I'm pinching myself, but it's true: I leave for Italy this morning on a short trip. Venice, to be precise. I've never been — have you? Have you visited there or other places in Italy, and if so, what was the best kitchen souvenir you brought back?
I try not to buy much when I travel — the bags are heavy enough as it is, and often gourmet foods are nearly as available (and cheaper, thanks to the exchange rate) right here in the States. But if there's something special or interesting that is worth buying there — whether it's a tool or an edible treat — I'm willing to seek it out.
I also always look for local food magazines. Even if I can't understand the language it's fun to flip through. And I try to find a local recipe to recreate at home.
What about you? What's the very best thing — culinary or no — that you brought back from Italy?
More Travel Souvenirs: Tasty Travels: What Was Your Best Edible Souvenir?
(Image: Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan)
TW Salt Mill by Wil...

A belly full of gelato.
Just the experience of it all.. We ate our way through Italy, and took a private cooking class from our BnB hostess in Tuscany. We have great memories of wine and food, cooking and eating, and eating some more. I did get a nice nice bottle of olive oil for my mom. She's afraid to use it!
I bought olive wood salad tongs while in Italy: beautiful, useful, and they don't take up much space or weight in your luggage. Enjoy Venice - it is amazing.
I brought back a ravioli cutter and a gnocchi board, which were each really cheap and small, so they were easy to fit in the suitcase. I know I can get them here, but every time I use them, they make me smile! As far as foods go, I usually bring back something jarred--terrines from Paris, tomato jam and spicy chili jam from Puglia, pimenton from Spain.
The very best thing from Venice is glass. Murano glass. Goblets, chandeliers, statues - you name it. Pricey, a pain to bring back, but (probably) totally worth it. Not that I've done it :) but do as I say, not as I do. :) Next time I go, it's on my list.
Another fun little thing from Italy is Baci - they're chocolate hazelnut candies.
Although not a kitchen souvenir that you can take with you, my favorite thing from our trip to Venice last May was the meal we had at Osteria La Bottega ai Promessi Sposi. If you could get them to teach you how they made their grilled sea bass, that would be a souvenir worth bringing home.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187870-d1487722-Reviews-Osteria_La_Bottega_ai_Promessi_Sposi-Venice_Veneto.html
I bought a wooden spoon/spatula with a hole in the middle, like this: http://www.edwardssmithfinewoodworking.com/treenware/handmade-wooden-kitchen-utensils-14.html
We had used a similar one in our cooking class, and I came upon a cute shop in Bellagio that sold wooden everything - toys, kitchen utensils, etc. It's a lightweight, cheap souveneir that I still use on a regular basis.
my mother just visited Italy and brought back espresso coffee beans and black truffle salt for me. Love them both.
my first trip to italy was after grad school and I brought back a one shot stovetop espresso maker. it was perfect for a single girl who was living in an apartment, and had no money for fancy coffee drinks. I made great espresso at home!
Have so much fun in Italy! I'm heading there next summer and plan to get some fun pasta tools
www.thinkwelllovewelldinewell.wordpress.com
Definitely Murano glass...as for food, you have to try Ginseng Espresso (if you love espresso like I do!!) I've actually brought that back with me numerous times! ;-)
I always hit the supermarkets and grocery stores for souvenirs. Here's my shopping list:
1. candy (chocolates, tiny hard candies, marzipan fruit, chewing gum)
2. pasta with unique shapes
3. boxed sauces or mixes
4. crostini, crackers, cookies (e.g. cantucci, riccarelli, pignole)
5. baking goods like sanding sugars, almond paste, marzipan, flavorings, preserved fruit
6. dried porcini and morels, prices tend to be much better in Italy
7. Salts and sugars
8. cheese
9. capers, tuna, anchovies, canned chestnuts, dried herbs
Non-food items:
espresso pot (insanely inexpensive compared to US)
little spoons, smaller than a traditional teaspoon
cloth napkins
any kind of linen product
soaps and artisan bath products (my sister bought me a vanilla scented bath kits from Venice that I adored, unfortunately she does not remember where she got it from)
leather goods
A Bialetti coffeemaker - they come in all sizes! We got a really cute one like this: http://pinterest.com/pin/42925002669348673/ Then you can shop for a couple unique espresso mugs, too!
Venice is majestic. It will take your breath away.
Ahhh Venice! Hope you'll enjoy it. It's absolutely enchanting.
