As soon as you enter the restaurant you are in another world; open spaces, contemporary design using natural materials which create an atmosphere of conviviality and warmth and of course a personal greeting from his incredible staff.

Farm to table is almost redundant in Italy, but, in this restaurant you order what the chef, Lorenzo, has purchased that morning at the market and is offering to his patrons, sight unseen and also unspoken. It’s all a surprise. You don’t know what you are going to get.

Filippo, the owner who doubles as the maitre d’ asks the important question; do you have allergies and are there things you don’t eat?  Then you are invited to participate in one of the best experiences you are likely to have gastronomically.

The “amuse-bouche” is served in a bento box “alla” Filippo; special ingredient of the week accompanied by a sauce or a special cracker; very original and off to a good start.

I had the taglierini Cacio e Pepe served with lightly cooked fresh shrimp, amazing artichokes with a savory sauce and probably one of the best stracottos (pot roast) I have ever had. Their delicious bread is a potato bread and of course, home made.

Cristian is the sommelier and you can trust him to select the best wine to accompany your dinner as he confers with Lorenzo to make sure that it will be a perfect pairing.

Keep your eyes peeled for their cooking classes which will be given in the morning, followed by lunch.

Make sure you call for a reservation and when you do, call the main restaurant number and select either Filippo’s traditional restaurant or his new one which is on Via Padre Eugenio Bersanti, 45 Pietrasanta. Tel.+39.0584.700.100.

The restaurant is open only for dinner whereas his original restaurant is opened for both lunch and dinner.

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clamo, clamatis, omne clamamus pro gelido lactis!

Of all the depressing developments in otherwise lovely Lucca this summer, the one that tops the list is the opening of yet another gelateria . . . less than a hundred yards from our house! This new gelateria, la bottega del gelato, is head and shoulders above all the other ice cream parlors in town . . . and, unfortunately, it is less than the length of a football field from where we live! Barbara is seriously worried about my welfare. At first it seemed like such a great thing, but quickly she realized the potential downside. On a normal day I probably walk past the gelateria at least ten times. The sobering reality is, in a pinch, I can be there in less than three minutes, in less than two if I don’t wait to take the elevator down to the ground floor in our building.

Being a fairly friendly and neighborly sort, I was among the first to enter the new establishment and patronize it. At first it seemed like something heaven sent, like a mirage in the desert . . . and so tantalizingly close to the house! When I first spotted this establishment, I decided to find out what it was like after it opened later the same day. As I normally do, I applied the “Seaver” rule for judging ice cream, namely, if the ice cream is not piled up in huge rounded mountains of glop, chances are better than average that the ice cream is good. I am sad to report that the ice cream was not good; instead it was great! Quite frankly, I was completely bowled over by the exceptional quality of the product on offer. What an unmitigated disaster for me personally!

In a town with one of the highest concentrations of gelaterias in the world, it was quite a surprise to find yet another entrepreneur trying to crack what appeared to be a completely saturated market. However, once I discovered that the gelataio hailed from Bergamo and that he had done his apprenticeship in Torino, the undisputed ice cream mecca of Italy, my interest was genuinely piqued. Unfortunately I was keenly aware that I had only consumed 3 calories in making my way from our house to this den of iniquity. It was clear that I was not in fighting shape. It was now after six in the evening, less than two hours until dinner time.

What a dilemma! Nevertheless, I was on a mission. What could I do? My heartbeat quickened when I noted all the gleaming covered canisters with signs indicating a vast array of sophisticated flavors such as sweet and salty pistachio ice cream (made with pistachios from the town of Bronte in Sicily), hazelnut and roasted hazelnut ice cream made with the best hazelnuts from Langhe in the Piedmont. I used up more energy reading the labels than I had traipsing the 115 steps from our home to this maledetta bottega. Barbara was right to be concerned. Once again Roberto had been blinded by bright shiny things! Tommaso, the master gelataio, immediately identified me as an easy mark and began plying me with teasers.

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This restaurant is literally called, the “Flavor Workshop.”

