My social circles have shrunk noticeably in the last 9 months. I no longer host dinner parties for 20, or 10 or really anyone anymore. Rarely do I meet friends for dinner or cocktails (maybe 6 times since March) and now with the new restrictions even those options are off the table. Socializing has become…
Recently I popped into Trieste Funghi to see what was in stock. Apart from big beautiful porcini, vibrant orange ovuli and yellow frilly chantarelles, there were an assortment of white and black truffles of varying sizes and a basket of dried, homemade tagliatelle. Without batting a lash, I bought 2 truffles and a package of noodles and voila’ dinner was figured out!
Now is the perfect time to visit TRIESTE FUNGHI – When I first arrived to Trieste, I discovered the most surprising and magical little shop, Funghi Trieste. I don’t remember now if back then they also had the fruit and vegetable shop next door, but as I recall, in 2015 it was just a tiny…
Just a little ways down from the Teatro Romano is a wonderful little ice cream shop called Gelato Marco. I was just there yesterday and witnessed a lady peering into the case, hands on head, while she desperately tried to make up her mind as to what to order. Her buddy laughed as it was…
In Piazza Giotti, just across the street from the Jewish Synagogue is a wonderful little deli or Salumeria run by the Fontanot family. The walls and doors outside are covered with signs describing their inventory. But right away you sense there is something different. Perhaps the meticulous and measured calligraphy evoking some medieval manuscript or…
There is a delightful little street hidden behind Corso Italia called Via Degli Artisti which is home to several cute shops, among them, a little gem called TEA TIME which sells a vast assortment of teas and spices. When you walk in, you realize that this is much more than a tea shop, it is…
Love fish but hate to cook it? Don’t know how to cook it? Don’t like the smell of fish stinking up your apartment? Oh boy, do I have a great solution for you! AL GAMBERO is the fish market that cooks and delivers to you — or — you can go to either of their…
Last month, on January 24, amid little fanfare or celebration, the Despar supermarket opened its doors onto Piazza Unita’. Long awaited, much debated and controversial, the arrival of a supermarket on the most iconic piazza in Italy was largely frowned upon by almost everyone in Trieste, concerned that it would “cheapen” the piazza and quickly…
On a little winding side street, in the old neighborhood of Cavana one finds TERRA MATER, a little gourmet shop specialized in bringing to market small producer delicacies native to the Friuli, Venezia Giulia Region. The shop opened a little less than a year ago under the guidance of Ervin Rama, and with the help…
My awareness of the increasingly widespread problem of gluten intolerance has grown enormously since I moved to Italy. It seems ironic that a country that is synonymous with pasta and some of the most amazing bread in the world should have such a high incidence of sufferers. According to the Italian Health Commission on Celiac…
Where do Triestines go when they are looking for authentic home-cooked meals? Look no further than Mariabologna. I have often passed by this shop in Via Cesare Battisti and and immediately sensed that there was something special about this shop…that somehow time had stood still here, preserving all that was good. From the vintage whimsical…
Mase’ is the ubiquitous deli or “salumeria” of Trieste, specializing in Triestine delicacies. The stores are stocked with a variety of products from; dry goods like pasta and grains to wines and sausages, cheeses and precooked dishes and, of course, the assortment of “salumi” featuring the “Cotto Triestino”. Mase’ was created by two brothers who moved to…
Just up the hill near the Tram stop in Opicina, there is a remarkable shop specialized in frozen foods. When I say frozen goods I mean — EVERY KIND OF FROZEN FOOD IMAGINABLE — It’s basically the Disneyland of frozen food. Even if you never buy frozen, it is a SIGHT TO SEE! You can find…
Trieste is an international city where many cultures converge and, while we all enjoy the local fare (and what’s not to like?) every now and then we want a taste of “home”. Luckily, Trieste has several well-stocked ethnic food shops that make it easier to re-create those dishes that bring us back. For me, I…
Gelateria Arnoldo O. on Viale Miramare, continues to satisfy triestines’ and tourists’ ice-cream cravings alike. The story goes that the Arnoldo brothers, Attilio and Olivio, to escape the misery of life in Val di Zoldo, a small mountain town in the region, headed to Vienna to learn how to make ice-cream. When WW1 erupted they returned to…
