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Patio Lunch, in the Piazza Today I'm remembering a perfect little lunch, in a charming Italian piazza.  Don and I enjoyed cappuccino and pizza, while talking about the wonderful adventures we'd had that morning. Orvieto in 2023 We relaxed and chatted while looking across the cobblestone, towards the fabulous Duomo di Orvieto.  When Don and I planned our 2023 trip to Italy, I was giddy about squeezing in a day trip to Orvieto. I have fond memories of a spring day in 1969, when my family visited the beautiful cathedral and 2 other magical places. Postcards from 1969 At age 11 I didn't own a camera, but I obsessively bought postcards. While planning our recent trip, I dug up my old scrapbook. Don was easy to convince. We planned a day similar to the one I remembered from 1969.  We planned to visit an old well, an eerie park (with monsters and leaning towers) and then have lunch in Orvieto! St. Patrick's Well in Orvieto The old well was just how I remembered it. I remember traveling down one set of steps to reach the bottom and climbing up a different set, coming back up.  This was to prevent the mules (that carried water up from the well) from encountering the mules going down into the well! Don and I worked up a good appetite exploring the well before lunch! We met up with no mules or people. Park of the Monsters Before Don and I explored the well, we had another adventure, about 30 minutes outside of Orvieto. The eerie and amazing Park of the Monsters, was created hundreds of years ago. It was as mysterious and dreamlike, as I remembered.  I still cherish those magical memories of being a kid and crawling on top of the mossy statues. (no longer allowed) Restaurant on the Square Luckily both mini adventures were as fun as I remembered. By the time we finished exploring both places we were starved. We were happy to find Caffetteria Hescanas right on the piazza, across from the Cathedral.
A hallway greeted us, with a couple of odd tables, a bike and some ads on the wall. Outdoor Cafe We opted to be seated at a cafe table on the patio.  Our table gave us a perfect view of the gorgeous church. We sipped cappuccino and took in all the details.  I remember my parents adoring the decadent frothy drink, back in 1969. Cappuccino wasn't a beverage you could get easily in the States back then. As a kid, I loved the smell but could never be convinced to take a sip. But how good it tasted after our morning adventures.  A quick peek at the menu and it was clear that pizza was the way to go.  The fresh dough and fresh tomatoes tasted the way I remember Italian pizza back in 1969.  No anchovies on this pizza. As a kid I remember having to pick them off all the time! Exploring Inside I did a little wandering before we headed off.  There was a room filled with wine bottles and old photographs.  A cozy space had tables with red & white tablecloths.  I wanted badly to ask the man behind the counter how long this building had been standing. How long had it been a restaurant? Generations maybe? But he was engaged in serious conversation. I headed back to our table.  Our pizza meal was simple and lovely. I'll never forget how lucky I felt to sit there knowing I had just shown Don some of the favorite places I remembered fondly from childhood. We headed across the street and toured the Cathedral. Below are a few slideshows of each! Park of the Monsters No climbing on the monsters today. But at least the park was still open to visitors. We mostly had the park to ourselves, until a school group arrived as we finished our visit. St. Patrick's Well Built 1527... 2 spiral staircases with a total of 497 steps. permitted mule drawn carts carrying water! We also had the well to ourselves! Traveling in early April pays off! Duomo di Orvieto This cathedral is one of my very favorites in Italy. The tour of the Duomo di Orvieto was the icing on the cake. Monsters, Well, Pizza and Cathedral, all in one glorious day!
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Best and Best In April 2021, Don and I dined at what I think is the best restaurant, in the seaside village of Vernazza.  It's hard to decide, but I also believe Vernazza may be the best of the 5 villages, in Italy's Cinque Terre district. BEST restaurant in BEST village! Lovely Vernazza Silly me. I'm not exactly qualified to decide the BEST of anything. Don and I were in Vernazza just 2 nights. We only stayed in 2 of the 5 villages.  But Vernazza is indeed storybook charming. Piazza Marconi, the harbor, Gothic Santa Margherita Church and the colorful, untouched 11-12th century buildings... plus hills & vineyards! Gorgeous even on a rainy day! Pink & Green We only sampled a few restaurants. Gianni Franzi (pink builidng) was next door to another inviting restaurant, in a pale green building.  The walkway between the two, led us on an exhausting maze-like adventure up to our hotel, La Mala. We passed both restaurants numerous times a day. Dining in the Piazza The 2 restaurants next to the steps, offered outside dining on Piazza Marconi, overlooking the harbor. But the restaurant in the green/yellow building, was the only one with intriguing wooden stools.