A difficult name to translate but I think the owner did this on purpose because it says exactly what he wanted to achieve in this amazing place.

Iacopo di Bugno, one of the owners of the restaurant, together with his partner Tomasso Martelli, have given Lucca another truly innovative restaurant concept.

The restaurant opened in May 2014.  With their “cook” Damiano Donati who does not like being called a chef, they have put together monthly menus which are based on fresh seasonal ingredients whose flavors are not hidden by sauces or creams; “you eat what you see”.

Iacopo began his career as a journalist with Rizzoli in Milan.  After writing about society and customs, he ended up concentrating on culinary experiences, which led to his becoming a judge for the RAI TV program  “Prova del Cuoco: Trial of the Cook.

From there he was sent by Rizzoli to do an article on the wines of Argentina.  He was so enthralled with Argentina that, together with a friend of his and Alberto Antonini (a reknowned  oenologist), he founded a vineyard in 2005, “Ave Wines”.

Their major wine is made from the malbec grape. In 2010 Wine Spectator voted their Ave Premium Malbec Best Buy of the year from Argentina. They also produce a Cru- Ave Memento which is a blend of many grapes from the area which come from a vineyard that is over 100 years old.

Ironically, Iacopo only uses Italian wines (for the moment) in his restaurant, but by the end of October he will carry wines made from Italians living in various parts of the world.

But let me go back for a moment to Damiano, the cook.  This amazing young man was voted “chef most likely to succeed” in 2012 by Gambero Rosso.   He has worked with some of the best chefs in Italy, but he happens to be a very humble person, and, in this business, that is hard to believe!  He actually took off a year to become a “farmer,” milking the cows, plowing the fields and basically transposing that knowledge to the meals he serves in the restaurant.  It was his idea to concentrate on using the “farmer” concept; cooking with fresh seasonal vegetables and not  using anything produced in a greenhouse or imported.

Iacopo’s ideas keep evolving and he wants to use the working title of the restaurant to its limits. He is going to invite other chefs to work alongside Damiano; painters and sculptors, writers, etc., all to gather in one spot to exchange ideas and food and in March of 2015 he will begin cooking classes.

This is a place where you will want to do more than eat. In this “flavor workshop” you will find a constant evolution of change as Iacopo, Tommaso and Damiano will not be resting on their laurels!

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You really get the best of both worlds; the freshest fish caught that morning  prepared by an Italian artist.

This is what you will find when you visit an amazing restaurant called Fratellini’s in Forte dei Marmi, the Italians’ equivalent to the Hamptons.

This very popular place in FDM, as it is called by the locals, is managed by Andrea who with his “savoir faire” and long hair really keeps the food and wine flowing to excess.

But the “piece de resitance” is put together by two chefs, Davide and Kengo, who greet you at the front door when you arrive.

They are always behind the glass bar preparing the most incredible dishes which look too spectacular to be eaten. But don’t get carried away – the sushi is even better tasting!

There are a lot of restaurants on this endless stretch of white beaches, but Fratellini’s is one you won’t want to miss!

Fratellini’s

Viale Franceschi, 2A

Forte dei Marmi, (LU)

Tel.+39.0584.82931

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I can only say that if my husband can make a great tagliatelle, so can you!

And what do you do when you’re done with the pasta? Make a great sauce to spread over the thin noodles, add fresh Parmesan and eat. Don’t forget the wine to enhance your efforts of having worked so hard in the kitchen!

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This palazzo, which dates back to the 1500’s, houses contemporary art and cleverly is called Lu.C.C.A.- Lucca Center of Contemporary Art.

What makes the restaurant L’Imbuto (The Funnel) so particular is that you actually get to sit amidst the artwork of the exhibition on view. Exhibitions change a number of times during the year. There is a main entrance, which is my favorite part of the restaurant.   It has the best vantage point to people watch if you can tear your eyes away from the creative and truly amazing dishes Cristiano Tomei brings to your table.

Cristiano transferred his restaurant from Viareggio, on the coast of Tuscany, to the small town of Lucca last year and he has brought innovation to food that mirrors the colors and creativeness of the works of art on the surrounding walls.

