Tag Archives: Italy

Lemon Obsession & Inspiration

For some reason I have been obsessed with lemons lately… lemons in recipes, lemon decor, fashion inspired lemon jewelry… whatever it is, if it’s lemon-themed, I love it!

Another new interest of mine is Pinterest, do you have an account? If not, get one! there’s so much inspiration on this site I don’t even know where to begin.

I can link my lemon obsession to my love for Capri, Italy. I only spent a few days in Capri, but I was swept away by the magical Italian island. I can’t wait to go back. If you don’t know the connection to Capri and lemons, read up on a past post of mine from last year!

Below are a few photos I didn’t share with you this past fall from Capri. The first one is a picture of my father and I sitting on a bench with a little old Italian man. We were sipping on cold beverages while waiting for our dinner table. This little old man didn’t speak a lick on English, but we tried talking with him any way. By the time we started talking to him he had just finished watching a wedding party leave a church in Anacapri.

The next photo is a picture of the inside of the Blue Grotto! Look at how gorgeous the water is! The most gorgeous shade of blue I think I will ever see in my life.

Here are some of my newly discovered lemony inspiration! If you have a recipe that uses lemon as a main ingredient, please send my way! I’d love to try out a new recipe! (All photos are taken from various Pinterest accounts.)

Pepe Rosso on Sullivan Street

My first summer living in Manhattan I lived down in the village, actually I lived in the heart of the village right by Washington Square Park. It’s a neighborhood of students — both under grad, graduate level, and even law students, not to mention there are loads of families that live in the neighborhood. Walk into the East Village and the mood will go from collegiate to hipster. Walk into the West Village and you’ll find yourself sitting in a sophisticated bistro. I love that I can walk for five minutes and feel like I’m in a different city!

Last night I met up with a friend who also happened to help me find my first New York City apartment, Sam. We met up on Sullivan Street right below Houston Street at a restaurant called Pepe Rosso. Typically you will walk into this little restaurant and take your food to go. I’ve done it numerous times on a beautiful spring or summer day and then I would take my food to Washington Square Park and people watch as I ate. But tonight, Sam and I snagged two of the 12 seats available!

pasta at pepe rosso

Pepe Rosso chefs know how to make a tasty pasta dish and the Caesar Salad is truly incredible. Plus, the prices on the menu are so cheap, I guarantee you’ll do a double take your first time eating at the restaurant. $10 or less for pasta! Incredible! But don’t expect for service if you sit down in the restaurant. There’s a water cooler that is self-serve and when you’re food is ready they will literally pass it to you over the counter. Customers sitting closest to the kitchen will even pass down plates of food in an assembly-like line to others that are sitting close to the window. And when you’re done, you clean your own table and pass your plate and cutlery items back to the guy at the register. Totally different than any other restaurant you’ve been to before, right? If the food is as cheap as it is, there’s no need for high-end service! But the guys working this joint are ridiculously friendly. Their warm smiles and peppy attitudes remind me of the Italian locals in places like Florence, Rome, and Capri.

The food also comes out so fast, it’s clear that the chefs are a well-oiled machine in this eatery! I ordered a very basic Penne Al Vodka that was insanely flavorful, creamy and rich. Of course I bathe the pasta in cheese! Sam ordered a lemon chicken and spinach dish that he nearly devoured within 5 minutes. There are so many choices to pick from on the menu, it would be nice to order for 5 people and sample a bit of everything!

When I compare Pepe Rosso to other Italian restaurants like Perbacco … well, there’s just no comparison. While Pepe Rosso is very tasty, Perbacco still blows me away! Pepe Rosso has very basic cuisine that hits the spot. And if you’re looking to have a picnic in Washington Square Park, I strongly suggest you order from here!

Have you ever walked Sullivan Street between 4th Street and Houston Street? If not, do it. There are so many gorgeous town houses that will have you day dreaming. It’s the heart of the Village, no tourist heads here — they are missing out on such a charming, sophisticated, and insanely intriguing neighborhood.

Italian Food — Good for the Soul

For me, Italian food is probably the most comforting food I could ever feed myself. When studying abroad and missing home — I would head to a tasty Italian restaurant to comfort me. The best thing about cooking this style of cuisine for yourself at home is it’s pretty darn cheap, flavorful and very basic to make (at least most dishes are).

Now that I have been to Italy — all over the place actually, this past fall I got a true taste of the country my ancestors came from — I can truly say that the sister restaurants Perbacco and Gnocco here in New York City are better than 99 percent of the restaurants I ate at while visiting the homeland. That other 1 percent is actually a random sandwich shop that I fell in love with in Florence called Antico Noe. And even Perbacco and Gnocco restaurant owner Gianluca Giovanetti says that the bread in Florence is the best — the bread = one of the reasons why Antico Noe’s sandwiches are to die for.

food at gnocco in nyc

I’m sure you are all used to by now my raves on these two restaurants… The truth is, I’ll never stop blogging about them because 1. They truly are the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to in my entire life, 2. The menus change and the specials are always blowing me away, 3. I’m not the only one that loves these restaurants, reviews all over the internet says fantastic things!

