Part I of the Amalfi Tour with Gourmet Getaways

Our spring Gourmet Getaways exclusive tour began in Sorrento.  We stayed at the Excelsior Victoria Hotel, which is my favorite hotel.  It is surrounded by lemon and orange trees and lush gardens.

 

After everyone checked into the hotel and unloaded their luggage we gathered by the pool as   I had made arrangements for us to have a pizza making class with the chef at the hotel.  We were all given chef’s hats and aprons and we were ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. 

As we approached the outdoor kitchen there was the wood-burning oven, which had been burning logs for at least 2 hours so that the temperature would be at least 900 degrees! 

First the chef instructed us on how to prepare the dough using yeast, water, flour and a little bit of sugar.  After a 3-hour rise it is ready for us to shape the dough, add the sauce and cheeses and some olive oil. 

Very simple ingredients.    Using a pizza peel the pizza was headed for the oven where it only took 2 –3 minutes to cook.  Each was dressed with a little basil and then it was ready for us to eat! Everyone had the chance to make his or her own pizza. 

 

Each pizza was beautifully charred on the bottom and the dough was very tender.  Of course it was the best pizza ever!  Nothing like a simple Neapolitan pizza.

We all enjoyed eating our pizza and drinking wine and Pelligrino sitting among the lemon trees with the sun shining.  A great start to a wonderful tour.

Later in the week after our exclusive dinner at the hotel, to which the chef prepared a special meal for my group, the manager and the chef presented everyone with a cooking certificate and the recipe.

 

Getting back to this hotel, let me say again that this hotel is my favorite.  I have stayed here at least four times and each time my stay is enhanced and I can never tire of this magnificent hotel.

 

What makes this hotel so special is the manager Nicolino Grigio(pictured below)  You can read more about the hotel by visiting John and Elana

 

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A Great B&B in Orvieto – Sant’Angelo 42

Having never stayed in a B&B I decided it was time.  I know you must be very careful  when booking a B&B because they are all not created equal.  Again my friend, Velia DeAngelis, recommended I stay here and so I booked our stay for 2 nights at this wonderful B&B. 

The taxi driver picked me and my daughter up at the train station in Orvieto and drove us to the street closest to the B&B.  Because the street was so narrow we had to walk the short distance.  We rang the bell and Giulia greeted us.  We entered the lobby and checked into our room on the third floor, which by the way was huge.  I booked the one and only suite with a bathroom as big as a ballroom!  We were on the top floor and our view at night overlooked the rooftops in Orvieto .

  Breakfast was served in the kitchen and Giulia was happy to make us cappuccino or tea and served us pastries, toast, yogurt and soft boiled eggs in the morning.  The place has just completed a renovation and is decorated with modern art work and the place is spotlessly clean. 

Not to worry about staying here.  If you need to make arrangements please give us a call.  You will be delighted to stay in the heart of Orvieto at a wonderful B&B.  There are only three rooms available here and reservations fill up fast.  They do close for a few weeks in December.

So stay in what was once a medieval home in Orvieto and feel like a native Italian!

Check in is before noon and check out is at 10:30 in the morning.

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My Brief Stay at the Palazzo Manfredi in Rome.

I had the pleasure this October to stay briefly at the new  Palazzo Manfredi, a five star hotel Rome, next to the Coliseum. It was once a 16^th century palazzo and now it is an exquisite hotel with 16 beautiful guestrooms.

The rooftop restaurant offers the most spectacular views of the Coliseum and ancient Rome.  The roof-top restaurant, Aroma, has been awarded the 5 star Diamond Award.

 I had the pleasure of having lunch there upon my arrival and the food and service were of the highest quality.  It is to say one of my most memorable meals. I was encouraged to have the dishes prepared with the white truffles however when I read the menu I noticed the pumpkin ravioli.  I could not resist and it was outstanding. 

 I thought I was having my dessert first!  It was paired with a white wine from Frascati.  My daughter’s vegetable soup was excellent and was presented to her with a creatively adorned zucchini flower.    It was also paired with a white chardonnay. The dessert, chocolate of course, was a work of art and the dessert wine complimented the three different chocolate offerings.  We were in Heaven!  Every dish, created by Star Chef Giuseppe Di Iorio, is a masterpiece and will definietly stimulate your palate!

A view from the restatuarnt !  Great food, great view, what more can you ask for in Rome!

If you feel the need to rent the white Lamborghini Gallardo you may do so during your stay and discover Rome in style, for about $250.00 per hour.  The driver must be at least 30 years old and present a valid driver’s license.

They will also provide a personal shopper to help you with your purchases in the best of Rome’s shops!

Each room is beautifully appointed and equipped with a wireless connection, shoe shine services, safe, a Pillow menu, TV, 100% non smoking, luxurious bathrooms with Bulgari products and more!

For those families wishing a luxury apartment, Palazzo Manfredi, offers apartments with the same luxury as the hotel, which are 5 minutes away from the hotel.

Next time I go to Rome I will stay here and it will not be for a brief stay.

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The Best of the Sorrento Hotels!

 

During my last trip with my family to Italy, I combined business with pleasure and chose to visit the Amalfi Coast, Rome and Orvieto.  I thought it was best to revisit Sorrento, one of my favorite towns, and stay at the Excelsior Victoria Hotel located in the heart of Sorrento. Although I have stayed here before, its excellent accomdationg staff and charm continue to exceed my expectations.  Truly it is deserving of its five star rating and membership in ‘The Leading Small Hotels of the World’.  Each room is beautifully appointed each with its own unique character.  This time we enjoyed a seaview room, which included a breath taking view.  Each morning we were able to sit on the balcony and watch the local fisherman in the Bay of Naples with Mt. Vesuvius in the far background.  It was very relaxing and peaceful.

 

There are spectacular suites at this hotel which are attractively decorated, as well as garden view rooms, and classic and deluxe sea view rooms.  All bathrooms are luxurious with lush towels and robes.

 

Each evening you can sit in the lobby and enjoy the pianist while sipping your evening aperitif.  You may be fortunate enough one evening to enjoy the delicious and mouth-watering chocolates prepared by the chef.  I am a self- professed  chocoholic.  I have tasted many different chocolates prepared by different chocolatiers, and I have never tasted anything that compares to these delectable chocolates!  Ever!

 

The breakfast buffet is amazing.  The selection of breakfast foods will satisfy the most finicky eater.  Don’t leave the hotel without having dinner.  Chef Vincenzo is very talented!

 

The Excelsior Victoria is a luxury hotel with gracious charm.  It is surrounded by lemon and lime trees, beautiful gardens, and is situated on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean.  There is a holistic spa, where you may feel compelled to indulge yourself, as well as a large swimming pool.  The manager, Nicolino Grigio, vigilantly manages this hotel with utmost care

 

Gourmet Getaways highly recommends this hotel and if you book through its services and stay three nights, you will certainly be taken care of and will be entitled to an exclusive offer, which in today’s economy is a definite bonus.  Spoil yourself and create those  recession proof memories which will only appreciate in value and yield dividends for years to come!

 

 

 

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