This is one of the first places I have found where there is no menu and unless you have special allergies or do not like certain foods, you best leave the decision to Cristiano, who changes his menu daily.

You only have to select how many courses you want to eat and the choice of 2-6 tastings determines the price, which is from €20-90.

All of his ingredients are local and he uses extra virgin olive oil from Lucca for his starters as well as for many of his desserts!

One of his dishes, which I order as often as I can, is strips of beef served on warmed pine bark, with the added wow factor of potato strips, pan roasted, sitting on top of the beef.

His creativeness in combining cuttlefish with a gazpacho topping or his Russian salad and prawns crème brulée are just some of the concoctions that Cristiano brilliantly blends together guided, of course, by his passion for creating great food.

I do not normally like desserts but Cristiano has changed my palate for sweets with his sensational offerings at the end of the meal. One of the most delicious creations is a Chantilly made with Stracchino cheese, sprinkled with pieces of candied apricot and topped by coffee meringue and a pinch of coffee powder for color!

This is a chef who travels all over Europe to play host to royalty, nobility and VIPs, but his heart is pure and his love of what he does makes him one of the most unforgettable chefs I have come across in a long time.

L’Imbuto at Lu.C.C.A. – Lucca Center of Contemporary Art

Via della Fratta, 36

Phone: +39.0583.491280

www.limbuto.it

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The dinner took place in the towering Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza Signoria square.  We dined on the top floor overlooking both the incredible Sala del Cinquecento inside the Palazzo Vecchio and the the hills south of the city.  What a way to enjoy the splendor of this building, holding a glass of champagne and deciding which of the beauties to see first, the timeless works of art made by the Swiss or the breathless works of art with which we were surrounded.

Food and drink, although very good and truly creative, could not hold a candle to the surroundings of the Florentine hills. Both the external and internal views are so sumptuous, one doesn’t need anything else!

Laura Piccini and her daughter Elisa hosted this incredible event and when we left we could only bid them “arrivederci” (until we meet again!)!   This spectacular building is a must to revisit, party or no party!

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Almost everyone likes sweets and Sandra and her dad have made their pastry bar, L’Angolo Dolce (The Sweet Corner), as sweet as it gets! This is one of the best pastry bars in Lucca and I think that it might be one of the best in Italy. There is something for everybody and if you don’t like the sweet side of things, their savories are amazing too.

This is also one of the most creative pastry bars I have ever seen. The long glass vitrine which houses all the home-baked goods was designed by the innovative Costa Group and you could spend your time just going up and down the aisles deciding what you want to taste first.

Sandra learned her trade traveling throughout Italy, working in various restaurants as well as frequenting some of the top cooking schools.  She has perfected everything she has learned using her friends as her focus group!

She loves to invite people to taste as many pastries as they can. How can we blame her? She should be proud of what she has added to the community. Sometimes you cannot get in the door as there are so many customers waiting to try one of her mouthwatering cakes; what indecision! But it is worth the wait and once in the door, the point is to take your sweet time and enjoy!

L’Angolo Dolce
Via Borgo Giannotti, 391
Lucca
Tel.+39.0583.342.462

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This is not some dark secluded place; everybody knows everybody else’s face at Ristorante Filippo in Pietrasanta! But it is off the tourist track and mostly locals hang out with their friend and chef because the mantra of this man is true conviviality.

Filipppo just renovated his small but welcoming locale and the design is just another  component of his desire to make something traditional,  that reminds him of his grandfather Ilio, evolve with the modern touch of his amazing staff.

To begin with, all the ingredients Filippo uses in his kitchen come from the local area and you can taste the difference.

I had a radicchio salad with shaved parmesan cheese and balsamic dressing which was unlike most of the salads I have had with these same ingredients.

Radicchio Salad

The crunchiness of the radicchio was superb and the balsamic dressing was just one step above heaven!

I always ask for Filippo’s mini veal meatballs with lemon zest but they were not on the menu that day so I chose the spaghetti with shrimp and tomatoes.This dish truly gives meaning to the expression “chilometro zero” or “just around the corner” because this is where both the tomatoes and the scampi come from.

