. Mark’s square, includes the Royal apartments, works by Canova , and much more.

Lunch: We took a nice stroll through Cannaregio to end up at Vino Vero for Crostini and natural wine

Afternoon: A long meandering walk back to the hotel, in time to enjoy coffee on their canal side terrace at Gio’s Restaurant and Terrace. This is definitely something you should do even if you are not staying in the hotel. Amazing views.

Dinner: Antiche Carampane - Another of my Venetian favorites. Again amazing fish and they are part owners of the same vegetable plot as Al Covo, so also great vegetables .

Saturday

After a long lazy morning of room service at the hotel, we headed out and spend an hour wandering around the Rialto Market.

Lunch: We grazed our way through many cicchetti at Do Mori and All’Arco

Snack: After a long walk through Doroduro we stopped by Rizzardini Pastry shop for frittelle - a special fried dough made during carnevale.

Ca’ Rezzonico - One of the most splendid palaces on the Grand Canal, now a museum of the 18th century. Beatufiul cieling by Tiepolo , Longhi vignettes of daily life and 18th century rooms.

Afternoon: Domenico’s idea of bliss is a Naval War Museum so that is where he went - and loved it! Instead I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and took a walk through one of my favorite neighborhoods in Castello, along the Via Garibaldi. If I had had more time I would have also explored the small island of San Pietro, connected by a bridge.

Drinks at the bar at St. Regis: The hotel has several places to have drinks, and we chose the Arts Bar because I was curious about their art-inspired cocktails. While I loved the cocktails, I thought the arts connection was a bit too much. I prefered the bar on the other side of the hotel, The St. Regis Bar, since it has a view out to the canal and is a bit more relaxed. In summer sit outside in the courtyard along the canal.

Diner: Ca’ d’Oro alla Vedova. One of my favorite simple trattorias in Venice. Not fancy. Make sure you get the famous fried meatball to start. I always end up ordering some sort of stewed cuttlefish with polenta.

Sunday

Punta della Dogana (there was a Bruce Nauman show) then a long sunny walk along the Zattere and back over the Academia bridge to our hotel. Lunch on the sunny Gio’s Terrace before getting a water taxi to the train station and home.

Note: Places fill up in advance, so make sure you reserve restaurants before. Many actually have online booking. If the St. Regis is out of your budget, an alternative is to have a meal there, or at least coffee or a cocktail on the terrace. Again, to get a nice spot near the water on the terrace, reserve. One of best views in town.

You can find a lot of Venice info in Gillian McGuire’s Guides here.

I hope you make it to Venice and that some of this itinerary helps you plan your stay. I don’t have any plans at the moment to organize a tour there (although there’s always a maybe) but in the meantime my friend Emiko has a few spots left on her tour to Venice.

WHAT I’M READING

Is your life all about Wordle now? You’ve probably already heard this news. It was bound to happen. In related news: I got Queen Bee twice last month.

While Sophie’s new book has been delayed by covid and supply chain issues, at least it didn’t fall off a ship.

Best new restaurants in Rome from Livia Hengle for Forbes.

If you are into vintage and in Rome then save this list.

Lately I’ve been signing up for a lot of newsletters. In case you haven’t heard, newsletters are the new blog. It’s a great way to get information and stories from people you like delivered right to your in box. They also seem more real in the way that blogs used to be. As Adam Roberts (a.k.a. The Amateur Gourmet) puts it: “the freedom that we find, as former food bloggers, writing a newsletter to an audience that actually wants to read what we have to say.”

I’m very much enjoying paid subscriptions to the following:

• Emiko Davis: Great recipes and food history from Tuscany

• Dinner: A Love Story: I’ve been a huge fan of Jenny Rosentrach for a long time. I love getting her ‘Three things’ in my mail box, which always gives me some ideas for meals and life in general.

• Stained Page News: All about cookbooks

• Elliot Confidential: Great travel news

• Yolo Intel: Great travel tips from a former editor at CN Traveler Yolanda Edwards.

• Vittles: Very deep dives into food culture.

I’d love to hear from you if you have any suggestions for other newsletters! (leave a comment below)

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WHAT I’M WATCHING

Both Domenico and I are obsessed by this coffee-centric YouTube channel.

Totally blown away by all four seasons of Unforgotten.

Next up: The Good Liar. Because I’ll watch anything with Helen Mirren

Currently binge watching Stay Close.

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AND FINALLY…

Both Domenico and I have been totaly obsessed with blue cheese lately. I think it’s because Domenico is working on a project next to one of the best cheese stores in Rome and just can’t resist. Last week I published a video recipe for Pasta with Blue Cheese and Radicchio . But here are few more recipes just in case looking at that photo above puts you in blue mood too.

Escarole and Blue Cheese Salad

Cabbage and Gorgonzola Pasta

Beet and Blue Cheese Salad

x, Elizabeth