Italian Food

Bellino Party alla Bolognese – Pasta Recipe

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Pasta Bolognese

Recipe 

PARTY alla BOLOGNESE

Party alla Bolognese , ever hear of it? No, I didn’t think so. I coined the phrase, just like I coined the phrase Meatball Parm Mondays , which I first wrote about in my best selling Italian Cookbook Sunday Sauce. So, you want to know what a Party alla Bolognese is, a term you are no doubt hearing for the first time. Well as you might have already surmised, number one, it’s a party that has to do with Bolognese. A party where you eat Pasta with Ragu Bolognese you’re asking? Well yes, you are quite correct, you’ll be eating the famed Italian Ragu from the city of Bologna, Italy. This is a party centered around eating Pasta all Bolognese. Now what’s better than that?

So, as we know Ragu Bolognese is the famous meat-sauce for pasta from Bologna, Italy. Now, hopefully by the time you read this part of the book, you’ve already made your first Ragu alla Bolognese. Well congratulations are in order to you, you’ve learned something that is infinitely important, and something that will serve you the rest of your life. You now know the infinite glories of the Bolognese, that lush pasta meat-sauce from Bologna, Italy known as Ragu Bolognese. You know the wonderful flavor, and are sure to crave it often. No problem, if you have a craving, you can just make it. You have the recipe, you’ve made it once or twice, you can make it any time you want.

So, you want to throw a dinner party for friends? I certainly hope you do. If you’ve never done so before, I’d just like to tell you, you have no idea, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised, surprised how great it will be, ” a Party alla Bolognese.”

Making this famed Ragu and throwing a party centered around the Bolognese where you’ll feed Maccheroni alla Bolognese to friends and family, this is such a wonderful thing, you just can’t imagine. Do it once and you’ll see. You will make your friends oh-so-happy in more ways than one. They will thank you and sing your praises, and you will feel their joy. A joy that you gave them by making them Ragu Bolognese. Yes it has this affect.

Throwing a dinner party you say? It seems so daunting. Hey, you’ve made Bolognese, throwing a dinner party centered around Bolognese is as easy as pie, and I’m going tell you how. You will amaze your friends with this one! Trust me! Hey, I’ve already told you pretty much, 90% of all you’ll need to know to do your first fabulous Party alla Bolognese. “What,” you say? Well I’ve written the recipe for you, and you’ve already made your first Bolognese, maybe even two or three by now. You know how to make one of the World’s great dishes Pasta alla Bolognese, all you need now is some good music, good Italian Wine, and some sort of Salad or Antipasto to start you off.

You will make the Bolognese ahead of time, either the day before or early in the day before your party starts. You can either make a salad to have before the Bolognese, but a better choice would be either a Caprese Salad of fresh Mozzarella & Tomatoes, a lovely mixed Antipasto, or something as easy as Prosciutto & Melon would be very apropos, considering the Bolognese and the famed Prosciutto di Parma are both from the same region in Italy of Emilia Romagna.

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mrnewyorkny_grandma

The WORLD’S TASTIEST DISH

PASTA BOLOGNESE

AMAZON.com 

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Screenshot 2022-06-20 1.01.06 PM

PASTA with RAGU BOLOGNESE

RECIPE

So you go out and get some Provolone or other cheese if you’re going to serve a mixed antipasto before the Bolognese. Get some good Sweet Sopresseta, a jar of good quality Roast Red Peppers, and the best Italian Olives you can get, and your mixed antipasto is all set. Tell each guest to bring a nice bottle of Italian Wine, unless you prefer to buy the wine yourself, it’s all up to you. And there is nothing wrong with your guests each bringing a bottle. When they do so you end up getting a nice variety of different wines for everyone to taste, making your party not just a Party alla Bolognese but a pleasant little wine tasting as well. Nice, no? Yes, this works out quite well, and it makes the party a little more interesting, tasting the different wines. Tell your friends to bring Chianti, Barbera, Montepulciano di Abruzzo, or Lambrusco which is from Emilia Romagna and is the perfect wine if you’re having either Prosciutto & Melon or a Mixed Antipasto with some nice Salumi and Cheese to start.