I second (or third) Murano glass. I regret not buying one when I was there. It could have been a lovely centerpiece. They do cost an arm and a leg, but in hindsight, totally worth it.
Last time I went, I brought back huge bags of Italian spices, truffle oil, and sundried tomatoes. They don't take up much space and not heavy at all. I cook with them often and always remind me of Italy.
Table linen is a great souvenir and last forever. Bertozzi linen is made in Italy/Tuscany; it's thick and lovely with printed single or multi colored floral and abstract designs. I got a table cloth in Siena and regretting not getting more. You can google the brand above and only one place online sells it (that I've found), just make sure you measure your table before you go (and convert to centimeters)
White Truffles stashed in a jar of rice smuggled through customs.
I agree a "Moka" (stovetop espresso maker) is the best thing to buy - but do know Bialetti is no longer made in Italy.
I bought a hand painted espresso cup set from this little shop and then also a ceramic hand paintred garlic grater and love them both. They are both useful and beautiful .
I picked up some red pepper and squid ink pasta noodles as a gift for my sister. She and her family loved the stuff and ran around OKC trying to find more.
+1 on linens and glass. Food-wise, if you'll use them, go for the items that can be hard to find and/or have ridiculous prices in the States - pistachio paste, marasca cherries, "unusual" pasta shapes. Also, Nutella often has special edition jars that you can't get in the States, usually tied to kids movies, but not always. They make great salad dressing shakers.
Groceries.
We used to live in Geneva, and would drive to Torino for lunch -- and stop at Eataly to buy groceries. Best steaks I've ever had have all been from Italy...
Since you can't bring home groceries, and you are going to Venice...
I'd start with a food memory and good photos.
Stop in for some prosecco at the Pasticceria Rizzardini in the early evening, like Venetians on their way home. Buy some Esse and Zaletti -- theirs are the best. Photograph their windows, lit up in the early evening of autumn... (we stayed nearby, just down the calle, and it was a joy to pop in on our way home)
http://11870.com/pro/pasticceria-rizzardini/media/b127d9cf
Maybe head over to Murano to find some lovely "goti di fornasa" from Marie Branadolini, glasses used by the craftsmen of Murano during their "beer breaks". There are three shops that carry them in Venice too, but hunting them down in Murano might be fun.
http://www.lagunab.com/inglese-catalogo.html
There is a little shop which sells Rina Menardi ceramics, which are made nearby on the mainland. Her work is exquisite, and food would look fabulous in it.
http://www.rinamenardi.com/
Other kitchen souvenirs are Berti knives, but they are in Tuscany, and San Lorenzo silver pots from Milan. Maybe there is a source in Venice for them though...
http://www.coltellerieberti.it/catalogo/enfasi.asp?idm=2&idc=10
http://www.sanlorenzosilver.it/web/prodotti_collezione_dettaglio.php?valo=e_14_130
Why are people suggesting Moka/Bialetti pots? They are a dime a dozen here in the states. You can find them everywhere now for as cheap as $10.
If it were me, I'd be looking for some good wine/spirits and maybe something handcrafted by local artisans. Whether its wood, glass, pottery, etc...
A marble rolling pin ! Sun-dried tomatoes (not the ones in olive oil, just the tomatoes, you can find them for about 12-15 euros for 2 pounds and they last forever) ! Dehydrated Porcini broth !
One of my fave dishes from Venice was pasta with squid ink sauce (nero di seppia) - I have yet to recreate this at home but I hope someone will sell me the squid ink.
I bought some beautiful glass wine stoppers from Venice and gave a few away as gifts - everyone loves them!
I actually didn't buy any food or cooking items to bring home--I just ate as much as I possibly could, took as many pictures as possible, and just tried to remember everything. Nothing I ate there would taste the same at home.
My favorite souvenirs, though, were the maps from our hikes with our routes highlighted and the few scarves I bought (discovered later they weren't made it Italy, but oh well, I still bought them there and they still reminded of the country).
Murano glass wrapped in lovely table linens.
I brought back a bag of sun dried tomatoes from the outdoor market/farmers market to the west of the Rialto. Also, if it's hot, stop by Baccaro Jazz for a Mojito. It's right next to the post office off of Campo San Bartolomeo (to the east of the Rialto).
