We came for the food here in Emilia Romagnia. Its capital is Bologna, home to the oldest university in Europe. Rich in art, culture, history and gastronomy! We weren’t disappointed. Most dinners in Bologna while lunch is wherever the train took us. We enjoyed our Mortadella, Pizzas, Lambrusco, Tortellini, Tagliatelle, Strette, Bistecca, Osso Buco, Frito Misto, Beef Cheeks, Balsamico, Parmigiano Reggiano, mercato lunches and snacks, and a variety of desserts!
Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria
Where: Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria
Via Augustine Ringhi 9
Bologna
What: Tortellini al Panna
Tagliatelle alla Ragu
Mussels (tomato & white sauce)
Pizzas (3 kinds)
Aperetivo: Bruschetta
Our first meal in Bologna was in Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria. And the last in Ristorante Donatello. Both recommended by the hotel concierge. Both good.
Ristorante Donatello
Ristorante Donatello is just right across the street from Ristorante Pizzeria Victoria. Highlight of our dinner here is the Strette, a kind of pasta that’s between fettuccine and tagliatelle. They cook it either with ham and cheese in white sauce or with balsamic vinegar. We regret we only ordered (3 orders!) of the first kind. Also, I could have more of that insalata.
On our first day trip out of Bologna, one batch went to Florence while another went to Modena and Parma. In Modena, we had our very strong espresso and cappuccino in an outside cafe off Mercato Albinelli. Waited out here while Trattoria Aldina has yet to open at 12 noon. This trattoria is so non-descript that you’d likely miss it. There’s only a door and a buzzer to let you in, way up to the 2nd floor. We observed many locals patronize the place. Had our tortellini en brodo (broth/soup) here, along with rigatoni al ragu, egg with tartufo, lasagna, roast beef and meatballs with peas.
Where: Trattoria Aldina
Via Albinelli 40, Modena
What: Tortellini en brodo (soup/broth)
Lasagna
Meatballs with Peas
Rigatoni al ragu
Roast Beef
Egg with Tartufo
Zuppa Inglese
Tortino Di Zucca
Another Dolce I can’t recall
Modena was also the place for Balsamico shopping. And Parma? Well, Prosciutto Di Parma really translates to ham from Parma. But back in Bologna, we visited 2 mercatos: Mercato delle Erbe in Via Ugo Bassi and Mercato Di Mezzo in Via Clavature. Both centrally located, and I must say, a haven for pickpockets. So do be careful, especially while buying your mortadella, prosciuttos and cheese. We had antipasto in the first and a hefty lunch in the 2nd. We simply pointed to dishes we liked in the mercato and claimed our tables and stools. Three kinds of pasta (1 creamy, another in tomato sauce, another sweetish), a huge platter of cold cuts, frito misto, and some veggie sidings that looked like seaweeds. It was fun, and delish.
But our best dinner was in Trattoria Di Pietro in Via de Falegnami, 18A. What did we order from this traditional Bolognese restaurant? We had:
Pumpkin Pie with Cheese Fondue and Chicory (The bomb!)
Tagliata Di Angus
Beef Tartare With Mustard and Mayo
Beef Cheeks braised in onions
Gelato with Balsamico 👌👌👌
Won’t forget this dinner for a long time. (I already forgot the name of one of the dishes we ordered. Sssshhhhh) The bonus was we were given complimentary Limoncellos which we drank liberally! The waitress eyed us with pseudo-disgust. 😂
We trooped back to this same Via Falegnami the following night. This time to check out Ristorante Il Muro just right across Trattoria Di Pietro. Bigger, more crowded. The Osso Buco here was really, really good. We were happy to be complete again for dinner as day trippers all came back, hungry. We overordered but that’s fine, just too happy to eat and drink together. (We should have ordered more Osso Buco rather than more seafood pasta and grilled meats)
Food coma in Bologna. But never enough, so food shopping was the order of the day. Surely, it ain’t called La Grassa for nothin’. Ciao!
Food Stash
Ristorante Donatello
lifeisacelebration 