May weekend in Bologna

Friday, 28 May 2010

May weekend in Bologna

Highlights of last weekend in Bologna? Here are the top ones from me and Ruth – you will hear more about these in the coming weeks

1. Discovering the delights of Osteria del Sole, one of the city’s social institutions

2. An aperitivo in the warm glow of the setting sun reflected off the seven churches of Santo Stefano

3. Hanging out with Bolognese eager to share their latest restaurant discoveries and their pride in cucina Bolognese

4. The chic wonders of Eataly, an enticing all in one bookshop, food shop, wine shop and cafes on three floors at Ambasciatore

5. Learning how to make tortelloni and tortellini at the hands of Aurelia, the sfoglina (pasta maker) of Locanda del Castello at Sasso Marconi

6. Tagliolini with zucchini and prawns at Bistro 18, a new wave place or with spaghetti a la chitarra at La Locanda

7. Coffee and a pastry at Zanarini or Gamberini after a hard morning exploring the city’s fleshpots

8. Ice cream from Cremeria Funivia licked up on a shady bench under the trees in Piazza Cavour

9. Shopping for cheese, ham and baby artichokes in the indoor market

10. The stunning 360 degree view of Bologna from the terrace of Hotel Touring

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Bologna and Bolognese food - raising the profile

Taste for Bologna has been named blog of the month by BBC food magazine, Olive. They say it's a 'useful source of top local knowledge for anyone travelling to the Bologna region...Lovely recipes too'.

This blog was also chosen by the Guardian as one of the best city travel blogs. They described it as A great foodie blog by two people who love eating: where to eat fabulous food when you are there and how to cook the food when you get home. And all with luscious photos.

Taste Italia has just published our quick guide to eating, drinking, shopping and sleeping in Bologna. And we regularly feature in the new on-line food and drink magazine, The Foodie Bugle.

Bologna's popularity as a destination has risen sharply recently. Now it has been voted one of the top 10 European food cities by tens of thousands of travellers who use Trip Advisor every week for advice on where to go and what to eat. Not surprising really; everybody who goes to Bologna comes away an enthusiast for the sophisticated charms of Italy's most food-mad city. As Claudia Roden says, 'The people of Emilia-Romagna eat more, care more and talk more about food than anyone else in Italy'.

Spaghetti bolognese? Or is it tagliatelle al ragu?

This blog is a foodie tour of Bologna with recipes gleaned from my favourite restaurants and home cooks. For serious fans of Italian food and cookery, the city has two great attractions. It has Italy's best regional cuisine - in the view of most Italians (in their more dispassionate moments) - and it has the most enthusastic eating culture. It also has a glorious cityscape, with miles of orange-red coloured porticos and an unspoilt historic centre, a perfect backdrop to good food. People outside Italy vaguely recognise the appeal of Bologna - they relish spag bol, lasagne, parmesan and balsamic - but it rarely figures in their travel plans.

As Elizabeth David wrote in Italian Food, ' Everyone has heard of the mortadella sausage of Bologna, but how many hurrying motorists drive past the rose and ochre coloured arcades of Bologna quite unaware that behind modest doorways are some of the best restaurants in Italy'.

Fine, nobody wants Bologna to be swamped with tourists like Florence and Rome, pushing up prices and diluting quality.

Now, if you don't want to or can't go to Bologna, you can enjoy cucina bolognese at home with my blog - almost, for what you'll miss is the buzz of a city where they live to eat.

Friday, 28 May 2010