The Best Restaurants in Venice are the Cicchetti Bars

Venice is admired for it’s beautiful architecture, hundreds of canals, and unique history.  It is the combination of these factors that draws millions of visitors to this tiny city each and every year.  But while these are great reasons for travelers to visit the city, a highlight that is not often talked about is the food.

Sure, Venice is home to the cuisine that the country of Italy is famous for. There are places to get amazing pizzas, pasta, and gelato on every corner; all delicious.  But when thinking back on the favorite memory of the city, it is all to common to jump to the other features we mentioned at the beginning of this article. 

Even though the food is always great, what is typically not included with the memory is of it being truly “Venetian.” This is why we think some of the best restaurants in Venice are, in fact, the cicchetti bars.

Read more

Tips and Advice for Driving in Piedmont for the Best Time

Thinking of picking up a rental car to drive around Piedmont on your next trip?

The good news is that driving in Piedmont is relatively easy and is something we highly recommend for all visitors. The bad news is that you are still in Italy, and common concerns with driving in Italy are present- albeit to perhaps a lesser degree here compared to other regions.

So in this one, we thought we’d share a bit more about what our experience was like traveling around Piedmont with a car, and give you some tips to have the best time out with a car!

Note: An international drivers permit is required for driving in Italy if you are not local.

Read more

Piazza Duomo Review – 3 Star Michelin Experience in Alba

Piazza Duomo in Alba, Italy, is a fine dining restaurant that has held three Michelin stars for more than a decade and is on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. With all of those accolades, we knew we had to see what all the hype is about during our recent trip to Piedmont.

It all started with us setting our alarms for 3:45AM our time in order to log on precisely when reservations opened: 10AM Italy time, 3 months ahead of time. The restaurant releases all reservations for the entire month at once, and the release dates are published on their website.

Having secured our spot, the next choice was to select the menu that we wanted to have. Piazza Duomo offers two different food tasting menus, one a 6-course option called “The Journey,” and the second a 10-course menu called simply “Barolo,” meant to pair with Barolo wines, naturally.

When we made our booking we weren’t sure if we wanted to focus so laser-like on Barolo pairings, so we initially booked The Journey. However, when the restaurant reached out a few days before our visit we panicked and changed to the Barolo menu. 

We are glad we made the switch.

Read more

Ristorante Borgo Sant’Anna Review – Fine Dining in Barolo

Ristorante Borgo Sant’Anna is a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Barolo region of Italy. The restaurant’s picturesque setting amidst the rolling hills covered with vineyards and the creative use of regional ingredients combine to make this a solid option if you’re exploring Piedmont.

Read more