Tag Archives: wine

Pepolino in TriBeCa

Who doesn’t love to venture to a well-known highly rated Zagat Italian restaurant? I hadn’t had a chance to stalk the menu before heading down to TriBeCa — so I had no clue what type of restaurant we were heading to. All I knew was it was Italian… Perfect!

When I walked into the restaurant we were greeted with a friendly “Buonasera” — many of those working at the restaurant seemed Italian. Their accents were perfection and if I closed my eyes, ate the food and listened to the wait staff talk in their native tongue, I would have felt like I was back in Florence.

A preview of what we ate for dinner at Pepolino

A preview of what we ate for dinner at Pepolino

While the ambiance was casual and comfortable — the space tucks in as many tables as they can on multiple floors. But who cares how cramped you are, as long as you have good food, company and conversation!

I am only going to share with you my favorite plates of the night. Off of the antipasta section of the menu I was encouraged to try the Cozze Al Burro which is steamed mussels out of the shell in butter, garlic and parsley with toasted bread. I was hesitant about this dish because it has been a while since I have enjoyed mussels. But, I always will try things again — and I sure am happy I did because this was probably my favorite dish! One scoop of the creamy mussels, butter, garlic and parsley combo placed on top of the crispy toast was to-die-for. I could help but think of my father and his favorite flavors and I know this is something he would enjoy very much! Being full of garlic, it’s hard not to love!

garlic mussels and parsley dip

Another favorite starter was actually off of the specials menu. An Italian-style crepe stuffed with cheese and mushrooms was a great plate to hit the savory spot I was craving so much. The crepe itself you can hardly see — it was truly covered in a hefty portion of stringy mozzarella cheese. Baked to perfection, this plate should be on their permanent menu!

mushroom and cheese crepe

For our pasta dishes, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a different type of gnocchi. My experience with the potato dumplings, if that’s what you want to call them, have always been delicious but they are also very heavy in your stomach. Pepolino makes their gnocchi from spinach and ricotta rather than potato. Because of this change in ingredients, the Malfatti Burro e Salvia dish, was both fluffy and light. The spinach and ricotta gnocchi was covered in a butter and sage sauce — two beautiful ingredients I don’t think I could ever get sick of! What the plate needed though was a solid amount of parmigiano reggiano cheese grated on top … which was exactly what I asked for after taking my first bite! Perfection!

gnocchi made from spinach and ricotta

Okay, now I am going to share with you the biggest curve ball I have ever experienced in a restaurant! The final dish I ordered is called “Spaghetti Chitarra.” The description for this plate reads as:

Homemade square spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil

Okay. So, what would you think that dish is going to look like? Without even discussing it until the plate arrived, I thought it was legit SQUARE pasta, kind of like lasagna noodles except in the shape of a square. I was also expecting a red sauce since we saw the words “tomato” and “basil” in the description.

After further researching, why the heck didn’t I get “square” pasta  I learned a few things:

  1. I am an idiot because it flat out says “spaghetti” in the description so we are going to get some sort of spaghetti noodles
  2. Chitarra is the Italian word for guitar — duhhh, that’s why my spaghetti noodles looked like guitar strings!
  3. And after searching around I couldn’t figure out why we didn’t have a red sauce like we thought we would have. I can’t find any specific sauce that is automatically assumed to be paired with Chitarra spaghetti.

This plate just caused major confusion… but in the end I enjoyed it! The edges of the Chitarra allowed the noodles to hold on to the cheese and butter in the dish — now, that’s my kind of pasta!

Overall I enjoyed Pepolino: the service was great, the restaurant was fun & comfortable and the wine list was perfecto! In all honesty though, Perbacco is still number one in my book!

Wine Decanting

At one point, I can remember there being one type of wine decanter — it was in the form of a gorgeous glass “bowl”. All you had to do is pour your wine in and let it breathe. Now,  everything seems to be about instant gratification and fast food (for most people) — no one has time to stare at their wine until they can finally pour themselves a glass and unwind from an impossible day. So, it seems to me that many people are turning to modern wine aerators to help them speed up the process. I will admit, at times, I am one of those people.

food network wine aerator

My most recent experience with an aerator is with a Food Network branded product, but you can find the same exact item at stores like Williams Sonoma. What I loved most about it was you could pour an entire glass of wine into the aerator that is resting on the top of your glass , rather than slowly pouring it into a smaller aerator that you have to hold in one hand. It was also easy to clean and comes with a stand so you won’t have to worry about dripping wine every where. Does it work just as well as the classic wine decanter? I think it gets the job done, quickly. But there is something about letting wine breathe the natural way.

