Parla Food

A travel writer chases down the best food in Italy and elsewhere.

Fish Archive


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…)


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…)

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.


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…)

Beef Taco @ Pinches Tacos, LA
Beef tacos at Pinches Tacos in LA.

Rome may be a world food capital, but for a voracious eater raised in the American northeast, its culinary offerings can feel stunningly homogenous. Sure, the native cuisine is great and there is some Indian, Ethiopian, and Korean food in Rome worth talking about (more…)

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Taqueria’s Choriqueso, house made Mexican chorizo rolled inside browned cheese.

I use Tripadvisor occasionally for researching accommodations, but when it comes to food, I cannot think of a worse source of information. I am constantly perturbed by their Rome restaurant rankings, which (more…)

In spite of its name and location, Tuna is no typical Via Veneto tourist trap. On the contrary, the fish-only restaurant pulls mostly locals who come for the raw bar, white wines, and stellar Mediterranean fish dishes (more…)


Tonarelli con bottarga at Le Mani in Pasta.

It has been a while since I updated the list of my favorite restaurants in Rome. Way back in May 2009 I published this post. A handful of these places are still valid, but others have closed or changed. Enjoy the new round up! (more…)


Assorted fritti from Rosticceri’ in Testaccio.

The Roman penchant for deep frying knows no bounds. Every course, from appetizer to dessert, and virtually every type of eatery, from deli to Michellin Star restaurant could feature fried food. In Rome, fritti (more…)

Church of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, Santa Maria di Leuca
Church of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, Santa Maria di Leuca.

I always hesitate to do these wrap ups because they force me to reflect on the obscene amount of food I am capable of eating. I especially overdid on a three day trip to Puglia recently. It is my favorite Italian region for food and it would be a shame to (more…)

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