Trieste, Italy - Greedy Diva's Gluttonous Travels

Prawns with truffles at Enoteca Sgonico

Trieste is a beautiful city at the north eastern tip of Italy, near the border with Slovenia. You can stroll along the seafront or the huge piazzas, take a dip in the bright blue Adriatic to cool down from the hot Italian sun, or stay very happily focussed on the plate in front of you without moving too far from the nearest gelataria. Fantastic fresh seafood is the order of the day here - and you won't be disappointed in the pasta either.

If you are prepared to venture away from the well trodden streets, it's well worth seeking out Enoteca Sgonico (Sgonico, 15, 3410 Trieste, Tel: 040 2296623 - closed Mondays).  You'll have the meal of a lifetime and there will not be a tourist in sight (we were there with some local friends). For barely the cost of a pub meal in London, you can feast on course after course of the days best (*superb*) catches. Below are just some of the morsels we devoured on our long Saturday afternoon lunch - all of it amazing, fresh and the quality of the seafood treated with the utmost respect, served raw or just lightly cooked with a splash of fine Italian olive oil.

I can't advise on hotels as we stayed at our friend's fabulous beach house, where we drank Italian wine and cooked up huge seabass or spaghetti with scampi by night. (I'm using the royal "we" here - I mostly held out my plate/glass for more while Alessio and Tim toiled away in the kitchen).

Alessio's spaghetti with scampi

For more great seafood with some rather spiffy views, and again off the beaten track, we loved the casual Tendarossa (Strada Costiera, 172 - Santa Croce, Trieste, Tel: 040 224214. Closed Wednesdays). We sat on the patio overlooking the ocean, drinking lovely wine and feasting on gnocchi with crab, spaghetti vongole, and grilled calamari. Service is super friendly and helpful - you won't need a menu as the waiter guides you through the fresh catches of the day. 

TPG would never allow me finish this post without mention of Buffet Da Pepi (Via della Cassa di Risparmio 3, Tel: 040 366858), a tiny, charismatic little bar to scoff down cured and fresh steaming hot pork with sauerkraut, mustard and beer. 

Of course, no trip to Italy is complete without generous helpings of gelati. Do not miss Gelataria Zampolli (via Carlo Ghega, 10, Trieste, 34132), will be rammed with locals until all hours. As usual, I find it hard to go past the Nutella gelati. This could be the best gelati in all of Italy. 

Ryanair flies directly to Trieste. A fabulous escape for a long weekend, or longer. Thanks to our fabulous hosts, Alessio and Raffaela for yet another amazing foodie adventure.

Sardinia - Gluttonous Travels: Seafood, pasta, wine, beaches...

"With bread, you will never die".

So goes the ancient Sardinian proverb.

And so we decided to spend our the first of the May bank holiday weekends hopping between the beaches, restaurants, agriturismos, food markets and wineries of Sardinia - where the bread basket is never empty.

(Local Monday morning village market)

Sardinia is known for its fresh seafood, sheep's milk cheese (pecorino and tuscanella - a salty ricotta), big flat crispy carta da musica ("music paper") breads from the North of the island (taking their name from its thin nature and creamy colour - called pane carasau (to inlanders) or pane fresa (to coastal dwellers) - delicious with rosemary and olive oil, and a staple before every meal), Mirto liquor (a sweet digestive liqueur made from purple Myrtle berries), and Pardulas - a pastry filled with sweetened ricotta cheese. Seafood of all types is the main event in the coastal areas, while much of the farmland, woodlands and mountains of the inland region lends itself to spit roasted meats (lamb and pig), wild mushrooms and game. Sardinia's most well known wines are Vermentino (a crisp white) and Cannonau (a strong red), although a wide range of grapes are available across the island.

So, there's plenty to keep the roaming gourmande occupied.

(Tastings at the Vigne Sarrua winery)

Agriturismo Ca' La Somara

We stayed for 3 nights at the Agriturismo Ca La Somara, about half an hours drive from Olbia airport near the Costa Smeralda - although a world away from the touristy glitz and spray on tans of the latter.

