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Gelato
Finding Italy’s Best Gelateria’s
By Michael McGarry
Reviewed by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
 This is the book I should have written. Not just because I
love to write, but I could go on an ice-cream diet and be totally happy.
Especially if I was doing it in Italy, land of the world’s best ice creams and
gelatos.
 My favorite food group is chocolate. And you can read about
this passion at
www.chocolateatlas.com
But ice cream is a very close second.
In Italy, Gelato is prized as much as frescoes and devoured
as passionately as pasta. It is more than just the Italian equivalent of ice
cream: it is a way of life. For centuries Italians have been perfecting the
creation of this intensely flavored delicacy and today an
 elite class of gelaterias proudly continues this gelato tradition.
Happy Belly’s Gelato is a must-have for travelers seeking
the inside scoop on the best of the best gelaterias, where the limone is always
tart, the pistachio creamy, and the chocolate is sinful.
The book includes:
-
Reviews of over fifty gelaterias located within Italy’s
most visited cities.
-
Addresses, directions and maps that lead you to their
doors
-
Special tips and info on Gelato Lore sections
-
Glossary of over seventy-five flavors
  If you don’t have a trip to Italy on your calendar, I
advise you put this book under your pillow and dream.
Gelato
Finding Italy’s best Gelaterias
Happy Belly Guide
Fancy Pants Press
www.happybellyguides.com
info@happybellyguides.com
Other wonderful things about Italy
BEST WAY TO GET TO ITALY
US’s seventh-largest airline, serving 181 communities in the U.S., Canada,
Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and the
US Airways Express partner carriers operate approximately 3,400 flights per
day. For more information on US Airways flight schedules and fares, visit US
Airways online at
WWW.USairways.com
or call US Airways Reservations at 1-800-428-4322
BEST WAY TO GET AROUND IN ITALY
RailEurope offers a Trenitalia Pass network which covers 16,000 km (10,000
miles) running daily through beautiful landscapes to connect big cities and
small towns, all famous for their art and history. The trains are comfortable
and quick and easy to navigate.
www.raileurope.com
BEST WAY TO GET TO THE AIRPORT IN ITALY
WWW.airportshuttle.it
GREAT GUIDEBOOKS
GREAT SLEEPS ITALY
By Sandra Gustafson
Florence. Rome. Venice
www.chroniclebooks.com
GREAT EATS ITALY
By Sandra Gustafson
Florence. Rome, Venice
www.chroniclebooks.com
Italy: INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE*
By Nan McElroy
*when all else fails, read the instructions
The personal, on-site assistant for the enthusiastic but inexperienced traveler
www.Italyinstuctions.com
Fodor’s see it Italy
Detailed maps and lots of color pictures
www.fodors.com
THE COMPLETE IDOIT’S GUIDE to ITALIAN HISTORY AND
CULTURE
By Gabrielle Euvino with Michael San Filippo
www.idiotsguides.com
ITALY
INSIGHT GUIDES
www.insightguides.com
FODOR’S 04 ITALY
Shows you the way on and off the beaten path
WWW.fodors.com
Rick Steves Italy 2005
Avalon Publishing
www.ricksteves.com
BERLITZ POCKET GUIDE ITALY
www.berlitzpublishing.com
SPEAK LIKE AN ITALIAN
THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO LEARNING ITALIAN
By Gabrielle Euvino
www.idiotsguides.com
THE POCKET IDIOT’S GUIDE to Italian
By Gabrielle Euvino
www.idiotsguides.com
Rick Steve’s ITALIAN PHRASEBOOK AND DICTIONARY
Avalon Travel Publishing
www.Ricksteves.com
BERLITZ Surviving in Italian
A handy mini phrase book with maximum information
www.berlitzpublishing.com
BERLITZ Shopping in Italian
Pocket-size with easy to read pronunciation
www.berlitzpublishing.com
EAT LIKE AN ITALIAN
LA DISPENSA DI FIE
By Stefan Pramstrahler
Hugendubel
www.hugendubel.de
BERLITZ Eating and Drinking in Italian
Convenient pocket size
www.berlitzpublishing.com
How to Pronounce French, German and Italian Wine Names
By Dianna Bellucci
They also include a bonus of Austrian, Spanish and Portugese Wine Names
Luminosa Publishing
www.howtopronounce.com
LANGENSCHEIDT’S POCKET MENU READER ITALY
A gastronomic dictionary, phrasebook and guide
EUROPE’S TOP RESTAURANTS 2004
Zagat Survey
www.zagat.com
SHOP LIKE AN ITALIAN
Suzy Gershon’s Born to Shop Italy
The Ultimate Guide for People Who Love to Shop
www.frommers.com
COOK LIKE AN ITALIAN
Order your own set of The Best of Ciao Italia..in Umbria and The Best of Cias
Italia..in Tuscany. You can enjoy four of Mary Ann’s favorite programs that
capture the hearat and soul of Umbria, a delightful, unspoiled and undiscovered
region of Italy known for taste-tempting food markets, glorious street
festivals, aroma-filled kitchens, fine art, friendships and more. The sets
include interactive menus and printable PDF recipes.
