Italy Eats 2009: Trattoria da Gemma, Best Meal of the Trip

It's always a little tricky when one uses phrases like "best meal," so let me start off with the parameters.  Of all the restaurants we ate at in Monterosso, Vernazza, Napoli, Sorrento, Assisi, Orvieto, Gubbio, Parma, and Chiusi, Trattoria da Gemma in Amalfi (9 Via Fra Gerardo Sasso) rose unequivocally to the top.

Italy Eats 2009: Neapolitan Pizza

I was looking forward to this one, tasting pizza at its source.  Our B&B co-owner informed us that Pizzeria Di Matteo (94 Via Tribunali, Napoli) wasn't the one most currently favored by the locals, but he acknowledged that it was still a good choice.  And so we proceeded with our original pick.  After all, Bill Clinton had eaten there as well.

Guatemala Eats: Local Food

We got down to sampling the local food with the first meal in Antigua.  Here, we have a traditional sausage dish from the restaurant attached to the rather luxurious-looking Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo.  It features cheese (similar to Mexican cheese, this cheese was on the bland side; I was much amused by the story told us by our hike guide, Edwin, about how cheese from his hometown of Xela used to be poor but it improved immensely when a Swiss took over production) and rice alongside the Guatemalan staples of guacamole and black beans (on the far left, shaped to mirror the sausages). 

Italy Eats 2009: Olive Press

Olive trees along an Umbrian road.

We had never visited an olive press before, and so we decided to take the opportunity when in Umbria.  Frantoio Spello is, as its name suggests, located in the town of Spello.  It is a co-op.  Farmers bring their olive crops in for processing, take a share home for domestic use, and allow the remainder to be pooled for broader sales.  We arrived very late in the afternoon; the sun was already setting.  In the parking lot, several farmers were buzzing around unloading cartons of olives.  This was in late October, so we were in the olive harvest season. No appointments had been made, but upon arrival, we were whisked away for a tour of the olive oil making process.