When I went I got tea towels of the places we went (every cheap souvenir place had them) and a ceramic spoon rest from Sorrento (I like stuff like that as a small, easy way to remember my trip in my kitchen)
Definitely buy some olive oil though if you can. It's just not like what we get here (unless you want to spend an arm and a leg) and is cheap and delicious.
My Italian had-to-buy was a Moka pot! They sell them here but I love that mine is from a weekend street market in Rome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot
Venice you'd want to bring back Murano glass and some lace, napkins or a tablecloth for instance.
In Venice, there is a vendor of wooden utensils on the market side of the Rialto, just after the arcade after you come down from the bridge. All kinds of handmade spoons, spatulas, and scoops.
My favorite kitchen material to buy in Tuscany is olive wood boards for cutting and for cheese.
Markets (the neighborhood kind, not the tourist kind) are the best place to stock up on cheap items such as oil and vinegar dispensers and a plethora of other things. There are also stores called Mesticcherie that specialize in kitchen items.
Make sure you have a Spritz, otherwise it's not a proper trip to Venice. And mantecato di baccalà (stockfish dip). The Rialto market is a must-see for foodies.
Oh, and the local glasses used to sell an "ombra" (small glass of wine) are very nice, and I've neer seen those outside Italy.
I don't second the Murano glass. The real thing is very hard to come across in Venice and terribly expensive.
Bottle opener with a picture of the Pope on it. I feel blessed every time I open a beer.
I think the only thing I purchased in Venice while I was there earlier this year was a small Murano glass trinket that didn't take up much space since I still had 10 more days traveling around Italy with a suitcase and a backpack that was pretty much full.
Don't have a comment on what to bring back more a request on what not to. Irritates me to no end when people think its amusing or clever to hide food or plants that they may not be allowed to keep on their return from overseas. Farmers have enough of a struggle as it is to make a living without the threat of disease coming in from overseas. We all seem to care about the quality of food available to us here, and we all need to have some responsibility to keep it that way.
Kitchen things wouldn't be easy to shop for in Venice, its basically a giant museum/tourist trap (though a really beautiful one), so not many shops selling everyday stuff. Its a struggel for Venetians who have seen most grocery stores disappearing and being replaced with shops selling cheap tacky souvenirs or maybe some overpriced food items for tourists (like fancy, overpriced olive oil, handmade pasta ect). That said, I wouldn't necessarily buy olive oil or something like that (which isn't Veneto region anyway as far as I know), which you can buy in the states too. If you find a nice bakery how about bringing some pastries back? Maybe burano biscotti, a speciality from nearby Burano. Or maybe you could buy a wine from the Veneto? Something I always like to do is going into a cheese shop (or if there's a cheese stand on the market) and ask for regional specialities- not the famous one's which you can buy worldwide, but the more unknown ones. Not really something to bring home, but nice to eat while there, with some bread, tomatos and fruits it makes a pretty nice meal. Especially since it can be difficult to find restaurants in Venezia that aren't tourist traps.
Glass products shouldn't be bought in Venice but in Murano.
I second the Pope bottle opener. Makes me laugh every time I open a beer. Found both Benedict & JP2 so I feel doubly blessed. And pop into a grocery store for porcini bouillon cubes. They are awesome and I've yet to find them here. Best souvenir ever.
My lovely girlfriend returns from Italy this weekend, and I requested linens of any sort (but that we could use regularly) and/or coffee. Based on the comments, I made a good choice with linens! Can't wait to see what she brings.
When we were in Venice, we stumbled on an Alessi store - some of the coolest, most stylish kitchen gadgets I've ever seen. You can find them in North America, but they're usually crazy expensive. As they are in Italy. But a neat souvenir.
I second the 'go to Murano if you really need glass'. Much of what's sold in Venice itself is made in China.
The souvenir that makes us happiest is the one we picked up on our first trip to Venice - a sculpture of the forcola - the wooden support the gondoliers use the steer the boats. It's totally unique - everyone always asks about it. The craftsman website is - http://www.forcole.com/eng-workshop.htm
Coffee. I always bring back 3/4 bags of coffee.
I brought back linen dishcloths, white balsamic and candy but they were from Florence. in Venice you may be able to fins some small glasswear or some borano lace.