The diners who gathered later, also intrigued me. Lots of enthused voices, speaking Italian. Gianni Franzi on Piazza Marconi My mind was already made up about where we would dine the first night. For years, my friend Lorrie has raved about Gianni Franzi. Not just the food, but Gianni himself! I could already picture the outside tables, where Gianni often greets guests. Seating was actually outside the yellow building. Just steps from the pink restaurant.  But it was drizzling when our train arrived. Piazza Marconi was filled with fishing boats, instead of cafe tables.  The rain stopped by 4:30, but tables looked as moist as the hanging laundry.  However, the table umbrellas soon opened. Should we book a table in, or out? Reservations It was chilly after the rain, so we decided to book an inside table. I hiked down to the restaurant to make the reservations in person.  The restaurant was closed, but luckily I could speak with someone in the bar. A young man greeted me and very efficiently had me put my name on a card, to reserve a table for the first seating of the night. Cave-like! We arrived at 7 and stepped into the dining room. It looked like it was carved from rock. There were already diners seated, even though the restaurant opened at 7. We were greeted by Paulo who would be our server. We followed him towards a table where he picked up a card and asked, "Is this you?"  It wasn't me, so he hunted some more. When Paulo found the card with my name, he smiled and quickly exchanged cards with another table. I couldn't make out exactly what he said, but something about a better table! No complaints! Menu Time Paulo handed us menus. Don wanted to know about the logo right away.  Paulo had the same colorful images on his shirt. A fish with an arrow pointing to a mouth. An eye with an arrow pointing to a symbol for water. He seemed amused that we were pausing to decipher the code. We can eat some fish, with views of the sea! Absorbing the Atmosphere A moment later, Paulo brought us some bread to enjoy while we studied the menu.  My eyes kept wandering from the menu, to the walls, to the nearby tables.  There was very little wall space, that wasn't made of stone. That seemed to make the artwork twice as dramatic, displayed on the few white wall spaces. Unknown History The room was filled in a matter of minutes. I wanted to climb over tables and onto chairs, to study the wood beams above the stone arches. How old was this building?  I never learned the building's age, but I did read that there's been a restaurant within these walls, since before WWII. Before the war, the trattoria was owned by an interesting character who drank a lot and didn't care for tourists. It was then called Trattoria della Stella. Cheers Don and I started with drinks. Don went for the Italian cocktail, Negroni.
Cinque Terre is more known for white wine, but I like red. I chose a Chianti named for the Italian explorer, Verrazzano. I actually know nothing about him, but I do remember watching the Verrazzano Bridge being built in NY, when I was 6. Cheers to that! Fried Anchovies I used to hate anchovies, but Lorrie told me the fried anchovies were amazing. The last time I had anchovies in Italy, was on my 11th birthday. I remember begging the waiter to keep the anchovies off my pizza. It didn't help. I had to pick them off. But that was over a half century ago and my tastebuds have changed.  We were a little worried when Paulo said they didn't have fried anchovies on the menu. But then he smiled. "You just have to ask for it." Best Waiter The anchovies were just as crispy and fresh as Lorrie said. The lemon added just the right zing. Paulo was happy that we loved the appetizer. But he teased that he preferred it without lemon!  All the waiters seemed friendly and upbeat, but I'm pretty sure we got the best server. The waiters wore the same shirt as Paulo. Matching shirts and lots of playful banter, made me feel like all the diners were being served by a happy soccer team. Ligurian Pasta This cozy trattoria has specialized in typical Ligurian dishes since Francesco Ferrari (nicknamed Franzi) bought Trattoria della Stella, (from the guy who disliked tourists) sometime after WWll.  My traditional Torfie al pesto, was absolutely mouthwatering. The home-made pasta was equally delicious. Don was just as enthused with his spaghetti al sugo. I was so giddy I did the unthinkable and touristy thing and texted Lorrie. She texted me a video of Gianni greeting her at the table last September with a big hug. I showed it to Paulo. He was properly amused and suddenly disappeared. Gianni! Evidently Gianni had just walked in the door, a moment before. Paulo sent him over to meet us. He reached out to shake both our hands and suddenly we were gushing about our wonderful dinner.  