So, my question to you… How is everyone prepping their bottle of wine before taking the plunge into their first glass? More importantly, what’s your go-to bottle of wine?

different types of wine

I came across this pin/infographic on Pinterest and I couldn’t help but post it to my favorite board titled Lists To Love. The chart shows you all of the different types of wine. At first, I thought it was pretty neat — and after trying to find “Malbec” on the list, I felt like I was looking at something I once tried to decipher in High School chemistry class. There are so many types of wine I just couldn’t keep track.

wine and cheese chart

So, I looked for something else, something a bit less… overwhelming. I came across this neat pin/infographic that charts out the best types of cheese to eat with specific types of wine. I feel like this was made for me!

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Wine:30 in Murray Hill

I love wine, especially full-bodied red wine. To be more specific I have a soft spot for Malbec, it’s my favorite type of wine… although I have truly enjoyed a variety of wine from Tuscany too. This summer, I want to venture to more wine bars, and if possible experience wine tastings every once in a while. So, if anyone has any ideas of where to start, I would love suggestions!

I recently went to a wine bar in Murray Hill — I know, I never spend any time in Murray Hill (unless it’s at my boyfriend’s apartment, or seeing a movie at the AMC). So when I was invited to Wine:30 I thought it would be a hit to find something great in a neighborhood I am not a big fan of. When I first walked in I only saw a couple tables out front, and of course they were occupied — I immediately assumed that I would be sitting inside. I was pleasantly surprised when I was lead out to a back garden that seated dozens! It was the perfect weather to enjoy a glass of wine outside!

Of course I ordered my favorite Malbec, but there was such a wide selection of wine I’m sure every wine lover would be satisfied. A new foodie friend of mine joined me and we ended up ordering some Bruschetta. I highly recommend everyone who is looking for some vibrant flavors to order some bruschetta. Plus, if it’s just you and a friend, Wine:30′s order of bruschetta is perfect because each selection comes in two pieces. So, you can order 3 types and 6 pieces will arrive at the table (perfect, a sample of each for both people).

We ordered 3 types: tomato, mozzarella, basil, balsamic, honey, and extra virgin olive oil as well as  caramelized onion, goat cheese, and melted gruyere and finally the last one we ordered was roasted corn, black beans, chihuahua cheese, cilantro and lime juice.

All three of them were fantastic, but if I had known about some of the flavors I would have ordered other options because of my food mood (if you know what I mean). I love gruyere cheese and hearing the goat cheese gruyere combo with caramelized onions sounded delish — but when it came and I quickly bit into it, I realized that it reminded me of a gourmet grilled cheese. It was ridiculously delicious although I wasn’t in the grilled cheese mood.

I was insanely surprised with the order of the roasted corn, black beans, chihuahua cheese, cilantro and lime juice. I don’t know what I was expecting but I wasn’t expecting for it to be my favorite. It was a cold mixture of toppings which went perfect with the refreshing flavors of the cilantro and lime juice. If this specific bruschetta was heated it wouldn’t have been as tasty. But how interesting are these toppings? Can you say, “Mexican-style Italian bruschetta”??

Last but not least was the tomato, mozzarella, basil, balsamic, honey and extra virgin olive oil. This is such a classic way to make bruschetta and the ingredients always come together beautifully. Typically when I make this combo at home I don’t dice up the ingredients, rather I slice everything up and pile them on top of one another — I like this way much more because then the pieces of cheese and tomato aren’t constantly falling off.

This was just a quick brief overview of what is on the menu — I was so surprised with how large the wine bar’s food selection is and I need to go back soon to sample more. I promise you I will, because I think this wine bar has amazing summer-time-hot-spot potential!

Asellina at The Gansevoort Park

My boyfriend and I have walked by Asellina numerous times over the past few months — at first we didn’t see much of a crowd but all of a sudden we would walk by at 9 p.m. and the place would be packed. I quickly put the pieces together — Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian were filming their current season of ‘Kourtney and Kim Take New York’ at the Gansevoort Park hotel (the hotel right above Asellina). So, my guess is their fans were piling in in hopes of getting a look of their favorite celebrity sisters. It’s a good thing people were congregating at Asellina because the food is pretty good. Whether or not you see the Kardashians, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your experience at this restaurant.

