March 2025: News from Elizabeth
New tours, links, and dirty negronis
I realize that there are far worse things to worry about than the fact that my favourite underwear store in Rome is closing. But for me, the closure of this store—De Cori, which has stood in the same spot, selling the same timeless items since my first visit to Rome over 50 years ago—symbolises so much more.
Of course, I won’t be going commando. I can still find my usual brand of underwear somewhere. But when Sophie messaged me yesterday to say that De Cori is closing, it felt like a punch to the stomach. If you think you don’t know De Cori, you probably remember it from one of my most popular videos in recent years. Sophie made a video about it too.
It is the last surviving intimate apparel shop in the Campo de’ Fiori neighbourhood. They sell underwear, yes, but also those lovely wool and silk undershirts, Italian-made socks, cotton pyjamas, and the increasingly hard to find holy grail: the Italian housewife housedress. Whenever I visited, there were always customers—mostly older women and always a nun or two. And lately, even a few tourists, which gave me hope.
But in the end, the store couldn’t survive. Rising rents in the historic center favor fast food outlets and chain stores. Competition from online retailers and shopping centers outside the city are more convenient and/or cheaper. It’s a story repeating itself across Florence, Venice, and Rome. I know things change, but the number of historic stores, bars, and restaurants that are closing is destroying the very fabric of the cities and everything we all love about them.
One way I fight this trend is by sharing stories about places like De Cori, hoping to bring them enough business to survive. Another is by actively bringing tourists to these spots—whether it’s a dusty shoe store in a small village in Puglia, a hat maker on an alley in Palermo, or a candle maker in a small village in Umbria.
The same applies to the farms and food producers we visit. We recently met a charming couple running a small flour mill in Puglia. The space is cramped, there’s no real backup for bad weather, and instead of a well-manicured garden, we make our way past trucks and abandoned bikes. But Paolo and Maria are making an extraordinary effort to keep a small business alive, working with heritage grains to make pasta, bread, and focaccia. Could we visit a fancier, more polished place that does the same thing? Sure. But we’ll always choose the more authentic experience, even if it means a little discomfort. I know it won’t stop change in its tracks, but at least we’re trying.
WHAT’S NEW
We’re so excited for our spring season to begin! After three months without tours, Sophie and I are itching to get back on the road. We’ve got so many new things planned.
With the company rebrand, we decided to revamp our tote bag design. Emma led the project, and we love the results! Each tour now has its own color. Join us on all our tours, and collect them all!
March is jam packed—Sophie’s Bari and Matera tour is next week (follow her on Instagram to see what they get up to). Then we have three tours exploring Palermo and Western Sicily. While all of our spring tours have sold out, we do have one spot open on our Umbria tour in June due to a last-minute cancellation. We’ll be closing the tour soon, so let us know if you’re interested.
Most tours in the Fall 2025 are already sold out too, but we still have a handful of spots left for:
And we have just one more tour to add to the schedule for 2025! I’m not sure how I’ve kept it under wraps this long, but within the next two weeks, I’ll be revealing a completely new itinerary. It’s to a region we’ve never included before—but I guarantee it’s on your wish list. Want to be the first to know? Make sure you’re signed up for the premium newsletter.
And in April, we’ll begin rolling out our schedule for 2026! Expect our much-loved tours to Puglia, Sicily, Umbria, Florence, and Parma—plus new destinations and, most excitingly, new guest hosts. In case you miss one of our newsletters, you can always find our updated schedule here:
And if you’re only passing through Rome and don’t have time to join us for a full week, you can always join Sophie for a market tour in Rome.
WHO’S WHO
Today, I want to introduce you to one of my oldest and dearest friends, who also happens to be the first guest host we ever collaborated with: Evan Kleiman.
I’ve always been a writer, but early in my career, I focused on design, architecture, and art. That changed when I met Evan. From our very first conversation—one that turned into a lifelong friendship—it was all about food. If I can call myself a food writer today, it’s thanks to Evan, who encouraged me to dive deeper into food and its culture in a way that still defines my life.
Evan has had that kind of impact on so many people—through her groundbreaking Italian cookbooks (check your shelf; you probably own this one), her beloved LA restaurant Angeli, and her long-running radio show, Good Food. She’s a teacher in the best sense, sharing her deep knowledge about food and the culture surrounding it in a way that is not only generous but also way too much fun.
We’re so lucky to continue our tour collaborations with her, more than ten years after our first tour together in Rome. If you want to know more, I highly recommend listening to Good Food and subscribing to her newsletter. But if you want the full Evan experience, join her next September in Parma as she leads a group on an exploration of some of her favourite ingredients: Parmigiano, balsamico, culatello, and prosciutto. And, of course, she’ll be sharing everything she knows about pasta making.
WHAT I’M READING
📖 If you haven’t seen Conclave yet, here’s how the process works in real life—and it may be happening soon.
☕ This game was made for coffee-obsessed me.
🍷 Isn’t alcohol-free wine just grape juice?
🎥 The true cost of running a YouTube channel, from Carla Lalli Music.
📝 Some of my favourite longtime food writers have joined forces to launch Scribehound. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.
🍳 If you’re dealing with an egg shortage, here’s Zoe François’ handy list of egg-free bakes.
🥢 Jenny Rosenstrach shares her excellent list of NYC restaurants.
WHAT I’M EATING
Here is a roundup of recipes that I’ve bookmarked for this month:
🍋 Although I am a fan of Meryl Feinstein’s recipes using hand made pasta, I know I am much more likely to make this creamy ode to citrus, which uses store bought dried fettuccine. Heavy Cream, cognac, and mint is definitely a combo I can get behind.
🍊 Will this be the year I finally make David Lebovitz’s Vin d’Orange?
🌿 It’s artichoke season in Rome, so I’m making:
Stewed Artichokes (Pugliese style)
Carciofi alla Romana (Instant Pot version)
Artichoke Lasagna (probably for Easter)
WHAT I’M DRINKING
I have a confession: Lately, I’ve fallen out of love with Negronis. At home, it’s never the cocktail I reach for before dinner—the sweetness just doesn’t hit right. But I’ve discovered the perfect fix: olive brine.
A splash of brine transforms the drink, balancing the sweetness with a savory edge. I shouldn’t have been so surprised—after all, olives are a staple in Venetian spritzes for the same reason. But for me, this was a revelation, and there’s no turning back. I made it this weekend and everyone loved it as much as I did.
Dirty Negroni
Ingredients:
1 oz Campari
1 oz gin
1 oz sweet vermouth (red or white)
½ oz green olive brine
3 olives for garnish
Instructions:
Pour Campari, gin, and vermouth into a glass.
Add the brine and ice.
Stir well, garnish with olives, and enjoy!
And finally…
It was really fun chatting with The Washington Post about the effect season 2 of the White Lotus (set in Sicily) had on our bookings. We definitely saw an uptick. Not so sure that the current season will have the same effect on Thailand since so far (at least in my opinion) it’s just so tedious.
And since we are on the topic of TV (and I know everyone is always curious) we are currently watching and loving The Pitt. It’s just so so good. What are you watching?
x,Elizabeth
In case you missed it: recent posts from Via Rosa.
Thank you for this article! Evan Kleiman is terrific!
I LOVE the new totes!
What terribly sad news about De Cori.