You’ve got to have some nice background music for your party. The best music would be a mix of first and foremost Frank Sinatra, with Dean Martin, a little Tony Bennett, and some Louis Prima to boot. Hip Hop and Heavy Metal are strictly forbidden and an absolute no-no, you don’t want to ruin your party with bad music, do you?

Dessert and coffee are always great. They are not an absolute must, but I do highly recommend you serve coffee and dessert. Again, you may want to have one or two of your friends pick up some dessert. Italian desserts like: Ricotta Cheesecake, Italian Pastries and or Cookies, or Gelato are all great, but not absolutely necessary that the dessert be Italian. Maybe one of your friends makes a great Pineapple Upside Down Cake, a Red Velvet Cake or something like that is great. What’s important is you have a dessert, it’s just another little facet of your dinner party, your Party alla Bolognese. And don’t forget the Bolognese is the centerpiece and as they say in France The Piece de Resistance!

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mrnewyorkny_grandma

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

AMAZON.com 

PARTY alla BOLOGNESE CHECKLIST

  1. Get your ingredients for the Bolognese; the ground meat you choose. Tomatoes, wine, pasta, milk, butter, Olive Oil, and dry Porcini Mushrooms if you decide to use them.

2.   Get your ingredients for your Antipasto course.

3.   Buy at least two bottles of good Italian Wine, even if you have your guest bring wine, you’ll still want to get at least two bottles of your own.

4.    Have plenty of spring or filtered water. Buy gallons of Spring Water (at least 2 gallons or more).

5.    Buy one or two loaves of good Italian Bread.

6.    Make the Bolognese! It’s great to make the night before the party. Just to let you know, it doesn’t hurt that the Bolognese is made the night before, it’s actually better.

7.    Make sure you have some great music; Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and or some nice mellow R&B music.

8.  Before your guest arrive, get your antipasto or salad ready to go when you need it. Keep it simple. If you choose one of the antipasto items from the antipasto section in this book, you can’t go wrong, they’re all real simple and don’t require any cooking, other than if you choose the Shrimp Cocktail, which is super simple and takes just a few minutes and can be done ahead of time, a few hours before or the day before your party.

9.    A few minutes before you will be serving the antipasto, put your pot of Bolognese on the stove and turn the heat onto the lowest flame possible to heat up the Bolognese Sauce. If after the Bolognese is simmering for twenty minutes, it looks like it is getting dried out, you can add some water.

10.   Put a large pot of water on to cook the pasta. Put a lot of salt in the pasta cooking water.

  1. Serve the antipasto course to your guest and make sure you have some nice Sinatra tunes playing. Enjoy the antipasto with your guest.

12.   Turn the water for the pasta on to a high flame. After you have eaten your antipasto with your guest wait about 15 minutes or more before you serve the Pasta alla Bolognese.

13.   Rigatoni, Cavatappi, Fusilli, or some sort of short pasta are the best type of pasta to serve with your Ragu Bolognese at Party alla Bolognese party, as it’s easy to serve and to eat short maccheroni as opposed to long pasta like Spaghetti or Tagiatelle for your guest. Got that? Serve a short pasta.

14.    After everyone has eaten their antipasto and are enjoying their wine, throw the pasta in the water to cook. The pasta will take about 12 minutes to cook. You want to have about 20 minutes in-between the antipasto and Bolognese course, so throw the pasta in the boiling water 10 minutes after everyone has finished eating the antipasto.

15.   Follow the directions for cooking the pasta that is on the pasta package. Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about a ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Add the pasta back to the pot that it cooked in. Add some of the Bolognese with a couple knobs of butter to the pot and mix the pasta and Bolognese Sauce together. Have a plate ready for each guest and plate each one with an equal portion of the Pasta Bolognese. Serve to your guest and make sure to pass around grated cheese.