So I blogged last week about Perbacco and that means this week I am writing about Gnocco, again! The other night I went for dinner with my Penn State friend Alexandra and her father who also lives here in the city. Her father actually introduced me to Gnocco — so I can blame him on my addiction for the food.

What did we order? I ordered the special — a pumpkin ravioli which was both comforting, light, and full of flavor. I was surprised at how much more potent the ingredients became once the ravioli began to cool. The flavors stood out more! It came with long gorgeous parmigiano reggiano cheese shaving on top. And yes, I ate every single bite. It would be a sin not to.

But first, we ordered for the table an unbelievable burrata cheese special for an appetizer. The burrata was probably the best burrata I have ever had in my life — the cheese was so silky, fluffy, and perfectly seasoned. The plate came with fluffy, crunchy bread that was toasted with (most likely) olive oil brushed on top. And of course there was the tomato and basil seasonings as well. In all honesty, you can’t find better cheese in any other restaurant.

Alexandra ordered my favorite pizza — the Tartufata — which includes fresh mozzarella, a truffle sauce, mushrooms, and speck. Alexandra is a vegetarian so she ordered it without the speck. The first time I had this pizza I ordered it because the table next to me ordered 2 of the pizzas (for two people) and the smells of the pizza were so divine they floated over to my table and I became a huge fan instantly without even having tasted the pizza.

The evening was filled with spectacular cuisine, amazing company, and fantastic wine. The atmosphere is so cozy and you honestly can’t get any better than Gnocco (and Perbacco of course).

Happy New Year 2012

I hope everyone is off to a fantastic New Year! How did everyone spend their New Years Eve? Hopefully with a glass of champagne in one hand!? (I love this photograph from Red Haute and Bothered on Tumblr. I just had to share it with you).

Instead of going into all of the stereotypical New Year’s resolutions… I want to share with you a few of my favorite posts from 2011. I’ve discovered so many fantastic restaurants here in New York — and I hope everyone is able to try some new and interesting cuisine in this upcoming year!

For the overall tastiest dish in New York City — Al Di La Trattoria in Brooklyn, New York — fits the bill! I never go to Brooklyn, but I would happily go any time if it meant I would be eating at Al Di La.

My favorite meal while out of New York City was from — Antico Noe — a sandwich shop in Florence, Italy. I never imagined that a sandwich could be this delicious! I plan to go back to Florence one day, just so I can eat here!

The best burger award goes to — Minetta Tavern — their Black Label Burger is the reason why you need to make reservations one month in advance! And do not offer to share this burger with anyone. Trust me, you’ll want it all to yourself. (*and eat it the way the chef prepares it, do NOT add ketchup.)

For an affordable, yet trendy and sophisticated menu, the award award goes to — L’Artusi — I love that the menu changes seasonally, and the portion sizes are fantastic!

The most exotic restaurant surly is — Ventanas — this Spanish-Moroccan fusion restaurant has mastered the tastiest dishes and has an incredibly entertaining ambiance.

The fastest and tastiest restaurant award goes to — La Esquina’s Taqueria in Soho — it’s hard not to stop here for some tacos and grilled corn whenever I am shopping downtown! Plus, it’s a great place to take friends to when they visit, no one dislikes their food!

The best comfort food award goes to — The Meatball Shop — the unfortunately long wait keeps me from going back, but the food is delicious and insanely cheap! Who wouldn’t want a bowl of spicy pork meatballs?

Pizza may have been around for centuries, but Co. in Chelsea knew what to do to have people re-discovering it again. Even though it’s a bit pricey for pizza, you’ll love every bite!

The best South American food goes to the 24/7 joint in Hell’s Kitchen — Empanada Mama. The avocado salad is to-die-for but all of the empanadas are fantastic! This is obviously what they are known for, so you must order a bunch when you go (plus, they are wicked cheap!).

Celebrating The Holidays

This year, I traveled home to Hershey, Pa. to visit with my mom, dad and sister for Christmas. It was such a short trip, but then again Christmas did fall on a weekend — so the holiday didn’t feel like a special day, rather it felt like any other Sunday.

When I got home on Friday night, I hurried over to a restaurant in downtown Hershey to see my friend, Stevie, she just recently got engaged! I’ve been waiting… for years … for her to get engaged! Her future hubby and her have been dating since High School! I’ll never forget the first time I met him — he was sitting on my friend’s bedroom floor watching tv. (It’s strange, the things you remember…) I am looking forward to their wedding day and I can’t wait to hear all about the wedding planning details over the course of the next several months!

