Gastronomic Traditions Archive

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 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…)

In my humble opinion, there are few things more vile than a McDonalds hamburger, regardless of what ingredients it includes. In January, nearly 400 McDonalds “restaurants” in Italy launched the McItaly menu, which employs the “Made in Italy” (more…)

Tagliolini alle vongole at Piperno.

Last night I got back from a much needed holiday by the sea (read: fish binge). Nevertheless, it wasn’t shocking when I woke up this morning with spaghetti alla vongole on the brain. Being Sunday in Rome, when many restaurants (more…)

Carciofo alla romana, artichoke braised with oil and herbs, is a winter and spring dish.

Visitors to Rome have long understood that among the city’s highlights, ranking right up there with the Pantheon or the Colosseum, are its typical dishes. Some are seasonal (carciofi alla giudia, pizza con prosciutto e fichi), others are not (more…)

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…)

Claudio Torcè’s black sesame and lemon-almond gelato.
Rome is freaking hot right now. In fact, I cannot recall a heatwave this bad since 2003. Then again, I tend to repress temperature-related discomfort, so I may be totally wrong. Anyway, when it’s this hot, one must (more…)

Piping hot microwaved chicken tacos at Griglieria La Vaca.

When I think of Mexican food in Rome, one phrase comes to mind: basura caliente — “hot garbage”. One doesn’t have to be bilingual, however, to appreciate how much of Mexico’s culinary greatness is lost in (more…)