THE BEST OF GOURMET
Featuring the Flavors of Rome
From the editors of Gourmet Magazine.
Random House
www.randomhouse.com
MANGIAMO Let’s Eat!
A collection of family recipes by Sylvia Sebastiani
Sebastiani Vineyards
TASTE ITALIAN FOOD AT HOME
Try Sacla’s Classic Basil Pesto Sauce on your pasta at home. Robust bail leaves,
fresh Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano cheese, ripened pine nuts, biting garlic
and pure olive oil.
LISTEN TO ITALIAN MUSIC
Italian Café Music
Putumayo World Music
www.putumayo.com
BEST SPA IN ITALY
Romantik Hotel Turm
Kichplatz - P.zza della Chiesa 9
I - 39050 Völs a. Schlern/Fiè allo Sciliar
Tel: 0039 0471 725014
Fax: 0039 0471 725474
turm@romantikhotels.com
www.hotelturm.it
MOST SOCIALLY CORRECT SOUVENIR
Orphange Africa Love Beads
Sexy e Solidali
By Missoni
Made in Ghana, all profits from this lovely necklace or
belt (if your waist is small enough) go to an African orphanage. Made from thin,
flexible tubes filled with colorful little beads, each piece of jewelry also has
three bells inside in accordance with some African superstituion. You can buy
this jewelry in any Missoni store or at
www.oafrica.org
Madelyn’s favorite Italian wines
Rosa Regale by Castello Banfi
Prosecco
Brachetto
Rome
RICK STEVE’S ROME 2004
Avalon Travel Publishing
www.Ricksteves.com
SHOPPING IN ROME
Insights Guide
www.insightguides.com
INSIGHT GUIDE INSTANT ROME
www.insightguides.com
ACCESS ROME
By Richard Saul Wurman
HarperResource
www.harpercollins.com
INSIGHT FLEXIMAP ROME
Laminated for durability
www.insightguides.com
Wear your favorite city on a scarf! Tasaram's 100% silk Map
Scarves feature detailed street plans of London, Paris, Rome, New York, San
Francisco and Washington, D.C. with more cities coming soon.
www.mapscarves.com
BERLITZ City Guidemap
www.berlitzpublishing.com
WHERE TO STAY
Cavalieri Hilton
Via Cadiolo 101
Girosol BandB
www.girasolereale.com
info@girasolereale.com
MOBILE PH +393476204172
HOME PH +39065084265
FAX PH +39065084265
WHERE TO EAT
Try brunch at the Cavalieri Hilton or dine in their rooftop Garden which has two
Michelin stars
Rome Cavalieri Hilton
via A. Cadlolo, 101
00136 Rome, Italy
tel+39 06 35092233
fax+39 06 35450331
www.cavalieri-hilton.it
www.hilton.com
L’Olimpo is a rooftop restaurant above Ber…….with a
fabulous view of Rome. Enjoy a wonderful panorama over the town from a very
central location
SINA HOTELS -Piazza Barberini,23 - 00187
Gui dal Ponte
Il Ristorante Galleggiante
335 231119 or 349 679651
Lunch 12:15 to 2:30 Pm
Dinner 7:45 to 10:45 pm
My best Roman buddy, artist and entrepreneur Barbara Reale,
is a frequent diner here and she shared this favorite with me. An award winning
international chef is running the inspired kitchen. Fresh fish that tastes like
it just jumped out of the water and exquisitely presented pastas are followed by
some of the best desserts I have had in Rome. Don’t miss the crispy sugar basket
filled with lemon cream and garnished with raspberries.
