Return Visit to Osteria Le Logge

Osteria La Logge-
We were lucky enough to return to one of my favorite places in Siena I visited two and a half years ago. Still impressed.









Mozzarella di Bufala & Melanzane




Spaghetti & Guanciale




Braised Veal Cheeks, Spinach & Cabbage Purée




Roasted Squab & Strawberries




Profiteroles, Strawberry Granita, Pistachio Gelato

Location:Siena

Special Birthday Lunch

For Earl's birthday lunch we opted for the 6 course tasting menu at La Grotta just outside of Montepulciano. We dined outside in a lovely garden just outside the old stables. Interesting, because our room in Sorrento was formerly the stables. We drank a terrific bottle of Vino Nobile Riserva after they poured a glass of local white. Perfectly settled the stomach after the ride.








Scooby Snack - Roasted Eggplant & Zucchini




Asparagus & Pecorino Crema




Crostini & Duck Liver Pâté




Papp'all Pomodoro




Ravioli di Picione




Beef Brasato & Spinaci




Dessert Trio - Gelato di Caffe, Semifreddo Croqante, Torte Cioccolata

Location:Montepulciano

A Drive through Chianti

Wanting to avoid the day-tripping tourists of Siena and not having enough change to feed the meter all day, we opted for a drive through the Chianti region. It was beautiful but some seriously curvy and nausea-inducing back roads. Nothing a bit of Sangiovese & local salami couldn't cure.

Location:Radda in Chianti

Orvieto- Our First Hill Town

Crostini & Pâté


Sformato di Pecorino & Fava Purée


Carbonara


Tiramisu



Cheesecake & Vin Santo

Location:Orvieto

Napoli

We enjoyed an afternoon in Naples, with no pickpockets, no swarms of gypsy children but we were gifted a train strike on the return and obviously ate some terrific pizza!




Margherita with Mozzarella di Bufala & Rucola




Pizza Bianca, Pomordini, Prosciutto, Rucola & Grana












Markets in Napoli

Dolce!

Gelato 

Campagnia

Traveling in Italy so far has been basically smooth. Well, let's just say we have handled the glitches. We managed to find our way south out of the Rome airport, and then I squeezed our little Fiat Panda in to the smallest of spots in Sorrento (thanks to my time spent living in SF) and figured out how to pay the parking meter. The next morning on three hours of jet-lagged sleep we climbed 4 hours up a sunny rocky cliff on the 'Path of the Gods' overlooking the Bay of Sorrento wearing completely inappropriate sneakers then enjoyed wonderful antipasti with a gorgeous view.













Not wanting to completely break ourselves, we opted for the bus for our return then watched in disbelief as it passed us by as we stood in the wrong spot for the stop. We finally made it back to town, relaxed and drank fabulously cold Rosato in a swanky hotel in Positano. Slightly refreshed, we climbed a thousand more steps to a delicious locally- caught seafood dinner at Da Vincenzo over looking the Mediterranean.







Grilled Octopus & Crispy Artichokes






Baby Fish on Grilled Lemon Leaves









Calamari & Potatoes





Linguine with Clams