Once a stable, and still (a little scarily) drawing on the donkey theme in terms of much of the artwork, it was rustic (no TVs, no Wifi, no phones, plenty of mosquitos) and secluded among some gorgeous scenery over looking fields of donkeys, chickens and a mountainous backdrop. Hammocks and poolside banana lounges provide instant relaxation on first sight. If that's not enough, they also provide massages (I had one locked in before I'd unpacked my bag) - as well as a wool bath (a bed frame full of wool ... ??) and an energy pyramid if you're so inclined.

We decided to eat in one night for the true Sardinian farm house experience.

Despite numerous friendly enquiries, (somewhat suspiciously) our hostess would not reveal the night's menu - "it is a surprise". "Ah, ha ha", we chuckled, "Lovely - a surprise". Fabulous.

So, it was that the evil truth was only exposed after course 3. Our wily hostess was a vegetarian. Surprise!!

And to think that we held ourselves back to only 2 helpings of the fried soybean balls with cous cous on the basis that it was sure to be a vegetarian main acting as a mere prelude to the real main.

This would go down in the book of holiday deceptions right up there with the fact the beautiful outdoor pool had been drained. Not joking. If hostess had pulled off a stretchy face mark and wig and revealed herself to be Heather Mills in Italian farmer disguise, I would not, at this point, have been surprised. And so it was that I came to be lying in bed on a meat free stomach, wide awake at 3am at night next to a drained pool, with a puffed mozzie bitten eyelid, dreaming about breakfast.

(Breakfast)

In any event, the rustic vego meal was a success. Against the backdrop of mountains and donkeys munching in the fields, we ate an antipasti course - bowls of roasted, chopped eggplant, peppers and mint, bowls of cauliflower, and smoky sweet roast red peppers  pasted with a thick coat of green pesto. A feature of all our meals would be a huge, perpetually replenished basket of bread, including the big flat crispy bread - carta da musica - with rosemary and olive oil.

Primi consisted of a huge iron pan of pennette pasta (short stubby tubes) with invisible but tasty local pecorino cheese, broad beans, green and black olives and eggplant.

Secondi was the aforementioned cous cous and soya bean balls (which looked like falafel) - not a Sardinian speciality. At this point, the vegetarian factor was revealed and we stopped waiting for the real food. But it was fairly tasty anyway.

For dolce - the traditional pardulas (pastry filled with semi-sweet ricotta) made their debut - lovely, although this version were a little too dry.

Over coffees, a selection of digestives were offered - grappa, limoncello and the local Mirto among them. I sampled a warming shot full of the latter - something I could definitely get used to.

Large 1 Litre flasks of wine were refilled during the course of the meal. The meal was rustic, simple, but nice - not earth shattering, but not much to complain about since all came at only 20 Euros per head.

Agriturismo Ca' La Somara, Localita Sarra Balestra, 07021 Arzachena, Sardinia, Italy

Risorante La Rocca

On our first full day in Sardina, we escaped the moody skies and torrential downpours with a leisurely lunch at Ristorante La Rocca, near Baia Sardinia. Specialising in Sardian seafood and home made fresh pastas, we watched as groups of Italians ordered up big for their 4 course Sunday lunch. The couple at the next table enjoyed a grilled seafood platter for 2, and we licked our lips as the waiter loaded grilled prawns and squid onto their plates before expertly deboning their fish. (It was all too much for me, so I later crossed beaches and mountains to return for this dish.)

We shared an insalata di mare to start - a refreshing, summery mix of octopus, mussels and squid tossed with olive oil and lemon. So simple, so good.

As the rainfall got heavier, we settled in over our large plates of spaghetti - TPG's with clams, mussels, prawns and calamari. My pasta was specified on the menu to be the local pennette but due to an ordering mix up (don't try to blame my Italian - I'm fluent when it come to ordering pasta) I ended up with spaghetti - no devastation here, since it came coated in fish eggs with a whole party of clams. Happy days.

We finished off with espressos, forgoing dolce to hunt down some gelato on the road. All up, 43.50 Euros for 2.

We returned for dinner one night, knowing we were guaranteed good, fresh seafood. We tried some more of the regional pastas - Sardinian malloreddus (small gnocchi shells) with lamb ragu and cunlingiones (pouch shaped ravioli) filled with ricotta and mint with a light tomato sauce. Absolutely delicious.