OK So How Do you make The BOLOGNESE you want to know? The RECIPE is in The COOKBOOK,  The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK, where else?

WANT to MAKE SUNDAY SAUCE ?

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SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO

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Harrys Bar – Venice – The Worlds Coolest Restaurant


HARRY;S BAR
VENICE







   The World’s Coolest Restaurant? Why, it’s Harry’s Bar,Venice of course. Without a doubt. There is no contest for any to compete. Well many will beg to differ, but I know better, and better than most. No Brag, Just Fact! Let me tell you why.
If you are in any of the Great Renowned Cities of the World, cities such as; New York, Paris, Rome, Bangkok, Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, wherever. There will in all these cities be a number of restaurants where the In-Crowd, the Jet-Set, Those in The Know, the Movers-and-Shakers of the World will go to. There are usually at least 6 to 12 restaurants for those in the know to go to. For example, if you are in my City, New York and you are one of these people, “Those In the Know,” you might go to any one of these restaurants. right now in the year 2011 these restaurants would be; Minetta Tavern, Bar Pitti, The Waverly Inn, Pastis, Momofuku Ssam, The Standard Grill, John Dory at The Ace Hotel, and at least 6 others. Same goes for LA, London, Paris, Rome, and so-on.
In Venice there are many restaurants, but really just one more or less that “Everyone Who is Anyone” will go when in town. One, that one is “Harry’s Bar.” No other restaurant in the World quite like it. If you are of the Jet Set, The In Crow, those “In-The-Know,” you’ll know one thing for sure, when you go to Harry’s Bar you will be amongst the all of The “in Crowd” will be there and nowhere else. Well this is a bit of an exaggeration to make a point, but this point is true 85% of the time.

Ernest Hemingway & Friends at Harry’s Bar
 
VENICE, ITALY




And of the place, Harry’s Bar, Venice. And i keep saying Harry’s bar Venice, for it is thee only one, but there are many others around the World with the same name. There is only one Great “Harry’s Bar” and that is Harry’s Bar, Venice at the Vaporetto stop of San Marco.
Yes, and of Harry’s. The restaurant is Wonderful. It has a beautiful casual elegance in the decor. The place is always filled with the “Beautiful People,” the service is great, and the food Fabulous. Though at a price. Harry’s bar is very expensive. For some this is of no consequence, but if it is expensive for you, it is definitely worth a splurge. The place is awesome.
After-All, they invented the “Bellini” Cocktail here. And
Beef Carpaccio as well.


If you go to harry’s Bar, you will Love it. The place is filled with quite a exciting energy. It’s a experience you’ll always remember. So, do remember, The World’s Coolest restaurant, Harry’s Bar, Venice that is.
 
 
by Daniel Bellino Zwicke
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HARRY’S BAR
 
The BAR
VENICE
The GRITTI PALACE HOTEL
 
ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S FAVORITE HOTEL
 
VENICE
NEED a ROOM at The GRITTI
ANYWHERE in VENICE
 
And WORLDWIDE
BOOKING.com 
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POSITANO
 
The AMALFI COAST
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The SINATRA Tee Shirt

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SINATRA
 
 
T-Shirt
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Frank Sinatra
SINATRA Tee SHIRT
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SUNDAY SAUCE
 
alla SINATRA
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Antico Vinaio Opens Italian Sandwich Shop Greenwich Village New York NYC

 

all’ ANTICO VINAIO

SULLIVAN STREET

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK

NYC




The famed Florentine Sandwich Shop has touched down in Greenwich Village, New York.
all’ Antico Vinaio is a famous Panini Shop from Florence, Italy, that is uber famous with Tourists and Instagramers. They are famous for their square stuffed sandwiches on Focaccia Bread. Sandiches are filled with Mortadella, Salami, Prosciutto, Mozzarella and other Italian Sandwich ingredients.

The new sandwich shop at 225 Sullivan Street in New York’s Greenwich Village opend the other day, and is already doing brisk business. There are not super long lines “yet” though suspect there will be soon, once the masses of New Yorkers and tourist discover that there is an Antico Vinaio panani shop on Sullivan Street.