The first thing I have to tell you about this restaurant is that the service is impeccable. Our waitress was very attentive, energetic and exceptionally kind. My boyfriend and I are those types of people that always asks the waiter/waitress what they recommend, what are their favorite dishes on the menu, and what plates people typically enjoy the most.

With the help of our waitress, we started off with a couple of appetizers: The Ahi Tuna Tartare that comes with robiola cheese, black truffle and spring onions, and we also ordered the Veal Meatballs.

Asellina food at the Gansevoort Park

Veal Meatballs appetizer

The Ahi Tuna Tartare was tasty but it wasn’t anything extraordinary. I love tuna and I love to be wowed whenever I eat a new tuna tartare dish — this didn’t wow me. But the quality of the tuna was extremely fresh and the cheese added a fantastic flavor and texture to the fish.

I really enjoyed the Veal Meatballs (although I always feel guilty whenever I eat veal, can you blame me?) — they were nice and moist (exactly the way meatballs should be) and the cheese melted on top was very stringy and provided subtle but enjoyable flavoring. The red sauce it was marinated in was also very good — it was similar to a classic grandma’s red sauce, and you can never go wrong with that!

pasta dishes

Fillet filled ravioli & truffle, and a pappardelle dish

For our main plates we ordered one of the specials — ravioli stuffed with fillet in a light butter sauce topped with shavings of black truffle, and our other plate was the Pappardelle which was made with homemade sausage and porcini mushrooms. The ravioli was delicious! You can never go wrong mixing butter and truffle together. Over all the dish was very enjoyable although I do wonder what it would have tasted like if the chef added a bit of extra seasoning on the inside of the ravioli. The pappardelle on the other hand was disgusting. My boyfriend has said in the past that he doesn’t like something that he’s eating, but he’ll keep eating it because he’s hungry. This time, both me and my boyfriend put our forks down and decided we needed to send the plate back. The flavors did not go well together at all and if I was forced to take another bite, it would have been torture.

grandma red sauce

Spaghetti in a red sauce

Our waitress was so understanding and suggested that we get a spaghetti in a red sauce to replace the pappardelle. That’s exactly what we did and we loved our replacement. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the red sauce was out of this world.

Even though we had one bad order, we are excited to go back to try the pizzas and flatbread — both looked delicious and we couldn’t help but eye them down when they were ordered from near by tables.

Mushroom & Spinach Quesadillas

I love quesadillas — typically once a week or so I will chop up some veggies, cook them in a pan, add some seasonings and make them into a quick homemade quesadilla. Of course I add cheese and sometimes chicken to the mix. Quesadillas are a fast and easy way to make something full of flavor and the best part is you can also use up the rest of your veggies before things go bad.

Instead of using quesadilla cooking as a way to get rid of veggies, I cooked up more of a gourmet version of the dish for me and my friend Kelly this weekend. Inspired by Ree Drummond, also known as The Pioneer Woman, I used her recipe as a base and altered the amount of ingredients to cater to me. For one thing, I like to use very little butter in my cooking — don’t get me wrong, butter is incredible and it tastes great, but I prefer to make some healthier choices when it comes to cooking. Although when I made Ree’s Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas I used less butter than what her recipe called for when cooking the mushrooms and instead of using butter when cooking the spinach, I swapped the ingredient with olive oil.

So here’s how I made this delectable plate:

Ingredients: butter, white mushrooms sliced, wine (for cooking), salt, pepper, baby spinach, flour tortillas, fontina cheese, and goat cheese.

ree drummond quesadilla recipe

I started by cooking my sliced white mushrooms — I put in a skillet 1.5-2 tablespoons of butter and once the butter melted I added my mushrooms (I sliced about 7 large white mushrooms — they weren’t exceptionally large, but I grabbed the bigger option at the grocery store). I cooked these mushrooms for about 3 minutes and then added 1.5 tablespoons of red wine. Note: Ree’s recipe calls for sherry but I didn’t have this ingredient in my kitchen. So instead of going to the store and spending more money, I substituted the sherry for wine and it turned out fabulous! After I added the wine I seasoned the mushrooms with a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper, I let the mushrooms cook for another 6-7 minutes and then I removed the mushrooms from the skillet once the wine completely evaporated. I placed the mushrooms on a plate and then used the same skillet to cook my spinach in. This time, instead of adding butter I used a couple tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of red wine to cook the spinach in — I only let the spinach cook for a couple of minutes and then removed the spinach from the skillet and placed it on another plate. At this point I have two ingredients (mushrooms and spinach) and they are both cooling on a plate. Then, I used my stove top griddle to finish off the quesadillas. I used a small amount of butter to butter the surface of the grill side of the griddle (this helped give those gorgeous looking grill marks on the flour tortillas). Then I placed a flour tortilla on the grill, followed by a very light layer of freshly grated fontina cheese, then I put a small amount of spinach over top of the cheese, then the mushrooms. I let this cook for a few minutes on medium heat (until the tortillas had those perfect grill marks on them and the cheese melted). At the same time I put another tortilla on the griddle and put some goat cheese crumbled on top. Goat cheese is so potent, I prefer to use small amounts of this type of cheese so those eating the dish aren’t too overwhelmed by the flavor. Once both tortillas had the grill marks on them, I placed the goat cheese tortilla on top of the other half, removed them from the griddle, sliced and then served.

