Pitlochry – Train journeys with ScotRail Club 50 to Winter Words Festival
Birthdays are a time for celebration, some would say but when you hit a significant number the birthday wishes come in all sorts of disguises.
Category Archives: Italian
Pizzeria1926 – authentic Neapolitan pizza in Edinburgh
Locanda de Gusti is one of my favourite restaurants and regular readers know that I’m a fan of its owner, Rosario Sartore. Back in October he told me he was opening a Neapolitan pizza restaurant across the road: last week it opened. I was there on day two.
Menabrea: Something Old, Something New
As the oldest commercially produced beer in Italy, Menabrea enjoys a reputation as something authentic and special. Its two varieties, ‘Bionda,’ a pale lager and ‘Ambrata,’ an amber-coloured ale, have been brewed solely at Menabrea’s brewery near Turin since 1846. A combination of maize and barley from Champagne, hops from…
Gusto: devouring the new menu
The first thing that struck me on entering Gusto was that the inside of the restaurant was much bigger than I had expected. The double height ceiling gives the main dining area a real feeling of space, and the decor is chic without being overly fussy. The Cheese Friend and…
Enzo bar and restaurant: stylish Italian adds glamour to the Quartermile
Edinburgh’s Quartermile has changed a lot since it was a ramshackle hospital. I was rather fond of the place – it’s convenient with a hospital in the middle of town – but have followed the area’s change with interest. Over the last few years, more of the flats have been…
Making pasta with Rosario Sartore at Locanda de Gusti
On a sunny Sunday morning, I turned up at Locanda de Gusti to learn how to make pasta with chef Rosario Sartore. In two hours, he showed me how to make and shape three types of dough: Egg pasta – a denser dough used to pick up heavier sauces. Standard, or egg-free pasta…
Valcomino Expo showcases the best from Valle di Comino in Italy
The wonderful world of food blogging brings with it PR opportunities of various types. Sometimes new products are looking for people to give them a road test, sometimes restaurants invite you along to launch events and at other times there are invitations to review places free of charge. Few of…
Locanda de Gusti reopens in Dalry
Locanda de Gusti’s proprietor and chef, Rosario Sartore, has a passion for Italian food. He wants to introduce Edinburgh diners to real Italian food, specifically, the flavours of Naples. Southern Italian cuisine is about great ingredients, treated simply and cooked quickly. Last week, I was invited to Rosario’s new venue I got to sample…
Pizza Express launches Express Lunch menu
You’ll know Pizza Express, they’re a well-established pizza chain that focuses on Italian-style pizza: thin bases and interesting toppings; pizzas that don’t swim in cheese. The company has quite a following and even have a range of pizzas and dough balls that sell through supermarkets. For Spring 2014, Pizza Express has a new menu…
Pasta with Love – fabulous fresh pasta, made in Scotland
I first came across Pasta with Love at the Stockbridge Farmer’s Market in the summer. I was hungry and looking for lunch, they were there selling fresh pasta to take home, as well as cooking portions and serving them with puttanesca, one of my favourite sauces. I bought a portion…