As we left our hotel to find dinner, my friends and I couldn’t help but notice that Bologna gave us a weird vibe. It was just about 7:30 at night, and nearly everything was closed. It looked like the purge was about to commence, and everything had gone on lockdown to prepare. We remembered that Italians eat dinner a lot later than we do in America, so we figured we would give it some time before we deemed this place to be a wasteland. We wandered around the city until about 8:30, when we started to wonder if restaurants aren’t open on Sunday’s, or if there was an Italian holiday we didn’t know about, etc. Luckily, we stumbled upon a very nice restaurant not far from where we’re staying. It was reasonably priced, and they had my favorite food (risotto). When we sat down, we were brought drinks and chips like we were in the other cities. However, we weren’t brought menus until we asked for them at nearly 9:00. We were eventually brought food and had a really nice evening enjoying each other’s company. We’re still not really sure why everything was closed so late or why the people working at the restaurant were perplexed when we wanted to eat dinner at 8:30 in the evening, but it wasn’t a big deal since we had good company. Tonight, we plan on taking a different approach amen starting our search for a restaurant at 9:00. We also plan on exploring the opposite side of town.

Growing up in a Northern Italian home, pasta and risotto were staples of my diet. It wasn’t uncommon to have either of these dishes four or five times a week, so to say I’m familiar with them is an understatement. One of my goals while on this trip was to find the best pasta and risotto I’ve ever had. Throughout the first three cities in Italy, I found many good types of pasta. From pesto to bolognese, I felt satisfied that I found the pasta I dreamed of eating here. However, I could not say the same about risotto. In Rome, I didn’t find any places that served risotto. As we learned in our initial introduction readings, risotto is home to northern Italy, and since Rome is central,I didn’t give up hope. My expectations were higher for Florence since we were getting closer to the Swiss border. I found risotto al funghi at one of the places we ate at in Florence. The risotto I eat at home usually has mushrooms in it, so I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. The sauce it was in was good, but the aborio was far from fully cooked. To get aborio to be fully cooked takes hours, and if it’s not done right it’ll be hard and unflavorful. My search for the perfect risotto finally came to an end in Poppi. In a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Tuscan countryside, I found exactly what I was looking for. Risotto with asparagus and shrimp, a combination I have never tried, blew my mind. The rice was cooked to perfection, the asparagus and shrimp were in just the right amounts, and it wasn’t too salty. Although I’ll never admit that it’s better than my home recipe, I can continue this trip with the weight of finding a good risotto off my shoulders. Aside from the amazing food, this town is wonderful. It’s small and quiet, unlike everywhere else we’ve been. The people are very nice and welcoming to toursits. For example, our waitress at dinner asked where we were traveling from, which didn’t happen in any big cities. I’ll be sad to leave tomorrow.

Nestled in the corner of Piazza Del Duomo sits the eighth wonder of the world, Scudieri. Scudieri is an adorable coffee and pastry shop conveniently located right down the street from our apartment. The decor in Scudieri is to die for. Two massive crystal chandeliers hang from either side of the bar, the furniture looks like it could come to life and sing “Be Our Guest”, and wide open windows provide a direct view of the Duomo. The pastry bar extends through the majority of the building, with an array of treats fit for a king (or a Medici). The first time I went to Scuderi I got a “Macedonia”, a tower of fresh fruit dressed with raw sugar and lemon juice. The second and third times I went I ordered a “fazzoletto alla crema”, a croissant filled with a thick cream and topped with powdered sugar. I’ve had the pleasure of ordering a caffe latte on three occasions, each time better than the last. Because of the significant price difference, each time I’ve stood at the bar to eat. I was first introduced to this concept in Rome, as it seems that Italians take coffee so seriously sitting down to enjoy it is just not an option. One thing I found interesting about Scudieri is their selection of alcohol. Like any self respecting Italian establishment, they have a wide variety of drinks. Mixed among the display of high end gins, vodkas, and wines from all over the world, sit two little tastes of home. Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey and Evan Williams Kentucky Burboun. I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact two whiskeys made in southern small-town America were sitting on that dark wooden shelf, next to a huge chandelier, 500 feet from the Duomo in Firenze.