We spent our honeymoon in Italy and brought back many things! My favourite ones are truffle infused olive oil (delicious!!), a mix of dried vegetables and herbs- great for nearly all dishes but it's a bit hot so beware, butter cookies that I admit just buying for their pretty tins, a regional moka pot and coffee beans/espresso, candles from the supplier of Vatican, Italian cookbook, beautiful jewellery from Murano, lots and lots of cheese any many other stuff that I can't recall right now. Italy is a culinary paradise, as well as original crafts if you know where to look for.
I lived in Italy for a few years and on a trip to Ischia I bought some pasta seasoning from a street vendor. It was literally just a mix of dry herbs and spices- heat up some oil, toss in a few cloves of garlic, cook a bit then throw in the seasoning. Toss with cooked pasta and serve with lots of grated parmesan. To this day I have never been able to replicate the exact flavour blend of that pasta seasoning- I KNOW it's nothing special but six years later I would kill for another bag (or two, or three, or a hundred...).
Try the monkfish at Trattoria da Remigio. Visit Murano, and if you have space in your cases, you can pick up exquisite wine glasses or a beautiful carafe.
Small olive wood cutting boards! We bought some in Bellagio, and they are so great, for decor, for practical uses (cutting and serving while on a picnic) and beautiful serving plates. Here are the ones we got, in my kitchen:
http://and-here-we-are.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/kitchen-how-to-de-modernize.html
a rolling pin to cut Pici pasta. love love love
Second the porcini, or mushroom, bullion.You can buy packs of cubes, very difficult to find here and they're great for homemade mushroom risotto, among many dishes.
We named our pope opener the Popener.
I also shop at supermarkets and department stores to see what the locals use to cook and serve. Even if I can get them at home (like a Moka) I still remember where I bought it every time I use it. I have my coffee makers from my first trip to Italy in 1989 in college. I bought one of each size and still use them all the time!
On the same trip I bought 5 Wusthof knives (my first) in Solingen, Germany and carried them in my backpack for 2 more months!!
Ooooh, have fun! I agree that the best thing is what you can't bring back: the food and atmosphere. Take it all in :)
In Venice, I'd say get some Murano glass. If you want something small, you could get a nice wine stopper or two.
I still remember going into the grocery store and seeing the biggest container of Nutella I'd ever seen. It was huge and shaped like a pitcher, and also made of glass. I didn't get it and to this very day wish I had. The Nutella over there is not the same as the Nutella here in the States, it's way better.
As for the very best thing brought back from Italy, it's this suede leather purse I bought in the San Lorenzo market in Florence, from the very lady who made it. It's seven years old and still looks gorgeous. Can't go wrong with a nice accessory (and it was only 15 Euros! It's not super fancy but it's high-quality and durable).
I am italian... and in my abroad trips I missed a few things:
- Coffee. Real Coffee. so you can buy one of these (the name is CAFFETTIERA or MOKA):
http://www.fratellidelpiano.com/shop/images/img/001/4339.gif
and coffee powder (in any market)
- Pasta. With good dressing.. you'll notice that, in the south, every dressing is with tomato sauce and olive or anchovies or capers... In the northern part, a lot of cream, mushrooms, cheese, cabbages...
- Cheese!!!! in my area there are a lot of kind of cheese.. you HAVE to try TALEGGIO (north), GORGONZOLA (north), BITTO (mountains,north) and MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA (south)
- If you'll be in Lombardy (north of Milano) and if you love nature, you should take a day to visit the VALTELLINA, my advice is "Masino", a little town where you can walk for hours in woods and rivers: http://www.visual-italy.it/media/images/big/Val_di_Mello.JPG (IT'S REALLY AS IN THE PICTURE!!)....
and in VALTELLINA you also have to eat
PIZZOCCHERI: http://www.cateringcorti.com/?p=62
BRASATO AND POLENTA: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r0rCgbKVu6I/TvnB3anrMeI/AAAAAAAACb0/ptl7gjhzh5M/s1600/brasato+con+polenta.jpg
- TIRAMISU. that's the best dessert in italy. or in the entire world.
coffee, savoiardi (strange type of biscuits), cream with eggs and cheese.. cocoa...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Tiramisu_Fanes.jpg
a murano glass pendant, a mask (a real one, not one from a street stall), spices (I just went into a supermarket and grabbed a few more esoteric ones), risotto rice as it's Venice and it's a specialty, delicious white wines as right across from Venice is a wonderful wine region known for it's crisp whites, dried squid ink pasta, lace if you can find some pattern that catches your fancy, and maybe some kitchen tools. Oddly enough I brought home a bottle of dish soap. It was scented with sicilian limes and made scrubbing pots a pleasure while it lasted!
