Let's Go To Italy!
/NOTE: All M’tucci’s locations are closed on the 4th.
It’s time to travel and I’m sure that some of you are ready - if not already making plans to travel. My wife and I, along with her parents, are planning our Italy trip for September. The plan is to visit Venice, Tuscany, Rome and Sicily. I would like to offer some tips and ideas to help you plan your own trip to Italy. I will also visit some bars in Rome for the new M’tucci’s Bar Roma, coming to Albuquerque’s Nob Hill neighborhood in December.
At the moment, Italy does not require a vaccination card from U.S. visitors. There are two paths to entry without having to quarantine. You must show a negative Covid test within 48 hours of departure and you must take a rapid Covid test upon arrival or show a vaccination card. Two negatives and you won’t be required to quarantine. The rules could be revised on July 31. Click here to see the rules from the Italian Ministry of Health.
Seats are filling up, so if you are thinking of traveling, don’t wait too long. The route through Atlanta on Delta is heavily booked. There are seats available and decent fares on American and Alitalia. I recommend booking through the airline’s site. In case anything goes wrong, or if there are delays, the airlines will be more helpful if you booked directly with them, rather than if you book your trip through Expedia or another travel site.
We have been using Air BnB, VRBO and Booking.com for accommodations. There is a great site for traveling from point A to point B, called Rome2Rio.com (it was much better before Expedia bought it). Plug in two destinations and the search results tell you how long it takes by train, plane, car or bus and the approximate cost for each mode of travel. Train travel in Italy is not as fast as pre-pandemic times, since the high-speed trains between cities are not running at the moment, probably due to low demand. As of now, the trip from Rome to Florence takes 3 hours and 40 minutes instead of an hour and a half on a Frecce train. Hopefully that will change by late September.
As always, walking, eating and il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing) are the reasons for visiting Italy. In Venice there will be cicchetti, the Venetian version of tapas, found at bácari, the small wine bars found throughout Venice. Some of the popular small plates are: polpette (meatballs), fried zucchini flowers filled with baccala, cheese and fennel crostino and variations on local, fresh seafood. Locals move from place to place, sampling the small glasses of wine with their cicchetti, some for as little as 2 euros per glass. Small plates at M’tucci’s are inspired by cicchetti, such as Pizzeta, Shrimp Cocktail and Fried Artichokes.
In Tuscany we will be sure to have ragu and salami made from wild boar, young Tuscan pecorino, Chianina beef and lots of Brunello di Montalcino. Some of the specialities in Rome include the four kings of pasta; cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara and gricia, as well as fresh burrata, and lots of artichokes.
Our first trip to Sicily will concentrate on the Southeast coast of the island, taking in some historic Greek ruins, Baroque hill towns and lots of seafood. Some of Sicily’s specialties are: arancini (fried rice balls stuffed with ragu or cheese and available at all M’tucci’s), caponata (the sweet and sour eggplant appetizer and fresh sardines grilled or with pasta. The slopes of the active volcano, Mt. Etna, are producing some of Italy’s best wines and an amaro called Amara, made from blood oranges and herbs. So many new things to try!
I prefer using books as a reference for restaurants and sights, as opposed to TripAdvisor and all the other “review” sites. The opinions of seasoned travelers, writers and eaters like Matt Goulding, Elizabeth Minchilli and Frances Mayes are much more valuable to me than some unknown person with questionable taste and an opinion.
If you aren’t planning on venturing across the Atlantic, you can have the next best thing at M’tucci’s with bar seating, patios and, as always, the best chef-driven Italian cuisine possible.
M’tucci’s Bar Roma
Coming to the corner of Central and Wellesley sometime in December is our newest restaurant, which will concentrate of craft cocktails, small plates and Charcuterie. We are beginning the process of renovation, and recently had the site cleansed of any bad juju and negative vibes. Bar Rome will be a new and vibrant addition to Nob Hill. Follow the Bar Roma page on Facebook for updates. Click here to follow.
M’tucci’s Artisanal Italian Sausage
Now in New Mexico Albertsons Markets in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos. Sourced from our farm partners, Sackett Farm, it’s made with red wine and spices (and costs less than the national mass produced brands). Cory has created another recipe for using the sausage. You’ll love the Spicy Marinara & Sausage Pasta. Check out the video below and follow Cory’s instructions.
M’tucci’s YouTube Channel
There are more than 80 videos on our channel demonstrating cooking techniques and cocktail recipes. Click here to go to the channel. You can subscribe for free so you will be notified when a new video is added.
Weekend Specials
NOTE: All M’tucci’s locations are closed on the 4th.
M’tucci’s Italian
24 oz Hand-Cut T-Bone: Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Broccolini, Balsamic Reduction $34
Pan-Seared Sand Dabs - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichoke, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Caper Sauce $21
Pesto Ricotta Ravioli: Spring Peas, Caramelized Onion, Tomato, Garlic, Morcilla, Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Bell Cream Sauce $23
Pasta Della Forma
House Made Spaghettini & Piave Vecchio Cheese, Minimum of two orders, Prepared Table side - $38, Chef’s Condiments Add $3
Appetizers
Beer-Battered Herbed Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms: Capers, Aioli Pickled Zucchini $10
Clam Toasts & Pancetta with Fennel, Sun-Dried Tomato, White Wine Butter Broth $12
Weekend Cocktail
Italian Sangria
Sunday Only
Half Rack of Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, House Made Cole Slaw and House BBQ Sauce for $18
M’tucci’s Moderno
10 oz. Hand-Cut NY Strip: Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Salsa Verde $32
Pan-Seared Rockfish: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $21
Braised Beef Short Ribs: Mascarpone Cream Polenta, Sautéed Spinach, Red Wine Tomato Sauce $24
Weekend Cocktail
Aperol Bergamot Spritz: Mionetto Prosecco, Aperol, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Liqueur
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
12 oz. Hand-Cut NY Strip: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Broccolini, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Butter $27
Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi: Seared Artichokes, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $23
Amaro Glazed Beef Tips: Roasted Tomato Polenta, Sautéed Gralic & Greens, Walnot Gorgonzola Scallion Gremolata $21
Weekend Cocktail
Fit for a King: : Copper & King Bourbon Barrel-Aged Apple Brandy, Cardamaro, Schonhauer Apfel Liqueur, Dolin Blanc Vermouth, Bitterman’s Tiki Bitters
Live Music at M’tucci’s
M’tucci’s Moderno
7/2Lani Nash
7/8 Melissa Rios
7/9 RJ Perez
M’tucci’s Twenty Five
7/1Lani Nash
7/8 Kirk Matthews
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!
