This episode’s guest is Pina Bresciani (pinabresciani.com), a talented food blogger based in Vancouver, Canada, with strong ties to Italy. Join me as I learn more about Pina, starting from her upbringings in an Italian family in Vancouver, ... Continue reading
Tag: bar
[Thoughts on the Table Transcript] Gino De Blasio on Slow Food/Fast Food
Continuing on the series of transcripts, up next is the textual form of an old episode with my friend, writer Gino De Blasio. In this podcast, Gino applies his amazing storytelling to describe the origins of the Slow Food Movement, in response to the ... Continue reading
The Italian Bar – A Licensed Coffee House for Every Time of the Day
Despite being licensed, bars in Italy are nothing like pubs. They are more similar to coffee shops, but they are actually far more than that. They are an establishment that runs all day with a wide range of food items, and a necessity for tourists with ... Continue reading
The Magic of Autogrill – Highway Restoration, Elevated
If you are Italian, or if you have driven around Italy, you are probably familiar with “Autogrill” as a chain of restaurants that serve the highways all throughout the country. But even if you are unaware of Autogrill, every time you ... Continue reading
Aperitivo – The Italian Pre-Dinner Cocktail with Accompaniments
Known in North America by the French name apéritif, an aperitivo is a drink meant to be had before the meal as an appetizer. To this purpose, the apertitivo is usually a moderately alcoholic cocktail based on vermouth, bitters or white wine. ... Continue reading
Breakfast or Colazione?
Breakfast in Italy is called ‘prima colazione’, or simply ‘colazione’. It’s the first meal of the day and many say it’s the most important one too. However, North Americans and Italians have fundamental differences ... Continue reading
Is Water Just Water?
Mineral water is extremely popular in Italy. The major brands of mineral waters are from specific springs, which are sometimes also renowned spas, and therefore have a precise location of origin. But is mineral water just water? No, it also contains a ... Continue reading
Espresso Myths
What’s Espresso? Espresso is what you get if you order a coffee (‘un caffè’) in any Italian café (or ‘Bar’ as Italians call them). Home-made coffee generally isn’t espresso, it’s a short coffee made with a ... Continue reading