Famed New York restaurantuer Joe Bastianich has partnered up with the people at Antico Vinaio to open New York’s second all’ Antico Vinaaio Italian sandwich shop.

all’ Antico Vinaio is an Instagram Sensation in Florence, Italy, and is proven to be so on the other side of the pond in America, with locations in Los Angelos, California, and the two shops in New York, and we are sure with Joe Bastianich involved, one day there might be 100 or more locations all over America. 









Joe Bastianich

Panini on Sullivan Street

Antico Vinaio Italian Sandwiches

New York NY





Learn How to Make an ITALIAN SUBNARINE SANDWICH

RECIPES

SUNDAY SAUCE

ITALIAN SANDWICH RECIPES

ITALIAN SOUPS – PASTA – PANINI

MEATBALLS & MORE …
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NEED a HOTEL in NEW YORK

ITALY – ASIA – WORLDWIDE

BOOKING.com

POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK
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ITALIAN SANDWICH RECIPES


Sunday Sauce The Sneaker

SUNDAY SAUCE  The SNEAKER
 
by Bellino
 
With AL PACINO
 
“GET YOURS TODAY” !!!
On ETSY
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SUNDAY SAUCE “The SNEAKER”
The SUNDAY SAUCE SNEAKER by Bellino
 
 
Sunday Sauce The Sneaker by Bellino. This cool Limited Edition Sneaker was created bt Best Selling Italian Cookbook Writer – Daniel Bellino Z, created from his book cover design of his best selling Italian Cookbook SUNDAY SAUCE. Check out Michael Corleone (AL PACINO) and Clemenza making Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy with Sasuage, Meatballs and Braciole. If you Love The Godafather, Pacino, Coppola, Sunday Sauce, Pasta and Italian Food, you are sure to Love these awesome Sneakers created by Bellino. “Get yours today” !
 
GIFT IDEAS : Christmas, Hanukkah, Birthdays and all occasions.
 
 
 
 
 
POSITANO !!!
“The SNEAKER”
 
by Bellino
On ETSY
 
SUNDAY SAUCE
 
The BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL
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Sophia Loren and Pizza

 


SOPHIA LOREN

with PIZZA

by Bellino
FINE ART PRINT
POSITANO The AMALFI COAST 

COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE
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SOPHIA LOREN w/ PIZZA
COFFEE MUG
LIMITED EDITION

TEE SHIRT


by Bellino

A Brief History of GREENWICH VILLAGE

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING
 
by Edward Hopper
 
7th Avenue, Greenwich Village NY
 
 

Greenwich Village is one of the world’s most famous neighborhoods, located on the southwest corner of downtown Manhattan in New York City.

Steeped in history, the village is also known as “West Village” or simply “the Village.” It has Broadway on the east, the Hudson River on the west, Houston Street on the south, and 14th Street on the north. Surrounding communities include East Village to the east and Chelsea to the north.

Originally a small farming community, the area surrounding the village was once marshland. It was referred to as “Sapokanikan” in the 16th century. The land was turned into a pasture by the Dutch settlers in the 1630s and then it came to be known as “Noortwyck.”

In 1664, the village developed as a hamlet separate from the larger downtown Manhattan when the English occupied the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam.

It officially became a village in 1712 and was first referred to as “Grin’wich” in the records of the Common Council. As a result of recurring yellow fever in New York City in 1820s, many people fled to the healthy area of Greenwich Village and remained there. The village was converted into a military parade ground and park in 1826.

With a history spanning nearly two centuries, Greenwich Village was a mecca to Bohemians, and they played a major role in propagating new political, artistic, and cultural ideas in the area.

Since the turn of the 20th century, the Village has been a destination to famous artists, writers, entertainers, and intellectuals, such as E.E. Cummings, Eugene O’Neill, and Edgar Allan Poe.

The village also remained home for political rebels such as John Reed and Marcel Duchamp who proclaimed the founding of “The Independent Republic of Greenwich Village.” Further, the village’s role as a center for movements is remarkable.

