Bologna - Beautiful Porticos, Great Food, and a Friendly Vibe
The Tandem Spirits recently spent a long weekend in Bologna with their friends Rick and Leah.
We took the train from Foligno to Roma Tiburtina, which is the station just ahead of Roma Termini. We had never stopped in that station before, so between trains, we walked around a bit. Our next train was Roma Tiburtina to Bologna Centrale. We arrived in Bologna around lunchtime and walked to our hotel.
Arriving in Bologna
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Elite, which was not a bad place for a few nights. The people at the front desk were friendly and helpful. The room was clean and the shower was good. Breakfast was included and there was a good variety of foods. The hotel could definitely use a remodel.
We met up with Rick and Leah and went into town to grab a late lunch. After some wandering, we ended up at Osteria Tigelleria. After lunch we walked to Piazza Nettuno.
Piazza del Nettuno
A Classic Dinner in Bologna
For dinner we found a place that was close to our hotels, Trattoria Nonna Rosa. James had tortellini in broth, Virginia had ricotta and spinach Ravioli with butter and sage, Rick and Leah both had tagliatelle al ragù, all very traditional dishes from this area. For dessert the Tandem Spirts split a mascarpone with biscotti, Rick and Leah split a slice of chocolate torte. .
Sunday morning we slept in and had breakfast at the hotel. After meeting up with Rick and Leah, we walked into town. After a long walk admiring the town and the porticoes, we found a place for lunch, Bounty Pub. They serve both traditional Bolognese food and Mexican food. Since Mexican food is non-existent in our area, the Tandem Spirits ordered a plate of nachos, a burrito and shrimp tacos. Leah had a pizza and Rick had a Piadina with sausage, onions and peppers.
We walked off the lunch on the way back to our hotels. After that lunch, we didn’t really need dinner, but we met Rick and Leah for Negronis and fries at Pub Number Ten, just a block from our hotel.
ITALIAN DAYS FOOD TOUR - A TRULY SPECTACULAR EXPERIENCE
Making Parmigiano Reggiano
Check out this slideshow and video!
Basalmic Vinegar - The "Real Thing"!
The next stop was to Acetaia Cavedoni,, a balsamic vinegar producer whose family has been producing balsamic vinegar since 1860. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast accompanied by a nice glass (or two) of Lambrusco. After breakfast we were given a tour of the facility and the process of making basaltic vinegar was explained. It Is produced in a series of casks, called a batteria. A new batteria is often started with the birth of a child and given that child’s name. It takes 12 years to produce the first batch of basaltic vinegar, and when they marry, they take them to their new homes. It is normally made with Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapes, but Ancellotta, Sauvignon, Sgavetta, Berzemino and Occhio di Gatta grapes can also be used. The wooden casks can be whatever type the producer wants to use, and they can make all the casks in a battery of one type of wood, or they can be different.
The Prosciutto Factory
The last production spot was to Prosciuttificio Montevecchio. Where we learning about the process of preparing the meat with salt from Sicily and the curing processes which included both cold “winter” rooms and more temperate “spring” rooms.
Lunch at the Italian Days Food Experience and Art Lab
At the end of the tour, we had lunch and wine tasting at the Italian Days Food Experience and Art Lab, right next to the Prociuttifiicio. We had a variety of foods, including, of course, prosciutto, other appetizers, and several types of pasta. It was a fun party.
It was wonderful to spend time with Rick and Leah. We’re so happy that they were able to dive a litter deeper into life here in Italy!
