Go to Italy with Gusto!

Italy is Food

Italy Feeds the Soul

Italy is where “slow food” was invented. Seasonality, freshness, localness. Italy’s regional villages and the families who’ve inhabited them for ages are the source of arguably the world’s richest culinary traditions. And Emilia-Romagna is the culinary heart of Italy.

If you’re going to go to Italy, be sure you make it about the food!

Immerse yourself in authentic Italian culture, mingle with locals, learn their secrets, live their lifestyle, if only for a short while.

You will have missed a tremendous opportunity if you travel all the way there only to follow a guide book, or stick to the mass attractions.

Does that mean you should learn Italian? A few key phrases can’t hurt (“Ciao!” & “Grazie!” go a long way). But it’s the language of adventure and curiosity that really matters. Going to Italy with Gianni means the bothersome details are taken care of and you are left to enjoy the true spirit of Italy and its amazing foods and culinary culture.

Travelling with us will give the chance to concentrate on…

• Mixing that fresh pasta dough just right.
• Finding the perfect mushroom on the forest floor to eat at a picnic later.
• Exploring the lesser-known corners of medieval villages.

Real food, real people, real memories. That’s Gianni’s focus and specialty.

From the time you sign up, your comfort and ability to explore are our singular concern.

There are only 24 spots available. This small group size means more personal attention from Gianni, and it also means a tighter, more family-like experience.

For more information:

Please fill out this form and you will be contacted promptly by Vanessa DellaPasqua, who will answer any questions you may have.

Gianni

Who is Gianni?

Gianni Mola is a well-known food personality in North Beach, the famous Italian neighborhood of San Francisco (home of the Barbary Coast and the Beatniks). His special dinner events and walking tours showcase the village heritage of the neighborhood’s rich Italian roots, and his cooking show demonstrates authentic Italian dishes and kitchen techniques.

Watch Gianni in action, cooking a pizza margherita with a dough he makes from scratch…  Click Here

His recipes reflect culinary discoveries made exploring his parents’ roots in the Old Country – Naples on his father’s side, and Mirabella Eclano on his mother’s. But he also draws from  travels in Rome, Cortona and Chiusi in Tuscany, all three coasts of Sicily, Venice, and of course, Emilia-Romagna – the culinary heart of Italy.

He also owned a regional Italian restaurant and gastronomia in Rhode Island where he celebrated his decades-long love affair with real Italian food. That affair continues in North Beach, and on his adventures to Italy, which he takes at least once a year.

Watch video of Gianni talking about his search for his mother’s gravy in Italy. Click Here

Join Gianni on this year’s trip

Gianni will be your personal guide every step of the way as we veer off the beaten track in the region that embodies more than any other Italy’s culinary spirit.

We start on the Adriatic Coast enjoying the many flavors of Romagna. We’ll then move to an intact medieval village and pick mushrooms in the Apennine foothills. We wind up in Bologna, nicknamed “La Grassa” (The Fat One), for its quintessential food appreciation. We’ll day-trip to Parma and Modena to experience the making parmigiana, prosciutto and learn the history of the traditional balsamic vinegar in a family “acetaia”.

Your week will be filled with fantastic food opportunities and you’ll understand the importance of this authentic food culture. You’ll learn Gianni’s methods on how to get the most of your culinary travels.

Tom Herndon, HippKitchen.com

We were lucky to be able to meet up with Gianni in Rome a couple of years ago. We had the insider’s tour. He took us to the oldest church in Rome and then to the Jewish Ghetto for some incredible food, including an impressive deep fried artichoke. He took the entire group of 14 to a lovely cafe in a small square where we ate al fresco, including these bread ‘puff balls’ as big as a football! Then he showed us the best place to get gelato and chocolate bundino.

He’s a true gourmand and a man of passion about Italy. Our time in Rome was truly memorable.

– Personal Chef Tom Herndon

Gianni showed us what it means to be fearless in Italy, and how to engage the locals. While in Bologna, he bought some pasta for lunch. When the senora learned that he wasn’t just another American tourist, and was serious about food, she took the pasta back and told him he couldn’t use that one. She then went downstairs (everything is downstairs) and brought up the right kind of pasta for a brodo. These are very important matters in Italy, and Gianni’s ability to go beyond the superficial tourism layer was incredibly satisfying.

– Marie Mansi

Meet Vanessa

When you reserve your spot for this year’s trip, you’ll meet Vanessa DellaPasqua, founder and managing partner of Global Epicurean LLC . Vanessa has been taking American travelers to tour Italy’s most renowned food destinations for over 6 years. Vanessa will be in close personal contact with you assuring that all the details of travel are secured.

Vanessa was born in Emilia-Romagna (where her family still resides) and now lives in the US with her husband and toddler twins. She’ll be here to help you with any travel challenges, and to answer any questions you may have. She’ll also accompany us on our voyage to the Old Country and, as a fluent English and Italian speaker, will act in partnership with Gianni as our Italian cultural emissary.

What this means for you is that, from the moment you reserve your spot, you can begin the pilgrimage to Italy with only the excitement of anticipation, and without having to stress over the boring details.

For more information:

Please fill out this form and you will be contacted promptly by Vanessa DellaPasqua, who will answer any questions you may have.

What’s Included

We’ll Do the Worrying, You Have the Fun

Your complete, no-hassle, 8-day/7-night adventure includes:

• All land transportation during the trip
• Shuttle service to and from Bologna International Airport at the scheduled times
• All lodging, based on double occupancy (single occupancy available for an additional fee)
• Most meals, including beverages (breakfast daily, starting with dinner on September 23 and ending with breakfast on September 30) as well as most lunches and most dinners and a house selection of wines
• 4 demonstration cooking classes
• All excursions and any entrance fees to places we will visit during the scheduled portion of the trip
• An English-speaking guide
• Unique cultural and culinary experiences to reveal the true heart of Italian cooking in spectacular location. Your body and soul satiated from the inside out!