Presently, the Village is a vibrant area, dominated by some important monuments, beautiful townhouses, multitudes of dining areas, and a wacky serpentine layout of streets.

The Federal-style row houses, Greek Revival townhouses, and quaint carriage houses, apart from the office buildings of the late 19th century and towering 20th century apartment buildings, reflect the creative and diverse population of the Village.

The heart of the neighborhood is the historic Washington Square Park, which is a hub of activities such as chess playing, skateboarding, and walking or jogging. The Village is also the seat for some of the important educational institutions in the nation, such as New York University (NYU) and New School University.

The world’s oldest gay and lesbian bookstore – Oscar Wilde Bookshop – is located here. Petrosino Square, Little Red Square, Time Landscape, Desalvio, Thompson Street, and William Passannante Ballfield are other important landmarks in the village.

Also, located here is The Cage, officially known as the West 4th Street Courts. It is one of the most important venues for the city-wide amateur basketball tournaments. In addition, the Village is the place for the renowned Halloween Parade – a mile-long parade of life-sized puppets and masqueraders that draws more than two million spectators.

 

 
 
 
 
 
Macdougal Street
 
 
Macdougal Street and Bleecker Street are two of the most famous and historical streets in all of Greenwich Village. They were the main streets that spawned such Bohemian Types as Jack Keroac of the Beat Generation known as Beatniks. Macdougal Street and Bleecker Streets and the area where they converge was the epicenter of Folk Music in Greenwich Village in the many clubs, cafes, and Coffee Houses back in the 1960s with such musical artists as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Maty Travers of Peter Paul & Mary, John Sebastian, John Phillips and Cass Elliot (Mamma Cass) of the Mammas & Pappas, Pete Seger, John Denver and others, and later on such notables as Jimi Hendrix at Cafe Wha, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Map of GREENWICH VILLAGE
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUNDAY SAUCE is NEW YORK ITALIAN
 
 
Greenwich Village for a long time from the early 1900s to the early 1960s was primarily an Italian Neighborhood made up of immigrants of the Southern Italian enclaves of Naples and Sicily, as well as some from Genoa, Calabria, and Abruzzo. There are still a few great old Italian businesses left like; Monte’s Trattoria (Since 1918), Raffetto Pasta Co. since 1906, and PORTO RICO COFFEE owned by the Longo Family Since 1907, and CAFFE REGGIO since 1927, which features paintings from the School of CARAVAGGIO and Renaissance  Benches from a Medici Pallazzo that can actually sit in as you sip your Italian Cappuccino and listen to Classical Music in a most delightful way. This is just a little taste of the charms of Greenwich Village New York.
 
 
 
 
Daniel Bellino Zwicke
 
 
Native Writer of Greenwich Village
 
 
 
  
 
CLICK to BUY a Copy of SUNDAY SAUCE
 
 
Best Selling Greenwich Village Italian-American
Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
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Looking for a Hotel Room 
In Greenwich Village , New York
And Worldwide
 
 
 
 
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JAMES BOND “WHY EVERY MAN NEEDS A GOOD WATCH

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JAMES BOND “SEAN CONNERY” WEARING A ROLEX   “He Always Gets The Girls!”

 

A Good Watch. It’s something every man needs, but few have, well, percentage wise anyway.

I’m not talking about a Timex, or “God Forbid” one of those nasty looking Casio watches. A Rolex or Omega are the most popular top end standards, not everyone can afford to spend $3,00 for a Omega or $5,000 and up for a Rolex. If you can afford it, there is nothing like having a Rolex Submarine or GMT Master. The classic look of these two great watches is timeless. ONE look at the Submariner and you’ll notice it’s all business with classic yet simple design, that is “Timeless.” The Submariner is a sport watch but because of its timeless design can be worn with a suit for business or Tuxedo.

