Comments on: Gelati. Cortona’s got the A-List

by: adrienne fong

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 02:52:11 +0000

Ciao Don,
That comment by Marco is too funny. It reminds me of how Native Americans and the Hawaiians as well, believe that no one can “own” the land or the sky and stars, the sun and sea. And to Marco, that also includes the church steps. I guess Italians often demonstrate that same kind of expansiveness? Was it Frances Mayes who wrote about being able to walk on someone’s property in the Italian countryside without fear of trepassing? I love Ed Mayes. Have you tried his recipe for meat sauce for gnocchi in Bringing Tuscany Home? It is deelish. My husband and I are defintely city folk. My grandparents were farmers on both sides of my family so I also have a connection to the country as well. But wherever we’ve lived, we’ve always situated ourselves in a neighborhood that has a kind of village sensibility, whether it be Honolulu, New York City or San Francisco. We like shopping locally, knowing our merchants and neighbors and being able to walk into town, particularly for a good cup of coffee and homemade pastries before we tool around.

by: Don Waller

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:12:44 +0000

Ciao Adrienne, The first time we got a glass of wine from Marco, we asked which chairs in the piazza were his. He said, “Do you see the steps on the church over there? They’re mine.” We’ve met some interesting people on those steps including Francs Mayes” (Under The Tuscan Sun) husband, Andre Rieu (The concert violinist who held a concert in the piazza) and Rick Steves. My wife Jodi is seen in his show on Italian Hill Towns, retrieving another glass of vino from the enoteca in the background. A great place to meet people. Yes, America is a bit puritanical, isn’t it? It’s interesting that there isn’t a minimum drinking age in Italy, but they don’t have the alcohol problem that we do. Why do you think that is?
Our place is in the country about 4km from Castiglione del Lago. Do you stay in the country on your travels or do you only stay in cities?

by: adrienne fong

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:22:39 +0000

Ciao Don. Sitting on the church steps with a glass of wine from Molesini Enoteca on a sunny afternoon in Cortona is now on my list of to-dos for our trip to Italia next summer. For I would have never ventured to do that since I’m most certain that if I tried to sip a glass of wine on the steps of our neighborhood church (where they filmed the movie Sister Act), I suspect that it would be a matter of minutes before mortified residents would call la polizia! Maybe if I attempt to explain what inspired me in (my dismal) Italian, they might come to appreciate the different cultural perspective and kindly send me on my way. Grazie for your story about your experiences in Italia. It’s helping us imagine the kind of stay that we’re yearning for.

by: Don Waller

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:37:38 +0000

Grazie Stew, you’ve certainly got this right.
I think the Bar Alise across form the train station in Castiglione del Lago is my favorite. About three weeks ago I was having an espresso at the Alise and discussing grappa with Sergio, the owner, and his wife Danielle offered me a taste of fig gelato that they had just made. WOW! Sergio gave me a taste of grappa that tasted like roses smell, but I digress . . .
When we go to Cortona, we always go to the Molesini Enoteca on the lower piazza and get a glass of wine to sip on the church steps. Marco’s family has owned this enoteca for several generations and he can steer you to a good bottle of wine. A very good guy. On our way back to the car we often stop at Snoopys gelato. I’m not an ice cream guy, but after a nice glass of wine while people watching . . . . how good can it get?

by: adrienne fong

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 01:32:47 +0000

Midway through reading about gelati italiani, I made a sprint for the fridge and scooped up a full bowl of our locally made ultra chocolate ice cream. Returned to continue reading the post with the feeling that I too was enjoying gelato in Italia. Yummy. Loved the story about how Preciso Primo came to pick up the garden trimmings. Molto gentile. Later that day, I found myself knee-deep in our long neglected garden, trimming and pruning away, too. Discovered three just-ripe apricots and one perfect blackberry. Grazie. For those of us who cannot be in Italia this year, Stew’s terrific posts offer little lessons in how to live with a bit of la dolce vita here at home until we get there. ps: My husband’s hoping that if Stew or Midge would maybe write about Italian cooking, perhaps I’d be more inclined to learn to cook? hah!

by: sshahawy

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 02:55:55 +0000

OK. this post just makes this hot New England day soooo much harder. Not sure regular old ice cream will ever do it after these descriptions. :) sss