All-inclusive Price: US $3,500
(double occupancy; single-occupancy rate available)

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Sunday, September 23 – Arrival

Gianni and Vanessa will pick you up at Bologna International Airport at 5 p.m. Our bus will take us to our first stop, Cesenatico, on the Adriatic Coast of Emilia-Romagna.

Cesenatico is a quaint but prosperous town frequented primarily by Italians, Europeans, and lovers of gastronomic delights. It was born as a harbor, with a centrally located canal designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1502.

You’ll stay at Hotel Sirena, a family-run 4-star hotel where you’ll be welcomed as family. Enjoy a traditional Romagna dinner and meet your fellow tour members.

Monday, September 24 – Pasta Making

After breakfast we will head to Villa Delle Rose, the renovated traditional farmhouse where we will be taking our first cooking class, making homemade pasta from scratch the traditional Romagna way.

We’ll learn about Tortellini, Lasagne, and Strozzapreti from the family’s Sfoglina, the pasta dough maker. This is a traditional Romagna job role, and the Sfoglina does nothing but make pasta for the family. (It is said the person needs the arm of a bodybuilder in order to handle the rolling pin properly.) The fact that in Romagna there is a special word to describe the person carrying out this activity indicates that this job is crucial. But, sadly, it is also disappearing, so this is a true treat.

Lunch will be served during the class and consist of the pasta we prepare together.

Later, we head to Forlimpopoli to explore a culinary compass of Italy’s epicurean traditions – Casa Artusi, home of the museum of Italian home cooking where we will learn from Italian grandmas how to make piadina, the famous local flatbread.

In 1891, Pellegrino Artusi, a native of Romagna, wrote the very first comprehensive Italian cookbook, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.  Artusi’s book dignified home cooking and promoted the importance of local food resources. The museum has a restaurant where we will enjoy a typical Romagna dinner.

Tuesday September 25 – Fish and Cheese

Morning starts in Cesenatico’s fish market, along the Leonardo Da Vinci-designed harbor. We’ll explore the fish selection and the Conserve – the ice pits used for fish preservation before the advent of modern refrigeration. Afterwards, Chef Roberto shares his secrets and we’ll lunch on the fish he prepares.

Later in the afternoon we visit Sogliano al Rubicone, the homeland of formaggio di fossa, a local cheese left to season in pits dug out of the soil. We’ll tour Santarcangelo di Romagna, a beautiful medieval town.

We dine at the renowned La Sangiovesa restaurant, a true Romagna Osteria housed in the stables of an ancient noble palace. Fellini designed their logo. We will start with piadina, a local flatbread served with salumi, and move on to more Romagna specialties.

Wednesday September 26 – Mushroom Hunting and the Apennines

We’re up early, and head to Portico di Romagna for a mushroom excursion in the Apennines. We’ll hunt for porcini mushrooms, the prized Italian varietal – hiking will be involved. Enjoy your picnic lunch al fresco before heading back to Portico for a leisurely afternoon exploring this small medieval town and its charming stoned pathways and ancient bridge. Later we will enjoy the expertise of the family of Signora Marisa and prepare a mushroom-based dinner that we will enjoy together in the beautiful arched dining room of Il Vecchio Convento.

Thursday September 27 – Olive Oil

After breakfast we head to Brisighella, just a few miles North of Portico at the Apennine foothills. Brisighella is a medieval town famous in Italy for its high quality extra virgin olive oil production.  We experience an olive oil tasting (and shopping), and then we’ll have some free time to explore the town. In the afternoon we will make our way toward Bologna, Italy’s good food capital.

Friday September 28 – Parmigiano and Balsamic Vinegar

We take off bright and early and head to an artisanal Parmesan cheese producer and see a wheel of Parmigiano cheese being made. We will then make our way back to the area around Modena where the welcoming Pedroni family will show us the secrets of traditional balsamic vinegar. We will enjoy a lunch featuring this prized ingredient. Our afternoon will be leisurely dedicated to the tour of a Prosciutto di Parma artisan facility before heading back to Bologna.

On our way back to Bologna we stop in Modena and tour Acetaia Malpighi, a traditional balsamic vinegar producer. We learn all the rules for making a great traditional balsamic vinegar.

Saturday September 29 – Market and Bologna

For our final full day of activities we explore Bologna: From the markets in the heart of old downtown to the many specialty food sellers we will experience food in ways that you might have thought had disappeared! You’ll get some time to shop around town and grab a bite to eat before our cooking class in the afternoon preparing traditional dishes and enjoying dinner with a typical Bologna feast!

Sunday September 30 – Departures

After breakfast, the shuttle will take you to the Bologna International Airport for your return flight.

Secure your spot now:

Please fill out this form and you will be contacted promptly by Vanessa DellaPasqua, who will answer any questions you may have.

Reserve Spots

Double Occupancy: $3,500
Single Occupancy: $4,000

We require a $500 check deposit per traveler to secure your spot(s) on the adventure. You must also sign the Liability Release Form and send it back to us.

We request a check for your deposit so that we can keep it in escrow until we can confirm the trip with the minimum number of participants. You may then pay your balance using PayPal, credit card, or check.

Please fill out this form and you will be contacted promptly by Vanessa DellaPasqua, who will answer any questions you may have.