This watch made of the fine stainless-steel with a classic black face, black dial, and Mercedes style hands. It is waterproof to 300 meters and is powered by a World Class movement. Believe it or not, a Rolex at $5,000 is a bargain. Considering that there are watches on the market that go for $10,000, $20,000, $100,000 and even 1 Million Dollars, which as much is I love watches, feel that anything over $20,000 is absolutely insane. Obscene even. A Rolex will give you instant cache, no matter how rich the group you are amongst. So the the cache a $5,000 Rolex gives, even comparable to a $10,000 to $100,000 watches, the Rolex Submariner or GMT Master is a bargain.

So back to everyman needing a good watch and what one can afford to spend. As stated, if you can afford the Rolex, you’ve just got to get it. If you can’t afford the Rolex or Omega, you have other options as their are great watches available for $350, even less that have the look of watches cost $3,000, $5,000 or more. I bought a S. Coifman Dive Watch that can almost be put in the same league as the Submariner or GMT Master. My S. Coifman has the same top tier stainless steel, saphire crystal, and Swiss Movement as the Rolex watches. It is 100% Swiss made from a famed Swiss watch company that has been in business for some 150 years. This watch is practically every bit the equal to a Rolex from a quality and style point of view. The watch normally retails for $1,500, though much cheaper than the Rolex, it is total equal in terms of quality. I paid just $299 for the watch that looks every bit the part of a $3,000 plus timepiece.

If possible, if you decide you will buy and were a good quality time piece, the first step would be to get a great Dive watch, such as a Rolex or Omega if you’ve got that kind of cash? If not, and you can get your hands on something like my S. Coifman Diver for $500 or less. you can even get a Invicta Pro Diver for $200 or less that looks pretty much like a Submariner, and the quality is pretty good.

So you get a great looking Diver, your next step would be to get a beautiful looking classic style dress watch with a great Crocodile, Alligator, or fine Leather Strap. A company called Sturhling Original makes some amazing looking dress watches that look like $5,000 and $10,000 time pieces but can be had for $250 or less at Amazon. No Bull. It’s true, some of these Sturhling watches look just like $100,000 ones.

Men, get yourself a great watch, put on some Levis, a great shirt, good leather shoes and belt, and you are set. Add a good sport jacket and you’ll look like a Million Bucks. A lady killer.

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

 

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ROLEX SUBMARINER  “A TRUE CLASSIC” AND STATUS SYMBOL of LUXURY               and SUCCESS

 

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Daniel Craig Classically Sports a Tuxedo with ROLEX ….

 

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MY FIRST DAY In ROME

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Sunday June 16, 1985, my First Day in Rome. Ever! I fell in Love that day, with Rome, Italy, Italian Food, and the Italian Lifestyle. What a day. I was like a little kid on Christmas Day, the best day of the year for any true American Blooded Kid … Do you remember the euphoric feeling you’d get as a child, running down to open your presents under the tree on Christmas Day as a young child, a sort of feeling that’s hard to get as an adult, but I had it on that hot Summers day in Roma 1985 … A day I’ll never forget. It was beautiful, a game changer.

