Trip Report - Florence, Tuscany and Rome

Lucignano - Tuscany
Watercolor by Richard Treadway

We just concluded a fantastic trip to Italy that started in Florence, traveled through Tuscany and Umbria and concluded in Rome. I wanted to share our experiences and recommendations for those that maybe considering such an expedition.

In many ways we lucked out with on-time flights and perfect weather. The journey from San Jose to Florence and the return from Rome back home were each a long 24 hours but uneventful and on-time. The trip went so smoothly due to Pat's great planning and research. A big thanks to her for the countless hours she spent researching places to stay and see. We also got advice from AAA and help making some bookings which made the planning a bit less stressful. You can see all our pictures here

We started in Florence and we were very pleased with our stay at the Hotel Grand Minerva. The staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly. The hotel is on the Piazza Santa Maria Novella away from noisy busy traffic but a short walk to the historical down town. It features a rooftop pool and bar with 360 panorama of the city. We highly recommend it.

Over the course of 3 days we took in most of the main attractions including the Duomo and the Ufizzi. We were quite disappointed with the Ufizzi as the paintings were very poorly presented with insufficient lighting.

As far as restaurants we had 3 important rules that had to be followed. 1) Most of the clientele are speaking Italian, 2) The menu did not have pictures of the dishes and was also in Italian and 3) It had to be at least 2/3 occupied. Following these rules we had great dining experiences. When we broke the rules, not so much.

Our best meal in Florence was in a small restaurant behind the Piazza della Signoria, called Ristorante Birreria Centrale. We had the Tagliatelle and the Lasagna and both we excellent. I recommend the indoors for a very warm ambiance.

Our worst meal in Florence has a funny story attached. We were in a leather store and met 3 college co-eds on an exchange program. They were friends of the shop owner and were concluding their 4 month stay later that week. They seemed savvy so I asked what was the best restaurant they had experienced. After some discussion they all agreed on Il Profeta. We took their advice that evening. Our conclusion - We got we we asked for, that is: "The favorite restaurant of co-eds home sick for the US." Our first clue was that the clientele were all speaking English (American). The cooking was distinctly American style Italian presented with a flair and intriguing stories of traditional Florence making it even more appealing to Expats.

From Florence it was off to spend a week in a Tuscan Villa near Lucignano. The rental company named the property Villina Cottage but once there we discovered the real name is Poggia-Grilla. The villa overlooked the valley and Lucignano and every evening we would eat alfresco under a trellis of jasmine and wisteria. Three of the nights we arranged for Christina, the caretaker, to cook for us and those meals were the best 3 of all the meals we had on the trip.

The Villa is in a olive orchard and is a 300+ year old farm house. The accommodations would not please everyone especially those accustomed to the new and modern. The approach to the villa is an old dirt road barely passable by car but the trek is worth the view. We found a nice vineyard, Agricola Fabbriche, at the bottom of the hill and their blended wine, Camargi Palma was really enjoyable. I should have had a case shipped home.

From the villa we took several day trips to Assisi, Castiglione Del Largo and Montepulciano. We had a memorable lunch at the Cantina overlooking the lake at Castiglione Del Largo. Pat had a papparadelle bolognese and I had a tagliatelle in artichokes and duck ragu.

Driving in Italy is like bumper cars at 100KPH. It seems there is only one rule - don't have an accident. After that anything goes. If you're going too slow expect to be tailgated relentlessly. It's a bit intimidating but you get used to it.

From Tuscany it was off to Rome. We used a Garmin Nuvi 750 and that was invaluable, even if the American accent of the Italian names drove us crazy. It was especially useful in getting into Rome to drop the car off.

In Rome we stayed at the Hotel Mascagni, which is modern and quiet with very well appointed rooms. I would highly recommend it.

We visited all the usual sites but two experiences are worth calling out. The Borghese Gallery was stunning. All the art is exceptionally well presented and Bernini's statues are breathtaking. The gallery limits the time and number of visitors so the crowds aren't overwhelming and you have plenty to time to enjoy the masterpieces. I was particularly struck by Bernini's Apollo and Daphne. The audio tour is very well done and well worth taking.