Gianni seemed sincerely delighted to meet us. And he was also happy to pose. His warmth and chatty conversing, made us feel like we were VIPs! Don and I laughed later to think there might have been some communication issues, that led to the sudden enthusiasm. When I shared the video of Lorrie greeting Gianni, did they think she was a celebrity? I'd say, Lorrie and her husband could pass for celebrities! If a language barrier led to our special treatment, I need to learn to perfect this! Heading Off It was such a treat to meet the Gianni, who has owned this charming place since the 1960s. It was extra fun to have a waiter who seemed to enjoy serving us. When Paulo brought the bill, he smiled and mentioned that the fried anchovies were on the house. The meal memory suddenly got even better!  We headed into the bar area, to pay the bill. The bar space seemed louder and more crowded. I added to my mental list. I think we lucked out with the best table in the dining room... served by the best waiter... in the best restaurant in Vernazza... in the best village in Cinque Terre! Post Dinner When we headed outside, it was chilly. I spotted a couple of (possibly shivering) diners. I was glad we'd opted to dine inside.  We'd missed the sunset that night. But it had been cloudy anyway. Now it was dark and it didn't matter.  We walked out past the harbor and looked back at the picture perfect, glowing village. Next Day The next day the weather was sunnier and warmer. By evening, the Piazza was free of boats and the Gianni Franzi's dining area was full.  Next time, we'll come a few weeks later in April and make sure to enjoy a meal (and sunset) on the Piazza! Good-bye Vernazza The last day we hiked high above Vernazza, before taking off on the train. We absorbed a totally different view of the magical town.  Since our dinner 2 nights before, I'd had time to search the internet and learn that Gianni has owned the trattoria since the 1960s. He was just 14 when he began working as a bus boy for Franzi. I concluded that would have been the 1950s, since I saw birthday post on Facebook. Looks like Gianni must be 87 now. I'm so grateful that we got to meet this gracious, hardworking man.
It boggles my mind in this ever-changing world, that this village looks so much like it did when Gianni was teen, carrying dishes inside the trattoria! I wish I could snap my fingers and speak fluent Italian and hear his stories! Harbor Dining in Cinque Terre In April (2023) Don and I dined at this sweet little place overlooking the smallest harbor in Cinque Terre, Italy.  The deck with (unnecessary) umbrellas, was perched right over it. View From our Hotel We only had 2 nights in the sweet village of Riomaggiore. Our hotel balcony offered us our own table view of the harbor.
We could keep an eye on the outdoor diners, from our balcony. Old Building Modern Look The restaurant was only open one of the 2 days, during our visit. On the day it was open, I trotted over around noon and made dinner reservations.  The modern interior had a very different feel, than the rugged building that housed the restaurant. 7:00 Reservations Unsure of weather, we reserved an inside table for 7:00. We stepped inside and admired the white-washed space with vaulted ceiling. It looked like the restaurant had been carved out of a cliff.  The modern artwork was a fun contrast to the exposed rough-hewn stone! Menu of Ligurian Dishes Like most restaurants in Cinque Terre, the focus was on traditional seafood dishes.  With fishing boats resting beneath the restaurant's deck, it made sense that the seafood was netted from the nearby sea. Red Wine? Don and I knew that Riomaggiore was known for white wine. We thought we had ordered a local white wine...  But the wine that was delivered along with our bread, looked mighty red. If we spoke more than a few words of Italian, we would have discussed this. Instead, we drank. Testaroli i Al Pesto Noce We tried to order dishes that were from the region.  My dish came looking like spongy pieces of dark pancake, with walnuts. I had expected pine nuts, but again my Italian is limited. I enjoyed this rich little dish. Ravioli Di Pesce Don is the fish guy, so he ordered the fish ravioli, with chopped shrimp and vegetable sauce. Peas and carrots added a dash of color to our table. Both dishes were rich and interesting, but not out of this world.  The service was also not overly memorable. A team of women servers worked swiftly to serve all the tables at once. It seemed tricky to have all diners arriving at the same time, when the restaurant reopened at 7. Checking Out We didn't linger over dessert. Don checked us out at a little window, which also made the experience less personal.  I wish we'd had more interaction with the staff, but at least the people watching had been entertaining. No Americans at all. Quick Dash Down... Our lack of lingering worked for us. We were able to dash down the stairs and walk towards the sea, just after sunset.  We passed numerous boats.
We headed along the walkway, on the left side of the marina. And then we climbed!
After about 100 steps, we reached a lovely spot for viewing the orange horizon. We also had a good view of our sweet hotel, tucked into the cliff.
