#italian-brunch

#italian-brunch

Rome is famed for its rich history, iconic ancient landmarks, and delicious cuisine. When you're not working from an internet cafe or coworking space, you'll find yourself stepping back in time at the Colosseum or tucking into local cuisine.

The Bright Star Restaurant, founded in 1907, is one of Alabama's oldest restaurants and a landmark in the historic mining town of Bessemer. The James Beard Award-winning institution is known for its Greek-influenced steakhouse menu, especially its famous broiled snapper and tender steaks, all served in a grand, old-world dining room.

Chintemani is looking to blend a respect for tradition with a modern approach to Mediterranean food, featuring a menu that leans heavily Turkish.

Once upon a time, hotel buffet conjured images of scrambled eggs and orange juice from a machine. Now? It's wagyu served up beside your waffles.

The cult-favorite French omelet with caviar ($35) comes out annoyingly perfect each time. The glistening omelet is gooey on the inside and needs no frills beyond salty caviar and creme fraiche.

La Maddalena, Sardinia, is home to the first national park of Sardinia, featuring mostly undeveloped beaches and a vibrant main town with restaurants and shops.

Breakfast burritos, bowls, and wraps are becoming popular as they are portable and easy to prepare, featuring ingredients loaded with in-demand nutrients like eggs and meat.

When it comes to lunchtime in France, if you haven't bagged yourself a table by the time the clock strikes noon, you're on a sticky wicket.

Shoreditch is becoming something of a burger hub, with various popular burger joints like Meat Stop and Dumbo establishing their presence in the area.

Italian food products and cuisine have infiltrated just about every corner of the globe, but nothing compares to trying classic Italian dishes at their source-and there's so much more than pizza, pasta, and gelato. Don't expect to find the same dishes on menus all over the country. From carbonara in Rome to the best street food in Palermo, each Italian region has its own recipes.

On my last trip, in Bologna, I found yet another way to enjoy Italian coffee (beyond ordering a doppio). One memorable café topped its coffees with fruit powder-infused whipped cream. They were listed under a section on the menu appropriately named "caffe della gioia" (yes, "joy coffee"). These joyful mugs are topped with a generous mountain of whipped cream that can be folded with fruit- or nut powders, like pomegranate, pistachio, orange, wild berries, and aniseed.

Last summer, I found myself in Venice during peak tourist season. The crowds were suffocating. Every piazza felt like a theme park, every restaurant seemed designed for Instagram rather than actual dining. Standing on the Rialto Bridge, packed shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other visitors, I couldn't help but wonder: is this really Italy? That question stayed with me long after I returned to London.

Everything revolves around the food. Instead of trying to tweak a recipe to fit with a sweet or tangy drink, start with the food and ensure it remains the star of the show. The real purpose of seeking an appropriate drink pairing is to create balance with the food. Sweet with salty, bitter with sweet, etc. In this way, food flavors aren't masked with the addition of a drink, but instead are highlighted.

This coccoli, which can be a street food or restaurant appetizer, is truly an icon in Florentine - a term that simply means "from Florence" - fare. The word "coccoli" translates literally to "cuddles," and these fried dough balls do indeed feel like warm little hugs. They're about the size of dumplings; served hot, they've got a crispy exterior to crack into - with just the right amount of grease - where you'll find both fluffiness and chewy doughy-ness all at once.

Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink. The original osterias date all the way back to the Roman Empire. If you go to Ostia Antica or Pompeii, you find the osterias of the era. They were like bed-and-breakfasts, with rooms for rent above the dining room where people could listen to music.

Northern Italian cooking is built for long meals, cold weather, and patience, which is exactly the sort of food you want when settling in for hours of competition. From Lombardy and Piedmont to Emilia-Romagna and Liguria, these regions favor slow braises, creamy risottos, rich broths, and breads meant to be torn and shared. Whether you're feeding a crowd or committing to a cozy afternoon

The ravioli-type dish, also known as casunziei all'Ampezzana, consists of homemade half-moon shaped pasta filled with boiled beets, topped with a sauce of melted butter, Parmesan cheese and poppy seeds. It's a simple dish that harks back to the Alpine region's poorer past - long before Cortina transformed into a winter playground for the international jet set. Even in the coldest days of winter, local families had the ingredients in their cupboards.

Is there anything more delicious than tiramisu? This Italian dessert consists of decadent layers of espresso-dipped ladyfingers and plush mascarpone cream. It's perfectly creamy and only lightly sweet, with a rich dusting of cocoa powder on top. On our first trip to Italy, I ordered it at every restaurant Jack and I went to. It's just that good. After I shared this strawberry tiramisu last summer and this pumpkin tiramisu in the fall, I couldn't resist developing a classic tiramisu recipe too.