A mezzaluna was my purchase as well as a funky Alessi spaghetti measurer.
If you're in Venice, make a trip to Burano and check out the lace shops. Very expensive but beautifully hand-crafted lace and linens.
As for Murano glass, beware, if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, then it's not real. Even on the island of Murano, there were many shops that had imported small glass pieces from China.
I'd recommend a nice big Italian pottery pasta bowl. They are sturdy for transport and a great conversation piece at dinner parties.
this isn't Venice-specific, but I bought a cheese grater (the kind where the grater is a cylinder) and gelato scooper on two separate trips...
I brought back tons of oregano..it is like none I've ever bought in the states, and it makes everything you cook taste like Tuscany..plus,it is super light ( :
I bought some interesting shapes of pasta, truffle oil, some parmesan cheese, (which was allowed through customs), some coffee beans in a nice canister that I still have & Grappa.
I wish I had bought two un-matching Liqueur glasses on Murano that were pretty expensive but even after 10 years, I think of them all the time. I wish I had bought a Bialetti espresso maker. Yes, I have one I bought here, but if I had bought it there, I would have been reminded of Venice (instead of Target) every time I use it.
Not to buy - we bought a huge thing of Olive Oil, that broke en route. Horrible mess.
Lived in Florence for a bit. The best kitchen thing I have from Italy is a thick and heavy pizza pan hand coated with tin on the business side. It has rolled edges and a ring to hang it so the soft metals don't scratch or dent. It's gorgeous in a handmade, rustic, imperfect way. It was purchased in a tiny store in a small Tuscan town, so long ago I have forgotten exactly where. Maybe outside Lucca? I do remember the seller (a nice old guy) was very concerned that I knew not to cut the pizza on the pan, so many instructions were given in Italian... supplemented with lots of pantomime in case my comprehension was inadequate. I think of that guy when I use the pan.
Oh and I got some beautiful beautiful linens. Oddly enough, it's the dishtowels that I enjoy most. I threw them in as an afterthought, but they've worn very well and they're absorbent and they remind me of Italy when I use them.
If you buy a bottle of wine for a picnic, ask the cashier to open it for you before you leave. We didn't have a wine key while we were there and this was very handy.
Our Italy souvenir was a set of olive oil + vinegar dispensers made in San Gimignano. The guide book warns the town is all tourists on day trips, but we stayed overnight and loved every minute of it. The potter works right in his shop and everything was beautiful. We use them everyday and love them.
A statue of St. Lorenzo--patron of cooks!
For carnival masks, go to Rugadoro, also in San Polo, at Ruga Rialto 1062.
These are actually hand made in Venice, unlike many others, and are very unusual.
http://caraansley.blogspot.ca/2011/06/rugadoro-handmade-carnival-masks.html
Good olive oil! I bought bottles of a gorgeous local version for my family and love seeing it on their tables every time i visit.
Whatever you do, DON'T buy the little bags of spice mixes! They are totally stale and just marketed to tourists. Trust me, Nonna does not cook with them!
Of course, it depends on where in Italy you're going, it's best to buy things close to where they're made. I brought back several smalls wheels of different kinds of Pecorino when I was in Tuscany this spring, along with balsamic vinegar, handmade cherry jam (from an outdoor market) and, of course, estate-pressed olive oil. I usually decant olive oil into an empty water bottle... much lighter to carry that way.
Actually, one of my favorite souvenirs is the market bags from the grocery store (PAM or Coop are two of them). They are bigger than the ones you tend to see in the US and my newest one actually has loops inside to keep wine bottles upright.
buon viaggio!
I second mezza luna, they are not so easy to find in the US and they can be used for a ton of things like cutting pizza, herbs, etc. Every time you use it you'll be sure to smell and think of Italy. Also, the pasta making tools and/or a murano glass spoon holder could be fun.
As far as food...DO NOT LEAVE until you've got yourself some Pan di Stelle. These are perfect for the fall/Christmas season. That and some warm milk/hot chocolate are heaven on earth!
Knorr dried soup and dried pasta from Italy is surprisingly good. Totally different from the ones we can find around here. Love asparagus soup and mushroom pasta.
I'm very disappointed that they don't sell that version of Knorr products in Italian stores here! Also, apple cookies! You can always find pistachio, hazelnut cookies, but apple cookies are very rare here.