We arranged a private tour of the Vatican and while it was expense it was definitely worth it. Our guide Flavio was very informed and passionate. Even with all the crowds he expertly guided us to the must see areas of the museum, chapel and basilica.

We finished our trip with our final meal breaking 2 of our rules for restaurant selection by eating alfresco in the Piazza Della Rotonda. It was by far the worst food we had but the entertainment in the Piazza with the Pantheon in the back drop was a real highlight.

All in all it was a wonderful trip.

Valentines Dinner

We enjoyed a wonderful Valentines dinner at Arcadia in downtown San Jose. I must say we were surprised and the quality and complexity of the dishes. We started with the AHI Tartar which featured a quail egg yolk and finely chopped bosc pear in sesame oil. I had the Sole which was lightly fried and served on a bed of mashed potatoes with bechamel sauce. Pat had the steak Rossini which featured a fillet mignon in a pinot noir reduction sauce with foie gras.

A perfect complement was the bottle of Alexander Valley Silver Oak 2000 we had been saving for just such an occasion. The wine was superb but I don't think that would have mattered much because it's not the wine but who you're sharing it with that makes it great.


From the heart

Dinner at Santana Row

Last night we had dinner at Consuelo's Mexican Bistro. It was a beautiful evening and though it's winter in most of the country here the days are amazingly warm. So we were able to get a table outdoors and partake in the best entertainment that valley has to offer - People watching. Sitting there watching the steady stream of people go by to live music is pure entertainment. The outdoor Parisian cafes have perfected this form of entertainment with their tiered seating facing the street offering optimal viewing for all. At least we have Santana Row, the closest thing to Paris in the Valley. We often eat at the Left Bank and if you pretend enough you can imagine you're having dinner in Paris (without the 12 hour flight).

A few dishes at Consuelo's deserve special mention. We enjoyed the Ceviche de pescado which featured fresh chunks of white fish, marinated in lime juice mixed with diced tomato,
jalapeño chile, onion, green olives, avocado, cilantro and olive oil. Also the Callos de hacha a lovely dish of pan seared scallops served over corn-potato puree, sauted green beans, chayote squash, with garlic and epazote herb.

Sitting there last night Pat and I agreed on a "New Rule" - Every time we eat at Santana Row it must be at an outdoor table facing the esplanade.

Cheers.

Thanksgiving Feast

Yesterday we had a great Thanksgiving feast. A turkey dinner with all the fixings. The stars of the feast were the Silver Rose Dentelle 2004 wine and the turkey stuffing covered in thick brown gravy.

Our stuffing starts with a stew made from the turkey neck with celery and carrots and adds italian sausage and chestnuts. One secrete to the stuffing that I learned from my French grandmother is to pour burning Calvados into the cavity before adding the stuffing. She thought of this trick one year when the bird lacked freshness and seemed a bit off. In France alcohol can fix anything.

The Silver Rose Winery is at the most north end of the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley and also features a charming inn were we've stayed on numerous occasions. Their Dentelle, a Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot blend was a perfect pairing. It featured black currants, strawberry and oak on the nose. Chocolate, smokey, tobacco with a long smooth finish.

Diets be dammed, a true feast of the senses.

Web 2.0 Expo - Visiting New York

Last week I attended Web2.0 Expo in New York. It's always fun to visit the city that never sleeps. You can see my post on the event here.


We stayed in the Hudson Hotel which turned out to be quite the swinging hot spot. All dimly lit with candles and spot lights. It reminded me of the Paramount, an Ian Schrager style hotel I've stayed in near Times Square. Come to realize the the Hudson is part of the Morgan Hotels Group which was created by Schrager so its no wonder his style was immediately apparent everywhere. We had California style weather the whole week and the outdoor patio was the hot spot to be in the late evening for a night cap. Off course everyone in our group complained about the size of the rooms which were only slightly larger than the bed but nonetheless well appointed.