You can get there by car or take the glorious river boat Tevere Green.
Antica Trattoria Trilussa
Via di Ponte Sisto, 80
Roma 00153
Phone 06 5883411
My friend Rose Lee Hayden who lived in the Trastevere area took me to this local
favorite. Reasonable prices, great food, and friendly service. Sit outside on a
nice day.
BEST MEAL DEAL IN ROME
I ate my last super here, and I was frustrated I had not found this wonderful
local restaurant sooner. The trendy graphics and lighting caught my eye. I
wandered in for a pizza, and found they had a free buffet of pasta, pizza and
salad if you ordered a drink. I had a sweet red bubbly wine (5 euro) and gorged
myself on pizza. They have a salad and do it yourself sauce pasta at lunch plus
an inexpensive breakfast buffet. Right near the train and not far from the
metro, this is a bargain in a city where there are not many dining bargains.
When coke costs 4 euro in a nothing special place near the Vatican, it is hard
to believe you can get a good glass of Brachetto and a whole dinner for only a
Euro more. Be sure to go downstairs (the steps are see through glass) to see the
trendy bathroom and wine cellar.
The name means Double Zero.
Doppiozeroo
Vis Ostiense 68
06 5730 1961
www.doppiozeroo.it
info@doppiozeroo.it
WHERE TO SHOP
The God Store
If shopping is your religion, you will worship this store. It has nothing to do
with the Vatican, but sells many religious items and great souvenirs at absolute
bargain prices. I bought two necklaces for five Euro each (just over Six
dollars). Scarves were less than four euro. This could be a wonderful one stop
shopping place for gifts to bring home. Brunelli Dr. Armando
Vicolo del Quartiere 7
06 5895690
info@brunelliarmando.com
www.brunelliarmando.com
MOST RELAXING WAY TO SEE ROME FROM TIBER
Take a scenic riverboat ride down the Tiber on specially designed boats that are
quiet and do not disturb the local animals. Imagine hearing the birds chirping
and fish jumping out of the water in the middle of Rome. This is a great morning
tour for weary travelers who will be refreshed by the fresh air and interesting
commentary on the historic journey Romans took down this river at different
times in history. The boat tour goes to Giu dal Ponte restaurant where you can
get a wonderful meal. Once a month there is an evening romance cruise.
www.teveregreen.it
info@teveregreen.it
335 231119 or 349 679651
BEST GUIDE
If being a guide runs in your blood, Angelica Vinaccia has the best genes. Like
her father, she has been a guide her whole life and her English and Spanish
skills are exceptional. She is very knowledgeable and charming and so beautiful
I would hate her if she weren’t so helpful.
Agelica Vinaccia
Angelicavin@tin.it
347 9109704
068602795
BEST CHOCOLATE SHOP
If you tire of Italian gelato, the next best indulgence is always chocolate. Try
their delicious pralines with peperoncino and the sacher torte.
VALZANI
Via Del Moro n. 37 a/b
06/580 3792
Fax 06/580 3792
valzani@tiscali.it
www.valzani.it
Milan
WHERE TO STAY
I discovered the wonderful Starhotels on this trip to Italy. Many of them in
Milan are near the railroad station, others in particularly convenient
locations.
I stayed at the very spiffy and stylish Starhotel Anderson. The staff was
outstanding and my room was extremely well thought out. Late in my trip, I
stayed at another four star hotel (not mentioned in the story—in fact, I would
rate that other hotel unmentionable) and I could not believe how much better the
Starhotel Anderson was. Starhotel Anderson is a great value and at the top of
its category.
STARHOTELS S.p.A.
