This was my third time exploring Italy, but this trip took me to a new region — the Northwest — and for the first time, I could actually speak some Italian. Understanding the language makes a world of difference in how you experience a culture. I could chat with locals, order food, and ask questions, and even though my Italian is far from perfect, people genuinely appreciated the effort. Most simply slowed down instead of switching to English, and that small shift changed the entire trip for me.
Let me put it plainly, and for anyone who knows me, this won’t come as a shock: we ate Neapolitan pizza every single day. We weren’t anywhere near Naples, but its influence runs strong throughout the north, and we found some seriously great pizza along the way.
This time around, our route covered Genova, Milano, and Verona.
Genova
Genoa has a couple of specialties, but the two that really stand out are focaccia and pesto genovese. I make my own pesto, and it’s decent, but boy, the one I had there was so much better! I don’t know if I’m just biased about food in Italy, but I could’ve eaten it with a spoon. We went to Cavour Modo21 and highly recommend this ristorante. They also sell their pesto to go, but unfortunately, it needs to be kept cold, so I couldn’t bring any back home.
We had focaccia all day, but this is something I make and get my hands on locally, so it was pretty much on par with what I’m used to.
We also tried panissa alla genovese, made from chickpea flour mixed with water and olive oil. The French way, I believe, is fried, but the Genovese version is a bit wetter, garnished with green onion. Can’t say I loved this version.
Milano
In Milan we had several great meals, but I want to highlight two places. The first is Napule è – Fratelli Coppola, recommended as top-tier Neapolitan pizza, and it did not disappoint. The dough was airy, the cheese was good, and the tomato sauce was well balanced. My only complaint is they added a bit too much olive oil, so it was dripping slightly. We paired this with fried sardines and a squid salad, which was really good and perfectly tender.
The second place was Settembrini 18, where we had the insalata di mare, which was outstanding — probably one of the best I’ve ever had in my life. The vinaigrette topped with fresh lemon was to die for, and the shrimp were cooked to perfection!
My kids had the seafood platter and spaghetti, while I had the risotto alla pescatora. It was super tasty and fresh, albeit a tad on the salty side, but I ate all of it =)
We had gelato daily, so I won’t post an image for every stop, but one place that really stood out was Gelateria Umberto, with plenty of interesting flavors to choose from.
Verona
Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet — or is it? I’ll let you debate the historical veracity of that one. I wasn’t there to settle it; I walked past the famous balcony, glanced at it for about 5 seconds, and moved on. Visiting the Arena was interesting, though unfortunately only about a third is open to the public, so you can’t venture too far inside.
Food-wise, there are a few things worth trying, but nothing outstanding enough to dive into extensively. I did try a Limoncello Spritz, an interesting twist on the more classic Aperol. I already like limoncello on its own, but my only complaint versus an Aperol spritz is that it’s less refreshing and a touch too sweet. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted good, but with temperatures over 40°C, I wanted something to cool me off, and this didn’t quite do the job.
Italy still remains king. Between the amazing food and the architecture, I can’t wait to go back in a few years!