Let's Go to Italy

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If you are a regular reader of La Gazzetta, you know that the M’tucci’s team has made a couple of trips to Italy to eat, drink and soak in the atmosphere of the country that inspires us. You would also know that before M’tucci’s, I worked as a travel photographer and shot assignments for National Geographic. Italy was not one of my assignments for Nat Geo, but I visited several times before joining the M’tucci’s family.

I received an email the other day from MilleMiglia, the frequent flyer program for now-defunct Alitalia Airlines. The email invited me to travel soon and to invite family members to join the program. Unfortunately (or not), they declared bankruptcy and ceased operations in October 2021, just two weeks after we flew on the airline from Rome to Sicily. That email is the inspiration for today’s newsletter. First, a few photos to pique your interest in visiting Italy.

I strongly advise you to join your airline’s frequent flyer program and always download the airline’s app. More important than earning miles, you will get notifications when something goes wrong (set up a European plan on your cell phone before you go). For my first and last Alitalia flight, four of us arrived at Fiumicino (FCO) near Rome for our flight to Catania, Sicily with plenty of time to spare. After lunch we made our way to our gate and I received a text five minutes after arriving. Our flight was cancelled. I immediately jogged quite a ways down the concourse to the customer service desk we had just passed, while people stayed at at the gate arguing with the gate agent. I was able to get our party of four booked (confirmed seats - not standby) on the next flight. As I was thanking the agent, the crowds descended on the customer service desk (more yelling and screaming - the cops came and hauled away a women who was trying to strike an agent). Soon there were at least 75 people trying to rebook. They didn’t have the app! I started a conversation with a pilot who was behind me in line and who flew for WizzAir (an Hungarian budget airline). He told me of Alitalia’s financial woes and that they had been cancelling a lot of flights in the past few weeks. So, we decided to not trust our return flight on Alitalia and booked return flights on WizzAir. We absorbed the loss of $39 for each ticket on Alitalia - wonder why they went bankrupt!

If you go in summer, be prepared for crowds and lots of school groups. The last few years have been hotter, so make sure you book a place with A/C. Italy, like France, goes on vacation in August. The entire country doesn’t shut down, but you might find that the restaurant that is high on your list is closed for the entire month. Popular restaurants accept reservations - and you should make them. I was in Rome an additional day after the M’tucci’s team returned home in June of 2019 and I tried to have lunch at Roscioli near Campo di Fiore. At 1:30 they didn’t even have room for a single walk-in at the bar, but could get me in at 3:00. That evening? Fully booked.

Roscioli

Are you renting an Airbnb with a kitchen, planning to take advantage of the amazing markets? Pack a foldable shopping bag, because the plastic bag is rapidly disappearing from the markets.

If you will rent a car to visit some of the areas not accessible by Italy’s excellent train system, be prepared to drive. The Italian road system is one huge race track. It is highly unlikely you will encounter any bad drivers, however Italians drive fast in the city, on the autostrada and on winding mountainous roads. If the Formula 1 driver is sitting on your rear bumper and you are driving as fast as that FIAT will go, pull over and let them pass.

Cafe culture is serious in Italy. Like much of Europe, sitting at a table and ordering coffee or wine means you can linger as long as you like. People-watch to your heart’s content. However, cafes have a two-tiered pricing system. A morning cappuccino ordered at the bar is cheaper than a cappuccino at the table and is meant to be consumed at the bar. Buying a cappuccino at the bar and carrying it to a table will earn a stern reprimand from the waiter. Unless you want a tall warm glass of milk, don’t order a latte (it means milk in Italian and is not a coffee beverage).

With an extensive rail system and numerous budget airlines, travel in Europe has never been easier. Scrutinize the budget carriers closely. Some, like Ryanair, land at airports far from the city center. For example, Ryanair’s flights to London use Stanstead Airport, which can’t be reached by Tube, and required a 90-minute bus ride from the center the last time I was there.

Some tour companies in Italy, like Viator, offer airport transport in addition to their excursions. Are they worth it? The Leonardo Express train from FCO to Rome’s Termini station leaves every 15 minutes, takes only 32 minutes and costs 14€. Then you still have to stand in line for a taxi at Termini (I once waited for 35 minutes) and pay the fare to your accommodations, which could add another 10€ or more.

If there are 3, 4 or more of you, a private car will meet you and take you directly to your hotel/Airbnb. Our last trip for 4 people was a little less than $100. If there are more than 3 in your party, (most taxis will only take 3 people, sometimes four max), then you’ll have a spacious van. Remember that check-in at most places is 3:00 and most flights arrive from the U.S. around 8:30 - 10:00am. Be sure to make arrangements for your luggage to be stored at your hotel, or search for businesses who will store them for a few hours. TABAC (look for the sign) shops are similar to a convenience store and many will do this for an hourly price per piece.

If your gateway city is Rome, quite often the flights depart for the U.S. early in the morning, which could mean an early wake up call to arrive at the airport. The airport is named after the town of Fiumicino, which has good hotels less than 10 minutes from the airport. Try the Seccy or the Five-star Hotel QC Terme Roma. Good restaurants are within walking distance of both.