What a lovely way to burn off our pasta calories! Dinner followed by a brief walk and a glorious view! What a perfect combo! Cave Dining Last April, Don and I dined in a cozy cave.  Well, sort of. It was a memorable, cave-like, dining adventure. Osteria Rottezzia Birreria? I photographed this sign, to help me remember the name of our wonderful restaurant. I was confused by the name. What was that letter with the bird figure? That's an R!  Osteria means tavern. Birreria means brewery. I'm not sure what Rottezzia means. Maybe it means cave or tunnel, since our tavern/brewery/restaurant had a few! Soriano ne Cimino Don and I found the curious restaurant in the charming Italian town of Soriano nel Cimino. About an hour north of Rome.  In my photo you can see a large blocky church, rising up on the right. The church seems determined to be as tall as the castle on the hill. Our little restaurant is out of view, but the arrow sort of points near the entrance. Near the San Nicola What's so important about explaining where we found our cozy restaurant? I guess the location was a part of the dining adventure. Plus, there was a curious connection between the church and the cave-like restaurant.  The first morning of our stay in Soriano, we wandered over to see San Nicola, the community's main church. Then we headed down a staircase, between the church and more buildings.
We passed beneath a sign for Rottezzia and found the entrance halfway down. Looking up from below, the church building created a massive wall, on the left.
To the right, the restaurant seemed to be, part building and part rocky hillside. I headed for the door under the canopy, to inquire about reservations later. Tavern in a Cavern A very kind young man was setting up for the day and gave me a quick tour.  I followed him from the little bar, through a maze of passages. Tunnels and Stairs I only know a few words of Italian, so I wasn't able to get the full story. But the little caves and tunnels evidently had something to do with excavation.  This is where the stone was removed in the late 17th century, to build San Nicola! I suddenly pictured that massive blocky church we'd seen up close and from a distance. That's a lot of stone! The Red Carpet I followed my young guide down the red carpet. It felt like a mining cave... in Hollywood!  The passage was much darker than my photos, but my eyes adjusted. Storage and Shelter I was excited to peek into some spaces that appeared to be old wine cellars. I learned later that these areas were used for storage, but also as bomb shelters, in WWII.  I've been in quite a few caves in my time. I've even slept in a couple. So these cave-like spaces didn't fool me. There were no stalactites or stalagmites... no bats.  But these hollow areas were in some ways more fascinating than any of the natural caves I've explored. I wish I knew more about how the rock was removed, hundreds of years ago. And who were the people who hid here, when planes bombed the city in 1944? It's sobering to think about. Many Levels I have no idea when this carved out space became a restaurant.  I hurried through, wondering what the restaurant would look like the next evening, when we came to dine. Dining with a View We could have requested a table with this lovely view.  But I was excited about the cozy cave experience.
The young man took our reservation and we returned the next evening. Our Room Our server Nilo, greeted us when we arrived at 8. He took us to a rocky space with 4 tables.  I should have asked Nilo what our room was named. I'll bet the staff has their own nicknames for each of the areas. I will name it the B-L Room. Our space was between levels. Between Levels I've loved levels since I was a kid and split-level homes were in vogue. Luckily Don and I don't have issues with all the ups and downs, within Rottezzia. Our wooden table gave us a view of an upper sitting area.
Behind us there was an opening with more stairs, leading down to more passages. Food and Drink! In no time, Nilo had our white cloth covered in good things.  We ordered a carafe of wine and the Flan di Funghi... appetizer.  The mushroom flan with black cabbage and local cheese cream, was so odd and delicious! Pasta! We each ordered very similar pasta dishes. Mine was Fettucini con Crema di Funghi. (I enjoyed my second mushroom themed dish!) The fresh noodles and salty bacon were quite flavorful.
Don's Tonnarello all Carbonara had similar ingredients, but was made with thick, round noodles. I think I actually preferred his. Hmmm? Closer inspection of photos and I see flat noodles in both. Info for Later We finished up and thanked Nilo. He had been gracious and attentive.  I was eager to ask him what was written on this framed wall display. But I let him attend to some other guests who had finally joined our room. I took a photo and will eventually translate it. Good Night It was a pleasant walk home to our hotel Palazzo Catalani. We met up with one of the kitties, we'd seen on our walk over  One of the pair accompanied us to our hotel. What a pleasant way to end a pleasant dining adventure.
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
October 2025
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