Telephone: +39 055 3692.619
Fax: +39 055 3692.4
www.starhotels.com
WHERE TO EAT IN MILAN
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MILANO
Cognoscenti all gather at the Four Seasons for power meals, whether they be in
fashion, finance, or just in Milan to have fun.
I had dinner at La Verandah the first night I was in town
and it certainly set the standard. Zucchini blossoms where in season, so I had
the zucchini in blossom stuffed with ricotta cheese and mint. A feast for the
eyes and the palate, this delicious dish is the only food dish pictured on the
menu. Wise choice. I tasted my companion’s Zibello ham with spring salad and
melon pearls and although it was delicious, the zucchini blossoms make my
must-order-this-whenever-I-am-in-Milan list.
Our next course was a whole-wheat “cannelloni” pasta with
burrata fresh cheese and mozzarella, dried and fresh cherry tomatoes and arugola.
I barely had room for the typical Veal cutlet, Milanese style.
When I told the maitre d that my favorite Italian wine was
Rosa Regale from Banfi Prosecco Costello, he suggested a local wine from the “Po” River
(70 miles from Milan) Cabanon Rose was a wonderful choice.
L’OPERA in the Hotel de Ville is the place for a power
lunch when you are in the downtown financial district. The elegantly traditional
room serves classical Italian cuisine and I had my best risotto Milanese here.
Another standout dish is the smoked tuna with yogurt sauce and melon pearls, a
daily special on the afternoon I dined there.
L’Opera
Via Hoepli, 6
20121 Milano
02 805 1231
BEST ICE CREAM
Italians love their gelatos, and tourists also find them a treat. One of my
favorite guidebooks, Knopf Mapguides, lists the best ice cream stores in each
region. Although I would have loved to have done that research, I will share
with you the most unique ice-creams and sorbets that I found. They were at the
Four Seasons Milan. Just a few of the fabulous flavors include: yogurt and broad
bean, fennel (these are the two I tried and both were much more delicious than
they sounded). Other times you can try saffron, basil-tomato, oil oil, mandarin
and mint, mandarin and rosemary and red hot chili pepper sorbet.
DESIGNING PALATES
There seems to be a trend for designers and top stores to have restaurants. Try
some of these delicious designer restaurants but don’t eat too much or you will
never fit into the Italian clothes.
10 Corso Como Café
02 6592015
Just Cavalli
Via Camonens Torre
Branca Milano
02 311817
Bozart Café
Look for the jewelry on the first floor in the Bozart corner.
02 76316153
MOST EROTIC RESTAURANT NAME
69. This small restaurant is a refined, exclusive place that unites the best in
the latest rends in design, music and high cuisine. The garden is a strong point
for romantics. The bar is an imposing island faced in onyx marble and back
lighted.
BEST CHOCOLATE DESSERT
L’Opera in Hotel de Ville has the richest, most decadent chocolate dessert in
Milan (although I will continue on researching this project). A chocolate
soufflé-like cake with a thick, creamy center that flows out over the
surrounding fresh strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.
L’Opera
Via Hoepli, 6
20121 Milano
02 805 1231
BEST COFFEE SERVICE
Individual shots are served at Café Noir in the Gray Hotel. Choose your coffee
from an impressive presentation and then sit back and sip in the most sensual
coffee lounge in town.
Café Noir
Via San Raffaele, 6
20121 Milano, Italy
39 02 720 89 5.50
MOST EROTIC ROOM AMMENITY
Both the hotels I stayed in offered Delicate Wash in a bottle in the bathroom. I
finally discovered this was for washing your private parts, not your underwear
or cleaning the bidet.
BEST CEMETERY
People in Milan do everything with Style. Even their cemeteries are worth
touring. Milan Monumental Cemetery is worth an hour or two if you appreciate
architecture and design.
Cimitero Monumental
P.le Cimitero Monumentale
02 6599938
Open Tuesday to Sunday 8:30 to 17:30
Closed on Monday
Underground line 2. Stop Garibaldi FS (seems appropriate to take the underground
to a cemetery)
BEST GUIDE
Paola’s English is better than mine. And she knows everything imaginable about
Italian art and artist. She could teach a history of art class in her spare
time. What I liked best about her was her responsiveness, when she learned I was
interested in theatre and music, she added a stop to La Scala and the museum.