I flew from New York, JFK to Rome, Fiummacino Airport. On board the Pan Am 747 Jetliner, aI sat next to a couple, also going to Rome for the first time. As for myself I was on my own. The guy was in his mid 30’s and the girl was a few years younger. We became friends on the plane, hitched a Taxi into the center of Rome (Quite Magical itself that first entrance to the Eternal City of Rome) … I realized on a subsequent trip that the cab driver was a gypsy driver and that we got ripped-off, over-charged, but no big deal, the dollar was strong and we had split the cost. Anyway, we dropped the couple off at there hotel, The Hotel Forum, across from the Roman Forum and Colosseum. We had made plans to meet for lunch the next day. I had the driver drop me off at the train station, as I didn’t have a room yet, but had a plan to get one. This was my first trip to Europe and I was learning the ropes of travel. I had a Frommers Guide Book of Europe, Europe on $25 a Day, and had read it through and through and had learned that I could check my bags cheaply at any train station in Europe, so I did, and for the first time at the train station in Rome, which was right in the center of a number of inexpensive pensiones that I had marked down in my guide-book and would go to try and procure a room. So I went to the baggage room at the station and checked my two bags with the man there, and was off to get my room. If I remember correctly I got a room at the first place I went to. The room was just $14 and only two blocks from the train station. So I told the concierge I wanted the room, I went back to the station, got my bags and then lugged them back to my hotel. It was a simple room with a big queen sized bed. The bathroom was down the hall, and I quickly used to take a shower, before running out to explore La Bella Roma. I walked up to the train station, then made a left, and within a block I was at the Piazza Republic. I remember seeing the little tiered fountains filled with pieces of fresh coconut and water flowing down over them. These coconut vendors were all over the city but I never got any of the coconut as I found Gelato much more to my liking at just .50 cents a pop for a small one, .75 for a medium and $1.00 for a large. Or if not Gelato, I’d get a slice of Watermelon. But I’m getting ahead of myself now. Let me tell you about my first meal in Rome and how I fell in love with the Tremezzini. So I came upon the semi-circular Piazza Repubulica. Across the street I noticed a tiny little park next to the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. In this little park was a little kiosk with a few tables outside under the trees. It looked quite inviting so I walked inside. Inside on the counter I spotted these tiny triangular little sandwiches with various stuffings. I got a bottle of Apricot Juice (Sutta di Frutta di Albicoca) and a couple of those little sandwiches, one filled with ham & cheese and the other I can’t remember. I took my stuff, got a table sat down and relaxed. The Apricot Juice was refreshing and the little sandwiches quite tasty. I fell in love with them instantly and would have three everyday for breakfast along with an Espresso and Frutta di Albicocca. I walked around after that little breakfast in my first expoloration of Rome, of Italy. I just so happen to walk past the Quirnale, the Place of The President of Italy. I found Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps and The Piazza di Popolo, with Gelato stops in-between, before heading back to my hotel, very tired. I was planning on going out that night, but was so darn tired from being up all-night, then a fe w hours walking around Rome with no sleep. Yes, I went back to the hotel to take a nap for a couple hours, but didn’t get up to early the next day.

The next day, I got up, took a shower, then headed out for a nice little breakfast at a caffe on the Via Cavour on my way to the Colosseum. I had three different Tremzzini, an Espresso and a little bottl of Apricot Juice. I was walking around and came upon a beautiful market near the Stazione where I bought some fresh Apricots and Mozzarella Cheese. Yumm. So I walked down to the Collesseum and to the Forum Hotel where my friends were. This hotel had a nice roof-top garden and we went up there for a cocktail and my first Campari ever. Wow, that was quite nice, sipping a Campari and Soda, hanging with my new friends and a tremendous view of the 2,000 year-old Roman COLOSSEUM just a block away. Things couldn’t get much better than this. I had Campari & Soda for the first time, and later on the trip would have my first Negroni in The Piazzo San Marco in Venice.

After our drink on the rooftop, we walked over to the Colesseum, walked around it and inside. Quite remarkable! We left the Colesseum then walked over to the Trevi Fountain and on to The Spanish Steps. We walked up the famed Spanish Steps to the top where there is a church. We marveled at the fabulous views of Rome with all the many churches and bells ringing. Wow! I had discovered a cute garden trattorria near the Spanish Steps on my previous days exploration, and went there for lunch. We sat at a table in the garden. We had a spectacular view combined with tasty antipasti, Pasta and Wine. I was in 7th Heaven.

to Be Continued

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“LA TAVOLA” is FINALLY HERE

Yes “La TAVOLA” is Finally Here. It’s a wonderful book with entertaining Stories of Italian-American New Yorker’s Adventures of the Table which includes recipes and stories on; SUNDAY SAUCE, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Sausage & Peppers, and the famed Italian Christmas Eve Dinner of “The FEAST of The SEVEN FISHES”
La Tavola is a great read for the Summer os 2012 and we Highly Recommend it. It’s now available on AMAZON .. Get it!