My mixed seafood grill hit all the right notes - a huge rip curl of tender squid came with a grilled sea bream filleted at the table, grilled scampi and a mouth watering prawn.

TPG had a larger sea bream cooked with potato, cherry tomatoes and white wine. So juicy and tender - just beautifully done. A winner. We shared a simple side of green beans with lemon juice and olive oil.

Too full for dessert, we shared the ricotta with honey on the pane carasau and sought some serious digestive action over a grappa (served chilled here) and the Mirto (poured over a solid block of ice frozen at the bottom of the glass) - all the local men finish off with this and somehow don't end up cross eyed.

La Rocca, Localita Pulicinu, Baja Sardinai, 07021 Arzachena, Italy

Ristorante Lu Stazzo

We trekked up hill another evening for dinner at Lu Stazzo. A massive room overlooking the hills and mountains was completely empty all night - except for us and a roast piglet being grilled over the flame. Not to worry - we started with a delicious bottles of Pedres, Cerasio Cannonau di Sardegna, and knew nothing would go wrong all evening.

This place is tipico. And there's grilled horse on the menu (which brought a tear to TPG's eye).

We shared starters of tuna carpaccio (hmm - so so), as well as pasta with "sheep" ragu (perfecto).

TPG stuck with seafood - the grilled prawns - for his main but having seen the roasting piglet on entry, I couldn't go past it. It was fairly decent too, but very fatty.

For dolce, it had to be the fabulously milky ricotta with honey (again) and a tangy lemon sorbet.

A great place for typical regional food, friendly service and great views - not one for fancy fare. Cheap and cheerful.

Ristorante Lu Stazzu, St. Prov. Le Porto Cervo, Arzachena, 07021, Sardinia

Goodbye sunshine, hello London...

While I did manage to get some impressive t-shirt marks, and spent a few solid hours in the cossie, the best time of the year to visit Sardinia (weather wise) is from June to the end of August. In May and September, the weather is hit and miss - you may have the beaches to yourself and glorious sunshine at times, but you may be dodging torrential downpours at others. However, at any time there's still plenty to keep the Italian food and wine lover occupied. Just about every road side bar will serve you the perfect bowl of pasta, whip up a tasty, fresh salad and grill you a good piece of fish. Buon Appetito.

Babbo, New York - Magnificent 8 course pasta carb-arama

Bill Buford, in his account of his adventures as Chef Mario Batali's kitchen slave, says people go to Babbo "in the expectation of excess". He ponders Batali's enterprise of "stimulating outrageous appetites (whatever they might be) and satisfying them intensely (by whatever means)".

Now, I'm known to be partial to a bowl of pasta. So you can only imagine my ecstasy at the sight of Babbo's 8 course pasta tasting menu with matching reserve wines - 6 bowls of pasta, 2 desserts, 8 delectable wines and, 3 hours later, one very humorous stumble home.

But let me take you back a step. Batali's Babbo is tucked away discretely in a leafy street of Greenwich Village, near Washington Square. Outside, all is quiet and respectable. Open the front door, and be swept up into a celebratory bustle of lively fine dining with the crotch-rock riffs of Led Zeppelin smoldering over the front bar ablaze.

This is a restaurant with personality.

The Peanut Gallery and I perched ourselves up at the bar for a pre-dinner Aperol, and a blatant perve at the fare around us. Next door, a bowl of pappardelle with butter, parmesan and lashings of white truffle was showing some leg. The truffle was grated flirtatiously at the table, while its 2 recipient (and presumably flush) diners watched the bar girl coo desirously over their raunchy $300 bottle of Barolo being decanted on the side lines. TPG tried to make friends, to no avail.

But soon it was onwards and upwards to the beautiful, white upstairs dining room for the main event.

Having trained under Marco Pierre White, Batali reportedly has a fierce aversion to kitchen tantrums and all things French. He forbids the use of reduced sauces and all stock other than chicken. His passion is for simple, traditional Italian food. Just add a pinch of Batali flair.

