A taste of Italy.
Five regions. Five tables. From Tuscany to Sicily. One long lunch.
Tuscany. Chianti Classico turns landscape into ritual. Vineyards, cypress roads and olive groves set the scene, while Pecorino Toscano, bistecca alla Fiorentina, ribollita and extra-virgin olive oil define the table. The great red wines are built around the Sangiovese grape: Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico all speak with different accents of the same Tuscan landscape. Then Liguria. Pesto Genovese begins with basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino and olive oil, usually folded through trofie. Add focaccia, anchovies and Taggiasca olives, then pour a glass made from Vermentino or Pigato: bright coastal wines that taste entirely at home beside the sea.
Emilia-Romagna. Food here is a point of pride and almost every town seems to have contributed something essential. Parma gives you Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, Modena brings Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, and Bologna answers with mortadella, tortellini and tagliatelle al ragù. The richness of the table makes the region’s wines especially useful: chilled, lively Lambrusco cuts through cured meats and cheese, while the Sangiovese grape produces the reds of Romagna. There is also Albana, an indigenous white grape capable of wines ranging from dry and structured to richly sweet. This region does not simply feed Italy; it has helped define what Italian food means to the rest of the world.
Campania. Heat, sea and volcanic soil shape the table. Naples gave Italy pizza Margherita, while the surrounding region supplies mozzarella di bufala, San Marzano tomatoes, Pasta di Gragnano, anchovies, seafood and the intensely perfumed lemons of the Amalfi Coast. The same volcanic landscape gives Campania some of southern Italy’s most distinctive wines. Fiano di Avellino comes from the Fiano grape, Greco di Tufo from Greco, while the dark, structured Taurasi is made from Aglianico. They are wines with freshness, minerality and enough character to stand beside the region’s famously direct cooking. Around here, simplicity is rarely missing anything.
Sicily. Bronte is known for pistachios, the markets for citrus and capers, and the coast for tuna and swordfish. Street counters offer arancini, trattorias serve pasta alla Norma, and pastry shops finish the day with cannoli, granita and cassata. The island’s wine is just as varied. Nero d’Avola gives generous southern reds, the slopes of Etna produce elegant Etna Rosso from the Nerello Mascalese grape, and western Sicily is home to Marsala as well as whites based on Grillo. Arab, Spanish and Italian influences meet in one generous regional table. Few places taste this sunlit and bold.
IL SOLE
Mornings that feel like summer.
IL MARE
The rhythm of the sea.
L'ESTATE
Long lunches. Slow afternoons.