spinach and mushroom quesadilla by ree drummond

The tortillas came out perfectly crispy and I was so proud of the end result. Using wine rather than sherry was the perfect call, and the mushrooms and spinach combined together was perfection. I am also excited to say that I know a very tasty dish to cook up for vegetarian friends! (Sorry to all the vegans out there, I just don’t know how to cook anything without a little bit of cheese!)

There were a few pieces left over, so I wrapped them up in Saran Wrap and ate them the next day. The left overs held up beautifully and the tortillas were still crispy even after I reheated them!

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).

The Filling Station in The Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market WaterfallMy very good friend from PSU came to visit me the day before Thanksgiving and I was so happy to be able to spend some time with her. She’s a smart cookie — she’s getting her Doctorate at Penn State… She’s been a Penn Stater since the beginning — it’s where she did her undergrad (with me) as well as her graduate degree. So it’s nice when she is able to take some time to hang out with friends and enjoy some time to herself. She loves going to the Chelsea Market when she comes into the city (and of course, I love it too)… So naturally we headed right to Chelsea Market when she arrived. We both got some holiday goodies and we even ate dinner at the Green Table — a restaurant in the market.

A new discovery made in the Chelsea Market was a stand/shop called The Filling Station. This stand has different types of salts (just like my favorite store called The Meadow in the West Village) as well as many different types of olive oil. There are tons of olive oils that are flavored, so my friend Leah and I took a sample of a few and discovered this one flavor called Tuscan Herb. We both loved this so much because you would never need to season your olive oil or buy fancy bread ever again because this oil is seasoned with some of the best herbs… rosemary, oregano, basil, and of course some garlic are what make the oil so flavorful. I actually bought a bottle of this for my dad for Christmas. There isn’t anything better than having a nice glass of wine with a tasty snack. I can see him dipping some classic Italian style bread into this Tuscan Herb olive oil!

Stay tuned for more on our food adventures in the Chelsea Market before we left for Thanksgiving! (More to come this week!)

Foodie Holiday Gifts: Part I


Whether or not you are giving a gift to a foodie this year, everyone has to eat. Right? So even simple cooking instruments would be a casual yet thoughtful gift to a ditz in the kitchen.

All year round I see fun cooking supplies that I would love to purchase for my own kitchen, but as I have said before I have very limited space in my kitchen (both counter space and cabinet space, I can barely fit my plates and bowls into the cupboards).

Last year my boyfriend got me an incredible Breville juicer — it was such a thoughtful gift and I use it every week to make freshly squeezed juice. But the amount of space it takes up in my kitchen is obnoxious. It sure is a good thing that I use it so often!

I thought I would share with you some fabulous gift ideas for the holidays — all food-related of course. I’ll continue to post gift ideas all the way up until Christmas. Feel free to comment on the gifts you’ve given in the past to friends and family — and more importantly, tell about your favorite (or terrible) gifts that have been given to you in the past!

Christmas Gifts For Foodies — Put Your Food on This!

The average cheese board is out. Forget buying a slab of marble, customize your cheese board with some state-spirit. I saw this Pennsylvania-shaped cheese board and fell in love with it. Looking at this cheese board reminded me of all of my college memories at Penn State. Then when I looked at the New York Shaped one, I couldn’t help but think of the future. What’s the best part? You can find a cheeseboard for every state! So when you attend a holiday party this year and you’re asked to bring along a cheese plate, put your cheese assortment on this gorgeous A.Heirloom cutting board! (1 board, any state for $40.00)