The next day, it was already Christmas Eve Day! Both me and my mom were very excited when my friend Jesse stopped by the house to visit for a few hours. What I love most about my friends is we can keep in touch but not see each other for several months — but when we finally get together we pick up literally right where we left off. Jesse is a swim coach down at William & Mary… I’m so proud of him, he’s super smart and has already received his masters from Drexel and this past summer he had an internship with the United States Olympic swim coach! Jesse makes my resume look wimpy!


Jesse is a vegetarian, not a pescatarian. I clarified that because sometimes people say “I don’t eat meat, I’m a vegetarian… but I eat fish,” but what they are really meaning to say is that they are a pescatarian — meaning they eat fish but no red meat. But Jesse is a full blown vegetarian, and since we were cooking our fish dinner when he was visiting, I put out some tasty kalamata olives for him to snack on. This past September when my family and I went to Italy, I bought my dad an adorable hand painted olive dish in Capri — the dish spirals around, creating the perfect little plate to serve your olives on.

Speaking of fish dinner… We didn’t exactly have every single type of fish, but rather we made fish that would be perfect to snack on — calamari and shrimp. My parents love to shop for their meat and fish at a small neighborhood grocery store called Pronios located in downtown Hershey. The quality of their food is unbelievable, but I also think that my dad enjoys shopping there because it reminds him of the corner grocery store his father owned. My dad used to work out in “the store” helping my grandpa while he was growing up.


My mom prepared the fish by cleaning then soaking the fish in milk. A trick I never knew until this past weekend is to soak your calamari in milk to get rid of the fishy stench. It actually works! My mom covered the fish in a seasoned breadcrumb mix before lightly frying.


While we were cooking up the fish, the doorbell rang. A gorgeous bouquet of flowers was delivered to the house. Once unwrapped and admired, we opened the card to discover that the fantastic “Holiday Bouquet” was from my boyfriend! Sadly, he wasn’t able to join me and my family for the holiday, he was back in NYC hard at work! The flowers he sent us though were magnificent, and they were also a gorgeous addition to our dinner table… then to our living room table… then to the island in the kitchen. The flowers were loved by everyone, they managed to make their way to practically every table on the first floor of the house!

My mom also had decorated the house beautifully — which she does every year. I love going home to Hershey to see the house decorated for the Christmas holiday. The tree is covered in delicate ornaments my mother has collected over the years, the garlands are strung over every banister in the house, and every where you turn there are elegant and festive decor that spreads throughout the house.

Unfortunately, my dad wasn’t feeling well on Christmas Eve, so we decided to not attend Christmas Eve service so he could rest. We also chose to open up our holiday gifts in the evening since I needed to leave Christmas Day to go home to New York.

For months now, I have been itching to give my mom her Christmas present — two tickets to the Westminster Dog Show! I was so happy to see her smile when she opened the envelope that held the tickets. The show will be here in New York City in February 2012! So, I am very excited to be taking her to the show! It’s a two-day event, but I only got her tickets for one day, but it’s an all day event and we will be going on the second day so we’ll be there when they announce the winners!

I was shocked when my parents gave me my big gift… Just take a guess at what I got… Hint: it was on my Christmas Lust List a few weeks ago…

My mom and dad gave me a KitchenAid mixer! The moment I unwrapped it I couldn’t help but think, “what’s the first thing I am going to mix in my new KitchenAid?” And I have yet to decide! The mixer is so heavy I unfortunately couldn’t carry it home with me on the train… so my parents will be sending it to me some time over the next few weeks.

When I got home to New York City, I couldn’t help but look around at my kitchen. I probably had a silly expression on my face when I realized that I have no place to put my new monster of a mixer. With the holiday money my extended family gave me this year — I have decided to finally get an entry table that also has storage underneath. That way, I can store my Breville juicer and keep my mixer on my counter. All that’s left to do is purchase the entry table and put it together. I’ll be buying the table from Ikea, which means I will be spending hours assembling since Ikea furniture seems to be so difficult to put together.

How was everyone’s holiday!? I can’t believe how quickly Christmas came and went this year! I wish that the holiday could be in February, that way we could play holiday music over the course of several winter months!

The Best Italian Wine

While traveling in Italy, my family and I would have wine with every dinner and some times lunch too. I typically enjoy red wine the most and I love medium to full body wine. When I am out to dinner here in New York City, I usually order my favorite type of red wine — Malbec. When it comes to buying wine to drink with dinner at home I feel like it’s a waste because I can never afford the wine I would love to drink and I get frustrated because dinner sometimes feels incomplete without a glass of wine.

While in Italy I tried a delicious bottle of red wine called Santa Cristina. It was only about 5 euros in a wine shop! It’s so hard for me to describe to you the way this wine tasted because I am far from a sommelier. When I arrived home and went to a wine shop, I was so excited to see that it only cost me $12 to buy a bottle of this wine! (And that’s a New York City price, so I am sure it’s cheaper outside of the city.)

