I thought I was being clever by making a pilgrimage to the Slow Food offices in Bra to pick up a copy of the English language version of Osterie & Locande d’Italia. I paid an arm and a leg. In Euros.
Now you don’t have to. The latest version is sold on Amazon at a steep discount: Osterie & Locande d’Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy
Still, it was great to have it as a reference. On our trip to the Emilia Romagna we used it to find the Agriturismo La Fenice.
Not only was it a top-notch place to stay out in the country, but the food was fabulous. You see, Slow Food underlined this property because La Fenice raises a native pig you just don’t see any more, the Mora Romagnola.
And yes, cover your ears you vegetarians; they serve chops. Beautiful, succulent chops that will lead you to think highly of the breed, if not worship the ground it slops in. Perhaps the picture doesn’t do it justice, but the chop is monumental in size. I couldn’t finish it. I don’t often say that, but there you go.
In any case, if you love locally produced food of the highest quality and you like to sleep in historic places with the best hosts, you’ll want to have Osterie & Locande d’Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy along with you on your next European vacation, trust me on this.
And the companion book, Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, has been revised as well. That’s a good one too. Some say it’s too much to carry, but heck, if travel wasn’t work, they wouldn’t call it that, would they?