There's so much more on the menu than just pasta (although, do yourself a favour...). There's a traditional tasting menu ($75), and countless number of sure to be ravishing a la carte options. Both the food and atmosphere are lusty and exuberant; and Babbo was bestowed with an easily deserved 3 stars from Ruth Reichl at the New York Times soon after it opened in 1998.

Batali's pasta philosophy is that "it's about the pasta, not the sauce". All his pasta pieces are beautifully hand made and cooked to perfection.

We started with the black tagliatelle with parsnips and pancetta - light and delicate in a butter and wine sauce. It was matched beautifully with a Gerwurtztraminer, Kuenhof 2007 (Alto Adige).

The Casunzei with poppy seeds were gorgeous Northern Italy style bundles of pasta stuffed with lustrous, sweet beetroot, potato and ricotta which spilled out in shocking brightness on first bite. They were paired with a lovely Trebbiano D'Abruzzo, Emidio Pepe 2004 (Abruzzi) which the TPG helpfully cried out "tastes like Chicken Twisties". In case of doubt, this is the highest of compliments in TPG's repertoire.

The Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati was absolutely delicious - gorgeous mushrooms, fresh parsley, a light sauce and, of course, fabulous rolls of fresh pasta. All swilled happily with a robust Barolo, Borgogno 2004 (Piemonte) from a magnum - phwoar!

Domingo's Pyramids with Passato di Pomodoro, firm pasta pyramids filled with delectable braised beef, doubled up nicely with the Fontalloro, Fattoria di Delsina 1993 (Toscana). Again, showing that wine tasting course was money well spent, TPG likened the wine to the Green Tomato Bloody Marys at Jane which we sampled the year before - and, I have to admit, the man had a point.

Of course, by now, our beloved (and exceptionally lovely) sommelier had already filled us up with 4 glasses of wine each - and we still had 4 to go. Each glass was carefully selected and passionately explained. Glasses were filled generously and evenly (no smaller serves for the womanfolk, a Greedy Diva pet peeve). So life was getting better by the minute at this point - each dish became more awe inspiring, each amorous moment more enamored, each joke more hilarious and each mutual congratulations at finding ourselves here with the food of the gods more flushed.

And then came the much anticipated Papperdelle Bolognese, matched with the ballsy Contea di Sclafani "Rosso del Conte", Tasca d'Almerita 2004 (Sicily).

Buford tells how Batali retreated to the small northern Italian town, Porretta Terme, in 1989, where he gained hands on experience at hand making pasta and traditional sauces. He learned to make Bolognese with veal, pork, beef and pancetta, cooked slowly with olive oil and butter. Leave in the fat, add white wine, milk and a little tomato paste. All, I imagine, while staring over the peacefulls hills and valleys from Florence to Bologna.

Once again, the pasta was perfectly firm as it layered and flipped around the sweet, rich and luxurious sauce. Buttery goodness. A "sit back, close your eyes, and picture the olive groves" moment...

Next, out came jigging the Dancing Ewe Caciotta Fritters with Honey and Thyme and an Erpacrife, Scarzello 2006 (Piemonte). The crunchy exterior encased a gorgeous, gooey but fairly mild cheese, balanced beautifully with the sweetness of the honey.

The spicy Chocolate al Diavolo was our transitionary course between savouries and sweets, and we saddled it up with the Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito, Bea 2003 (Umbria).

The desserts were our only disappointments with the night (not that we needed more food by now). We sampled the Tyrolean Carrot and Poppyseed Cake with Olive Oil and Orange Gelato (average) and a Pistachio Chocolate Semifreddo (which I really liked, but TPG was not fussed - all the more for me). Both were paired with the Moscadeddu, Dettori, 2005 (Sardinia).

Babbo was simply sensational. The flavours and textures were wonderful, the service and ambience was attentive and fun. We paid $69 each for the tasting menu and $95 for the reserve wine pairings (our special occasion luxury) - although the traditional wine pairings are less at $50. However, we'd love to come back for a simple bowl of pasta at the bar which wouldn't break anyone's wallet. Book ahead.

So, that was our magnificent Babbo carb fest. Some other time, I'll tell you about the stumble home...

110 Waverly Place, Greenwich Village, New York

(Bill Buford quotes from "Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-maker and Apprentice to a Butcher in Tuscany", Bill Buford, 2007)