Outside of San Francisco’s ferry building I often find more artisanal creations of interest than within. Yesterday, my only day in town on this visit, I ran across some beautiful woodworked items ranging from vases to bowls to cutting boards to wine bottle stoppers. I enjoy taking a bottle of wine to a dinner at…
Trips
Flavor of Italy Food Trips: from Sicily’s diverse Arab and Greek influenced cuisine to the Marche’s unique dishes like ‘brodetto anconetano’ and ‘olive ascolane’, we showcase Italy’s finest culinary traditions in the most charming spots. We offer culinary programs throughout Italy and are continually exploring new locations.
Customers have the choice of day and weekend trips, or one of our longer 7-10 day options.
You can choose a self-guided trip or one led by Flavor of Italy.
We combine food tours and cooking classes with sightseeing to ensure that you will fully experience the cities or towns you are visiting. The food tours and cooking classes vary based on the region of Italy you choose. At the end of your trip, you'll have a deeper knowledge not only of Italian culture and cuisine in general, but you'll have also had a taste of the different regions of Italy and the culinary and cultural aspects that distinguish them.
Calvi, Umbria – the Festa di San Pancrazio
Calvi in Umbria lies just barely north of the Lazio region, along the Via Flaminia. If you happen by the area it’s well worth making a stop to take a look at this medieval borgo. From the hill town you can look down upon the rolling Umbrian countryside, as pictured above. The town’s major festival,…
Saturday outdoor market in Sperlonga
Saturday morning is the big outdoor market day in Sperlonga. One of my favorite vendors has an assortment of olives cured by his family owned azienda agricola, including local Gaeta olives. He also prepares whole red peppers in an agrodolce bath. Most of the peppers go by the wayside as the process is lengthy and…
Day Trip to Lake Bolsena for a fish lunch
Last weekend we were at Lake Bolsena, an under two hours drive from us. We were there with friends: and others who vacation at the lake regularly; sailing, canoeing, swimming. Fish is my favorite food and it’s a pleasure to occasionally indulge in lake fish. The best that Lake Bolsena has to offer is coregone,…
Marinated anchovies with spacca sassi, Portonovo, Monte Conero, Le Marche
We spend time in Portonovo every year, usually for brief weekend trips of a few days. Some of our closest friends live there and an additional benefit is the spectacular beauty of the area: the lush mountains of the Monte Conero spill dramatically into the Adriatic Sea. The beach is covered with white stones and…
Pizzaiolo Restaurant, Oakland, California
Last week’s International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) annual conference started off with optional Saturday tours; always one of the best parts of the annual conference. It gives you the chance to explore a part of the host city’s food culture in depth, this year San Francisco’s. I lead the “Alice Waters Edible Schoolyard &…
Ristorante Il Grecale, Anzio (Southern Lazio)
I’d been to Il Grecale with friends in the past and also taken a stroll around the charming port area of this small seaside town in southern Lazio. That was in the summer and today was quite a different atmosphere. It was a blustery February day and we chose Anzio as we were searching for…
Tasting China with IACP in Flushing, NY
The IACP annual conference in NYC is proving to be amazing, with eye opening and mouth-watering food experiences. Case in point: today’s Tasting China day-long food tour extravaganza in Flushing, New York’s Chinatown.
Bed And Breakfast Piazza Dante – Napoli
Last week before going to Naples the first thing I did was to check with the blogger community for suggestions on a place to stay. I have to thank Walks of Italy for the two accommodation suggestions made as both were fabulous. We ended up staying at the Dante B&B, so named due to its…
Leon d’Oro Restaurant – Piazza Dante, Naples
We arrived at our bed and breakfast a bit too late for lunch. Simona, the delightful owner of the Dante B&B, suggested that we stop down at the Leon d’Oro restaurant & pizzeria to make our dinner reservation as it books up quickly for the evening. Even though it was almost 4 pm there were…
Capri: an Indian summer day before Christmas
Capri is my husband’s favorite place and I have to agree that the island’s beauty is indisputable. Unfortunately what Capri has become, at least in the centro, is a high-end tourist location for the very wealthy. No characteristic, artisanal items on sale here; what you’re most likely to find are the top designers, and costly…
Day trip to Cortona, in the Tuscan province of Arezzo
The town of Cortona is easily reachable by train from Rome: a pleasant and affordable 2 1/2 hour train ride ((Euro 16 in first class). Once you reach the Camucia / Cortona station you can take a bus (runs about every 40 minutes) or a taxi (Euro 10) up to Cortona centro. The entrance way…