Gli Sfizi di Casa Bleve, involtini, mozzarella, and steak tartare.

Casa Bleve is among the most finest places in Rome to drink wine, their elegant dining room a perfect pair with their spectacular cellar. But it is the down-to-earth atmosphere in spite of it all that makes me love this place. (more…)

Everyone sweating our edible fish sculpture.

Last week I had lunch with my friends Sarah and Nirav at the Slanted Door in San Francisco. Not surprisingly, while sharing Shaking beef, Lemongrass chicken, and about twenty other dishes, the conversation turned to dinner. I had an impossible list of places I wanted to hit up on my very (more…)

Whether you are or not, pick up the latest editions of the Rough Guide to Turkey and Rome, two excellent travel resources to which I contributed this year. You can purchase the Rough Guide to Rome here and the Rough Guide to Turkey here.

Nectarine tart with rose ice cream.

Earlier this month I traveled to the Bay Area for my friend Erin’s wedding. Her husband Chris is a cook at Chez Panisse and he set me up with a stage in the kitchen, one of the most incredible places on the planet. There is a mixture of permanent staff and (more…)

Epitaph from the Jewish Catacombs, Capitoline Museums.

On September 5, Italy will join twenty-four nations in celebrating the eleventh annual European Day of Jewish Culture. In Rome, there will be lectures, concerts, and exhibits dedicated to this year’s theme, Art and Judaism. Perhaps the most exciting events of the day (more…)

In Rome’s Largo del Teatro Valle stands a somewhat imposting storefront emblazoned with a sign for CO2 Brasserie, a thankfully defunct restaurant that closed a few years back. The Perfect Bun opened in its place, but the sign for CO2 is still there, a strange reminder of the space’s earlier incarnation. I visited The Perfect Bun (more…)

When it’s hot in Rome, survival instincts kick in. City dwellers tend to stay indoors, with their shutters closed tight against the blazing sun. (more…)

I just spent an incredible week eating my way across northern California. The short amount of time wasn’t enough to do justice to one of the world’s best food destinations, but that didn’t stop me from doing some serious damage. Check out some of the things I ate this week above or on Flickr and check back soon for posts on all the great food experiences I had.

Sweet corn with lardo at Má Pêche.

Is anything better than sweet corn in August? Well, not much. It’s hard to beat its sugary flavor, creamy texture and perfect harmony with butter. But at Má Pêche they have tried to improve on the magnificent by serving their sweet corn side dish (more…)

Mamma Parla’s famous “Jersey Tom” sandwich.

I’m a week into my annual August trip home and I’ve already put a pretty serious dent into this month’s food goals. The feast started shortly after I landed in Philly and has continued unrelenting through New Jersey and NYC, with brief (more…)