Spaghetti with Shrimp & Tomatoes

You could taste the freshness in every bite and all those shrimp seemed to be a topping for some birthday cake!

If you are still hungry, you do not need to even refer to the menu; have their unbelievable Roastbeef di Chianina. Chianina beef is the most famous in Italy and Filippo does it justice by serving it thinly in its own juices so you get the full flavor of the beef.

Have this dish with Filippo’s Vermentino, a dry and slightly fruity wine from the area; it’s such a complement to his food.

I am not a lover of the famous “cantucci” (originally made in Prato in 1779 by Amadio Baldanzi) but you cannot leave Filippo’s without trying their cantucci; a great finish to a memorable meal.

Visit Ristorante Filippo and tell them Request Italy referred you!

Ristorante Filippo
Via Stagio Stagi,22
Pietrasanta, Italy

Tel.+39.0584.70010

www.ristorantefilippo.com

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I began visiting Capri over 30 years ago. My parents always made this one of their vacation stops every summer and I would find just enough time to take off from work to join them for a long weekend. For me, this was truly a vacation since there were, and still are, no cars on the island (except for taxis and public transportation). Since I was “living” in a car for my work, this was a brief respite from all the driving I had to do during the year.

At that time we all stayed at the famous Quisisana Hotel which has one of the best views in town, overlooking the Faraglioni Rocks and the Mediterranean. Today, unfortunately, the hotel is a haven for the new rich and “famous” and does not seem to attract the chic and stylish clientele they once had.

With Capri becoming more of a place not to be missed, many new hotels have sprung up or have had marvelous face-lifts to attract the clients who have either never been to this magical island or have made this trip many times and keep coming back; like the movie, “Same Time Next Year.”

As perfect as the island is, I have never thought about it being a place that would attract people for its exceptional food; the good news is that the restaurants have gotten better over the years, but this is not the reason that people visit the island.

We were very lucky last year as we were advised by our hotel (one of our favorites) that we should try a tiny restaurant, which is just off the beaten tourist track, has good food and one of the most unbelievable views on the island; it is called Pulalli Wine Bar. We were in Capri during the 2012 European Soccer Championships and wanted to follow what was happening that evening between Italy and Germany, so low and behold, the owner set us up at one of the few tables indoors, right in front of the TV. What luck eating, not by candlelight, but viewing the game we did not want to miss. Italy won and we had a really good meal to boot!

After the game was over, I asked the owner if I could take some photos from their most amazing viewpoint. This is what I want to share with my readers, just how “picture perfect” this place is. We also had a very good organic white wine which has proved to be very difficult to find in our wine stores; next time we will bring a case back with us.

The following day we took a boat tour with one of the boat services we use for our clients. My friends Julia and Costanzo took us on a boat tour that made Capri come to life the way that I had known the island many years ago. By sea is the most beautiful way to explore the island. The captain, Rafaelle, will take you anywhere you want to go and if you really want to treat yourself to a spectacular sight, try their cruise at sunset!

When planning a trip to this amazing resort, you should try to arrive at the island around midday, after all the day-trippers have arrived, and also try to avoid the main squares during the afternoon, coming up for air only after the groups have left. The stores stay open late so if shopping is your thing, you will have plenty of time to make purchases after dinner. The restaurants will be packed so make sure that you have reservations, otherwise you might not even be able to dine until after 11pm!

Some of my favorite restaurants are Aurora, where Mia and “Mamma” Lucia will try to fit you in (literally) as the place gets very crowded. Another reliable place to go is La Capannina, owned and run by Antonio and his lovely American wife Aurelia.
If you want to celebrate a special occasion (I did when I came here last year to celebrate my birthday) don’t miss Edode’. This is a bit more sophisticated than the usual trattorias on the island, but the food is very good and they do a great version of “Happy Birthday.”

One thing about Capri that has not changed over the years is the hospitality and warmth of the Caprese who will show you a wonderful time no matter wherever you happen to go on the island.

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