Tourist rarely visit supermarkets. But that's where the locals get all the good stuff!
I second the table linen post. YOU MUST get your hands on some. I got a coupla gorgeous handmade tablecloths and regretted not buying a lot more.
I lived in Italy for six months and miss it so. Venice is a dream. For souvenirs, I highly recommend a moka pot and some Baci. If you have a little more to spend, you can't go wrong with good olive oil or a bottle of regional wine. In terms of local eats, hit up Osteria La Zucca for dinner, Da Nico for gelato, and Caffe Florian for drinks. Buon viaggio (e buon appetito)!
3rd the Mezzaluna. Also a food mill. Italians can't make a Sunday sauce w/o one. One with changeable plates and legs that fold out to put on a bowl. Also, gelato spoons. They are square instead of round at end, like little shovels. You can really scrape the bowl with them. Plus they are fun to have around and remind you of all that yummy gelato in Italy.
If you come to Italy you have to buy a copy of "Cucchiaio d'argento", italian cuisine holy bible. Well, I think you'll find it only in italian language, but it's the most important tool.
I live in Ireland where it's very difficult to get fresh tomatoes that aren't salad tomatoes. So when I was in Italy I bought a large tin of pasta, threw out the pasta, brought the tin to a vegetable shop and said "Fill this with tomatoes for pasta pomodoro!". They did and they were gorgeous and every time I open that tin (I do now use it for pasta) I think of it and smile.
Oh and I also got some of those Murano glass bottle stoppers, they're great.
A real Commedia dell'Arte mask at La Bottega del Mascareri (www.mascarer.com) a tiny tiny workshp at the foot of the Rialto Bridge. The first time I went I thougth they were too expensive. The minute I got to the airport I realised my mistake. Four years later I did not hesitate. And get lost in the back streets at dusk.
In Venice is all expensive, so be prepared....
but if you have the money masks, the artisan made ones (not the cheap bought on the streets and made in China) they are gorgeous!
But you were asking about food....
I start with the Donts:
Don't buy pasta in funny shapes and colours: they are just for tourists and not of good quality
Don't buy food in tourists shops. They are handy so near monuments and so on, but the quality is mostly not very good.
and now the Dos:
Do buy coffee from small "torrefazione", small coffee shops where the coffee is roasted on the premises. You can drink the coffee(s) and than decide which one you like best. In Venice and even more in Trieste, is a very old tradition and the quality is definitely above average.
Do visit a "panetteria", a bakery
Do visit some "pasticceria" and buy at least one of these: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Shop_Windows_IMG_3911.JPG
There you can buy funny things like candied violets (in the same image above, bottom), mint and mimosa too and bignè and a lot of other treats.
If you find it, do visit a street market! And enjoy the food:
In this season try fresh tomatoes (the ones that have all different shapes and dimensions are the "real ones")
soft kakis
figs (if you still find them)
Cooking tools:
A part from the already mentioned ravioli cutter and gnocchi board, there is not much you can buy. The marble rolling pin is maybe nice to look at but not much to make pasta or anything else. The real one is some 4-5cm across and 60-100cm long and made of wood.
Food magazines:
Sale e Pepe http://www.giornalilocali.it/riviste-casa-e-cucina/sale-pepe.htm
La Cucina Italiana http://www.lacucinaitaliana.it/default.aspx?idPage=824
PS
Line brakes, at least in preview do not work!
When we spent time in Italy, we had a lot of long, wonderful summer dinners with friends and were introduced to lemoncello (sp?), a lemon liquor which is served in short, thin glasses. As a reminder of the lovely time, we found a set of 6 in yellow, blue and green in a small shop. They always remind us of that summer and are great for after dinner, especially on a hot night. Well, maybe a cold night too.
SMS
On Saturday mornings, there is a great Mercatino (little market - in this case a little flea market) in the Campo Santa Maria Nova, near the church Santa Maria dei Miracoli. You can always find vintage kitchen items and the prices are really not bad. I just bought a vintage 40s retractable clothesline for 5 euros. The church is also worth a visit!
Sometimes there are flea markets in Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Campo Santa Margherita. Also sometimes under the portico of the fish market.
http://www.chow.com/photos/472921
anyone know where i can get one of these for christmas 2012?
I was watching a travel show, and saw one of these in a cafe and thought it would make awonderful gift for my dad. Any help on how to order one would be appreciated!