My next trip to Italy is planned for September with family. In addition to Venice and the Dolomites, we wanted to go to Croatia. At first glance, it seemed so easy because the two countries are practically neighbors. Then the research showed that it really isn’t that easy. Buses and trains were painfully slow between Croatia and Italy and flight connections were not always daily or convenient. While Croatia is a popular destination, there are few flights between Italy and Croatia. This was surprising until I discovered that Dubrovnik is a town of 45,000 people. Not exactly an urban air hub. British Airways flies from London, Lufthansa flies from Frankfurt and Munich, and Austrian Airways flies from Vienna. So, I backtracked my research to see how to best get to Dubrovnik, our first stop. Lufthansa and BA were expensive. Austrian Airways seemed like the best choice, but their prices were high, until I started breaking the flights down into segments.

So, we bought a roundtrip from Chicago to Vienna on Austrian Airways, then a one-way to Dubrovnik. Then we take a ferry through the islands from Dubrovnik to Split. Next a one-way flight to Venice (through Vienna). Then a one-way from Venice to Vienna with a few days to eat schnitzel before completing our RT back to Chicago. I tried booking that itinerary as a multi-city fare and it was nearly $2,000 more than booking each leg individually. A valuable site for deciphering a multi-city trip like this is called: Rome2Rio.com

Look forward to reports from Venice and the Dolomites (Valdobbiadenne - the home of Prosecco) this September. I first visited Venice in 1995. Here are few photos from that trip, with a side trip to Burano.

Five Course Wine Dinner with Vara Winery & Distillery

M’tucci’s Italian, Thursday June 8 @ 6:30

Our Pairing Dinner will feature four Vara wines and 2 cocktails made with their spirits. Start the evening off with a welcome glass of their Cava, which is overseen by famed winemaker Laurent Gruet. The 1st course will be a Negroni using Vara Gin and Sweet Vermouth.

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Ravioli - Spinach & Ricotta Filling - Mushrooms, Asparagus, Roasted Chicken, Red Pepper Cream Sauce, Pecorino, Micro Greens $25

Herbed Double Bone Elk Chop - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $39

Pan-Seared Grouper - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33

Braise - 14 oz. Herb Braised Beef Short Rib, Tajin Arugula Hash, Chimichurri $29

Weekend Cocktail

Raspberry Fairy - Raspberry Vodka, Grand Marnier, Fresh Lemon Juice, Honey Simple Syrup, Absinthe Glass Spray


M’tucci’s Moderno

14 oz Hand Cut NY Strip - Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Salsa Verde $37

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Roasted Artichoke, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $29

Lobster Ravioli - Baby Scallops, Shrimp, Asparagus, Lobster Cream Sauce $29

Weekend Cocktail

Sundress Season - Espolon Reposado Tequila, Sunora, 03, Fresh Lime Juice, Mango Coulis

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Lamb Meatballs & Pappardelle - House Made Meatballs, Creamy Tomato Sauce, Cacio e Pepe, Hose Made Pappardelle, Balsamic Reduction & Mint $21

Pan-Seared California Halibut - Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Braised Greens, Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce $31

16 oz Hand Cut NY Strip - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Charred Broccolini, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Compound Butter $39

Weekend Cocktail

Garden Gimlet - Hapenny Rhubarb Gin, Effen Cucumber Vodka, Muddled Cucumber & Mint, Fresh Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Fever-Tree Sparkling Grapefruit

M’tucci’s Bar Roma

Brisket Ravioli - Five Cheese Stuffing, Braised Brisket, Sautéed Vegetable Medley, Roasted Beef Brodo,  $27

Pan-Seared White Sea Bass - Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $32

Weekend Cocktail

Peachy Keen - Aperol, 43 Licor, Deep Eddy Peach, Fresh Lime Juice, M’tucci’s Sparkling Wine

Live Music for May, June & July

M’tucci’s Bar Roma - Wed 6:30-8:30 

5/28 Lani Nash

5/31 Shane Wallin 

6/7 RJ Perez 

6/14 Gilbert Uribe

6/21 Justin Nuñez 

6/25 Gilbert Uribe( Only Sunday in June) 

6/28 Shane Wallin

7/5 Shane Wallin

7/12 Delaney Davis (feature)

7/19 Lani Nash

7/26 Shane Wallin

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five - Thursday 6:30-8:30 * Friday 7:30-9:30 

5/26 Alex Long 

6/1 Eryn Bent 

6/2 Cali Shaw

6/8 Shane Wallin 

6/9 chessa Peak

6/15 RJ Perez 

6/16 Naghan Fox

6/22 Cali Shaw

6/23 Gilbert Uribe

6/29 Amy Faithe

6/30 Alex Long

7/6 RJ Perez 

7/7 Javier Ortega 

7/13 Eryn Bent 

7/14 Delaney Davis (feature)

7/20 Matt Jones

7/21 Alex Long 

7/27 Chessa Peak

7/28 Cali Shaw

M’tucci’s Moderno - Thursday 6:30-830 *Friday 7:30-9:30

5/26 Marissa Lynch

6/1 Lani Nash

6/2 Nathan Fox 

6/8 Gilbert Uribe 

6/9 Jacob Chavez

6/15 Alex Long

6/16 Chessa Peak

6/22 Eryn Bent

6/23 Cali Shaw

6/29 Lani Nash

6/30 Alex Maryol

7/6 Matt Jones

7/7 Justin Nuñez 

7/13 Delaney Davis ( feature )

7/14 RJ Perez 

7/20 Jacob Chavez

7/21 Matt Jones

7/27 RJ Perez 

7/28 Lani Nash

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!