MILAN
KNOPF MAPGUIDES
The city in section by section maps
www.aaknopf.com
Venice
WHERE TO EAT IN VENICE
The Met. This Michelin Star restaurant in the Metropole Hotel got rave reviews
from everyone I spoke to. I planned to eat there and had already selected what I
was going to order –the donkey stew, the eight part chocolate dessert and more.
But an impending train strike meant I had to leave early to get to my next
destination. Just one more good reason to get back.
Riva degli Schiavoni, 4149, I - 30122 Venezia, Tel. +39 041/5 20 50 44
Osteria da Bacco. When in Italy, eat where the Italians
eat. I followed this maxim, (actually, I followed three handsome gondoliers) to
Osteria da Bacco. A friendly bar with wonderful sandwiches at bargain prices, it
was a great stop. They sell half sandwiches, so you can try more. I enjoyed a
fresh mushroom sandwich, a poscuitto and cheese sandwich and a grilled eggplant
and cheese with tomato on a rosemary foccacio. Including a bottle of water my
tab was less than 9 Euro, or about ten dollars.
Osteria da Bacco, Di Angiolin Franco, Castello 4620. Tel 041-522-2887
RICK STEVES’ VENICE 2005
Avalon Travel Publishing
www.ricksteves.com
BERLITZ Venice City GuideMap
www.berlitzpublishing.com
VENICE IN CONTEXT
By Robert Wayne
Includes two CD’s
www.europeincontext.com
INSIGHT POCKET GUIDE VENICE
www.insightguides.com
INSIGHT GUIDE INSTANT VENICE
www.insightguides.com
Florence
BERLITZ Florence City GuideMap
www.berlitzpublishing.com
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES OF FLORENCE
Insight Guides
www.insightguides.com
Rick Steve’s Florence and Tuscany 1004
Avalon Travel Publishing
www.ricksteves.com
INSIGHT FLEXIMAP FLORENCE
Laminated, easy to use
www.insightguides.com
INSIGHT MUSEUM MAP FLORENCE
Includes all major museums and galleries
www.insightguides.com
Tuscany and Umbria
Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria
By James Lasdun and Pia Davis
This book brings walkers and food lovers into the dazzling landscapes and hidden
delights of two the Italy’s loveliest provinces.
A Penguin Book
www.penguin.com
Italian Lakes
Knopf Mapguides
Italian Lakes
www.aaknopf.com
Italian Literature to Get You in the Mood
VENETIAN STORIES
By Jane Turner Ruylands
Pantheon Books
www.pantheon.com
The thoroughly engaging characters who are the focus of
these stories are from different backgrounds and various Venetian neighborhoods,
but their lives—and the stories—overlap and intersect in surprising and playful
ways.
CASA ROSA
By Francesca Marciano
(author of Rules of the Wild)
Pantheon Books
www.pantheonbooks.com
A mesmerizing story of three generations of a
twentieth-century Italian family who lived in a farmous in Puglia.
JOHN PAUL II
A personal portrait of the Pope and the Man
By Ray Flynn
St. Martin’s Press
www.stmartins.com
BEHIND LOCKED DOORS
By Frederic Baumgartner
The author is a former president of the American Catholic Historical Association
and takes readers behind the scenes and offers an insider’s view on the highly
secretive Papal Conclave.
Palgrave Macmillan
www.palgrave-usa.com
DANCES WITH LUIGI
By Paul Paolicelli
A moving an intimate memoir of award-winning television journalist Paul
Paolicelli’s ancestral search.
UNDER THE SOUTHERN SUN
By Paul Paolicelli
Stories of the Real Italy and the Americans it Created
Part Travelogue, part journalism and part sociological study, this book follows
Paolicelli as he explores Southern Italy dealing with the concept of heritage.
Thomas Dunne Books
A division of St Martin’s press
www.stmartins.com
VENICE AGAINST THE SEA
A city Besieged
By John Keahy
In a few years, much of Venice may be under water...can this beautiful city be
saved?
Thomas Dunne Books
A division of St Martin’s press
www.stmartins.com
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