Getting from Newark airport to the Hotel proved to be more challenging than I expected. After spending the better part of 2005 in New York I was confident I could figure out the transit systems and subways. However the trip from the airport via AirTrain, Path and Subway involved 3 changes and lots of walking. Taking a cab from LaGuardia is a lot easier. I ended up making a silly mistake getting on the E instead of the A/C line at Pen Station. Oh well it only took me 2 hours to get to the hotel.

I enjoyed nice dinners with the Curl team at Soba Totto, Bocca Di Bacca and Nice Matin. Soba Totto is a Japanese restaurant specializing in meats all slowly smoked over the grill. No Sushi insight.

Bocca Di Bacca, an Italian wine bar, featured a full menu and extensive wine list. I enjoyed a octopus appetizer and scallops over a bed of pureed celery and diced tomatoes. At the waiter's recommendation we enjoyed a Tuscan Brunello di Montalcino sangiovese grosso.


Nice Matin, one of my favorites, is a french Provencal Cafe. Having spent 0ver ten years in the South of France it seems like home to me. I had a grilled Salmon with asparagus, eggplant puree and zucchini pesto paired with an earthy, peppery Gigondas.

Dinner at Aqua

For labor day we traveled to San Francisco and spent the weekend at the Westin. Our plan was to make sample the cities finest restaurants over the next year. First on the list was Aqua.

I can see why Michelin Guide gave Aqua 2 stars "Excellent cooking and worth a detour." We traveled from San Jose to celebrate our special occasion at Aqua and it was well worth the drive.

The service was impeccable and the cooking exceptional. I had the Tartare of Ahi Tuna followed by the Hawaiian Walu. I finished with a selection of cheeses. The Walu had a wonderful Foie Gras sauce that was a surprising complement to the fish. My wife had a lobster salad (special) followed by the Alaskan Halibut and finished with the Apricot Medley.

We paired this with the Font-Sane Gigondas which features the earthy, peppery and barnyard flavors distinctive of the southern Rhone. I first had this wine at Absinthe and reviewed it here.

All-in-all an exceptional dinning experience I can recommend to anyone.

Next up Michael Mina.

Wine Tasting in Murphys

Over the Memorial Day weekend Pat and I took the opportunity to visit Murphys, a small quaint town in the Sierra Foothills. The town's slogan is "Queen of the Sierra" and it has retained a lot of the charm it must have had back in the late 1800s. Very much like San Juan Batista which I described in this post "Lost in Time" a while back.

Our plan was to sample the local wines which are all part of the Calveras region. One nice thing about Muphys is that all the wineries have a tasting room on the main street so with a 15 minute walk you can experience 6 wineries. With a short drive you can get to another 4.



My tasting notes are all up on Corkd and tagged "murphys" The photos, all taken with my iPhone are up on Flickr.

In general we found the wines to be mediocre and pedestrian. Most of the 25 wines we tasted I rated in the 70-79 range using the Corkd 100 rating scale. The 70-79 range is defined as " Very average wines capable of quenching thirst but little else. Straightforward and unremarkable."

There were of course some notable exceptions. Here are the wines I rated in the upper 80s:

• Newsome-Harlow 2004 Meritage. $30. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot. I rated this an 89. The nose had earthy, barnyard aromas and the finish was balanced with leather, tobacco and berry tones.
• Cloud 9 Composition 2004. $35. Cloud 9 is the brand Solomon Winery uses for their propietary blend. The Composition is a blend of mostly Tempranillo, with some Syrah, Cab, Barbara and Petit Verdot. I rated this at 88. It had bitter straw and leather on the nose with heavy tannins and a smooth finish with hints of chocolate.
• Stevenot 2005 Gran Reserve Zinfandel. $38. I rated this an 89. It had butterscotch, vanilla and oak with a smooth finish of chocolate and dark blackberries.

All in all it was a fun day and I can unequivocally say that Murphys is worth the visit.

From the heart



Richard