Give this red wine a try and tell me what you think!

Co. Pizza in Chelsea

It’s always nice to eat at new restaurants in Chelsea… especially since that means the restaurant is probably a quick walk from my apartment. (Who wouldn’t love that?) Recently, a friend took me to a pizza restaurant and I apparently have been walking by this place every single day. I had no clue that Co. existed! A gourmet pizza joint that is always crowded no matter what day of the week it is.

The first time I went I split a salad and pizza with a friend (sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the salad). I ordered the Artichoke salad, which includes: olive oil poached artichokes, arugula, capers, shaved parmesan, and lemon oil dressing. This is probably the most delicious salad I have ever eaten. The combination of the ingredients was superb! I was surprised at the saltiness of the dish, but that was what made it so tasty. The combination of the capers and artichokes was brilliant — I have never had the two together. I also loved the thin shavings of parmesan cheese — it added a rich sophisticated flavor to the saltiness and the lemony flavorings.

Last week I went with my friend Stef to Co. She’s a foodie as well, so when I told her about how amazing the pizza is at this restaurant, she was excited to join me! We both ordered different pizzas. I ordered the Popeye, which includes: pecorino, gruyere, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper, and garlic. When my pizza first arrived it looked a bit intimidating. The spinach was cooked yet the leaves were still fluffy on top of the rest of the pizza. It looked like a big pile of spinach. But once I cut into my personal-sized pizza I could see all of the other ingredients… especially the cheese! It’s best to eat these pizzas with a fork and knife. This is the first time I have ever had gruyere cheese on my pizza, and I have to say, it’s a winner! It’s so easy to make pizzas like this at home, but first you need the inspiration. I’m looking forward to baking my own pies at home that are made up of the same ingredients! Yum!

For dessert, we ordered the vanilla and chocolate gelato. Since I just came back from Italy, I have to say that I am a very tough judge on gelato now. The vanilla wasn’t that tasty to me, but Stef actually preferred it, and I enjoyed the chocolate the most, although it didn’t really have the consistency of gelato. The chocolate “gelato” tasted more like a fudgesicle. (If you have never eaten a fudgescicle, please do so… you really missed out on the best childhood chocolate popsicle.)

If you’re looking for a fun, upbeat pizzeria that has more to offer than the average-joe pie — then you should definitely be eating at Co. If you arrive before 8 p.m. you won’t have a problem getting a table. If you arrive and the restaurant is packed then you may have to eat at a “communal” table, which means you’ll sit at a long table that you will share with other parties but you’ll still be sitting with those you came with.


(click on the photos to see the Popeye pizza close up!)

International Nutty Buddy Ice Cream

Even in Capri, Italy you can find a Nutty Buddy ice cream cone cone. After my family and I had dinner at a tasty pizzeria we were going to try to find a pastry shop with cannolis but that never ended up happening. I had my mind set on something sweet for dessert so I stopped into a local grocery store to grab an ice cream. Note: this was not a gelateria so there were only a few options. I jumped when I saw the Nutty Buddy, I couldn’t help myself. By the way, is that what they are called? I know that some brands called them “Drumsticks” but “Nutty Buddy” is what I grew up calling them. The simple yet classic childhood ice cream cone really hit the spot. The best part? Of course it’s the tip of the ice cream cone that is filled with chocolate!

Lunch in Venice, Italy

Venice was our last destination we visited in Italy. By the time we got there I think we were all pretty exhausted! We arrived in the late afternoon, had dinner in Venice, we then had a full day to explore the city, then the following day we flew home to the U.S.

While in Venice our meals were pretty simple just because we were getting so tired and because we really had no idea where to eat. So of course we ate the typical go-to foods: caprese salads, pizzas, and paninis.

During our full day the weather started out very chilly. I was actually wearing long pants, a sweater, and a scarf! Luckily the weather warmed up later in the day and we were able to sit comfortably in a small piazza to have lunch. We were so hungry we ordered right away and stuffed our faces! Here’s our late afternoon lunch in Venice: salami and cheese panini, cheese pizza, and a caprese salad…

Paninis in Venice

I told you, paninis are every where!

I actually grabbed this panini right after we watched a demonstration on how glass is blown out. I was starving because I ate a very light breakfast and I figured grabbing a panini would be quick, tasty, and filling. The signs in the cafe were in Italian and I had no clue what type of panini I was picking out. I went with the one that had color, cheese, and looked the best. (Can you tell I didn’t exactly have a strategy.)

It ended up being a cheese and olive panini … delish! The cheese was nice and hot and stringy and the olives were clearly freshly chopped. The crispy bread added the perfect texture to each and every bite!

I really wish I could order one of these in NYC… specifically at lunch time when I’m in a hurry!