I don’t have much space in my kitchen, so items that don’t take up my room are perfect. I hate when I am preparing veggies and fish for dinner and I need to sanitize my cutting board right in the middle of preparation. It also grosses me out to think of all of the germs left on the cutting board from the fish. With these color coded cutting boards, you’ll know exactly what you should be cutting and where. I love the little fish design on the blue board that tells you this is where you can slice up your fish. Best part is these boards are dishwasher safe and you can find them at any Bed Bath & Beyond store! (1 set for $59.99)

This next gift might not be necessary, but it certainly is fun… Whenever I am at a cocktail party I love having a glass of wine handy to compliment the appetizers I am eating. But I also love having at least one hand free when talking so I can shake someone’s hand when introducing myself. I’m also guilty of using my hands to talk in general. Having a small appetizer plate to sit on top of my wine glass when I am not drinking is a perfect tool to have. I also love that these bamboo plates can be monogrammed! (10 for $12.95)

My obsession for Himalayan Salt rocks has lasted over more than a year now. Not only are they a gorgeous addition to your kitchen, but they are insanely handy! If you have a grill or a gas stove you are in luck! All you have to do is heat up this block and then cook whatever it is you are wanting to cook over top. What’s the best to cook on a salt block? Fish, steak, chicken, vegetables, eggs and much much more! Because of the natural seasonings in the salt block, you won’t have to worry about adding any additional ingredients to your food. Depending on the size of the block and what you cook on it, you can use a salt block at least over a dozen times (some times even a few dozen times) before you throw it out. I buy all of my salt seasonings and Himalayan Salt block from a store called The Meadow in New York City. But for those who are looking to order one online you can go to Sur La Table. (1 Salt Block for $29.95)

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!

A Seafood Dinner in Venice

Our Italy trip ended in Venice, so sad that everything had to come to an end. Instead of staying in the heart of Venice, we stayed on an island of Venice called Isola Di San Clemente. It was such a treat to stay at such a luxurious hotel and on a private island! The hotel felt more like an Italian palace but the charm of Italian tradition could be see throughout the property — like in a courtyard with a Virgin Mary statue and an old individual stone “hut-like” place to pray in.

We arrived in the late afternoon and we had a few hours before dinner. I showered and expected my luggage to be delivered to the room quickly (like it had been done in all of the other cities and towns we stayed in) but I soon realized that the stereotypical European tardiness was about to shine through. Not a single person in the group received their luggage before dinner. If I had known, I would have gladly brought my bags up to my room myself. So sadly we had to put our casual travel clothes back on (gross) for our lovely dinner at an upscale Venetian restaurant. How embarrassing.

It was a rainy night so we had to stay inside on our short boat ride over to the main land of Venice. We also had to buy umbrellas upon arrival. We quickly walked through Piazza San Mark (St. Mark’s Square) and through small, narrow alley ways in the back of Venice before we arrived at our restaurant.

The vibe was very similar to New York City’s Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village. The lights were dimmed, the crowd was sophisticated (except us in our travel clothes), and the deep booths were inviting to all who came into the restaurant.

Of course we ordered our starter, entree, and dessert.

For my starter I ordered something that honestly surprised me. The way it was described on the menu wasn’t what I had expected to eat, but I was pleasantly surprised with the flavors. My dish was beef sliced extremely thin and placed over a warm arugula and shaved parmesan reggiano cheese. It was such a brilliant combination of ingredients. If the beef was sliced any other way the dish would have been a disaster. And the warming of the arugula leaves added a surprising feeling to the tongue. I am such a fan of parmesan reggiano, it’s truly the best cheese on earth. If you are to splurge on anything in the grocery store, it should be this. I can live without truffles, I can live without red meat, but I seriously could never live without this type of cheese. Very little parmesan reggiano goes a very long way.

Next I had a pasta and seafood plate. I slurped up my pasta so quick. It’s surprising how much lighter pasta is on your stomach in Italy compared to the way it is here in the United States. I don’t know what it is, but I never felt guilty when I ate a plate full of carbs. And no I never once said “it doesn’t count when you’re on vacation.” I hate that saying.

For dessert I had a rum cake and I swear I got drunk off of it. One bite was like taking a shot of rum. The fluffy cake was dense and tasted like it was soaked in alcohol. If I could order all over again I probably wouldn’t have ordered the rum cake. I even passed my plate of cake around so everyone could take a taste for themselves — even the people at the table that were indulging in loads of wine even commented on how much alcohol was in such a small piece of cake!

Over all I really enjoyed this meal. I didn’t enjoy the rainy trek through Venice to get to the restaurant, but the company was fabulous and the food was memorable.