TRAVELING THE WORLD

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Vico Equense

Vico Equense

Looking to Vesuvius

Vico Equense is the first town along the Sorrentine peninsula, and the perfect destination if you want to explore a coastal town in an area relatively undiscovered by most tourists. Stay in Vico Equense, where the pretty historic center is set on the clifftop overlooking the water, and there are beautiful beaches and excellent local restaurants, pizzerias, and gelato shops. Less than 10 minutes by train from Sorrento, Vico is conveniently located on the coast yet far from the crowds of international tourists in Sorrento.

Outside the town center along the road that climbs the slops of Mount Faito, there are 13 countryside estates where locals head for an memorable pizza or generous farm lunch. If you love nightlife, you can head to Marina di Aequa on warm summer evenings for a bit of a bar crawl or dinner on the water's edge.

COOKING ITALIAN

DISHES FROM THE AMALFI COAST

and All of Italy

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Phi Phi Island Thailand

Phi Phi Island

LongTail Boats

Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort

Thailand

PHI PHI ISLAND

THAILAND

Sunday, May 27, 2018

BUCA Di BACCO Positano

At BUCA di BACCO

My TRIPADVISOR Review of BUCO di BACCO Positano , Italy

Yes a Wonderful Ristornate Amazing View Great Food Excellet Service ... This Hotel and Restaurant is a mainstay of the hugely popular town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Everythin about the place is First Class, the hotel of course , the restaurant and a friendly professional staff of waiter, BBs, host, Chef, cooks, and all who work at this establishment. I've eaten here numerous times since 1985, and it's always been a great experience including my latest trip this past May with my cousin Tony. We went for lunch, this was my cousin Tony's first time, and he loved as I always have. I think I created a Monster when my cousin Tony said let's get a bottle of Champagne and a suggested we might get a good quality Italian Sparkling Wine. A few days before we were at Lo Smeraldino Ristorante right on the water in Amalfi. I ordered the Ferrari "Perle" Brut 2007. It was wonderful and Tony was hooked, he loved it, and wanted to get it at almostevry restaurant we went to for the rest of the trip. Now back to Buco di Bacco. Tony scanned the Wine List at Buco, he found the Ferrari "Perle" and ordered another bottle (Vintage 2010). We started drinking it and as with the 5 or so bottles of this wine we had on te trip, it was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed. Now when it came to ordering, for Antipasto we got an order of Melanzane Parmigiano (Eggplant Parm) and some grilled vegetables. Now, though we both love eating Seafood when down on the Amalfi Coast, when we saw Meatballs (Polpette) on the menu, we both ordered some. I ordered a plate of Spaghetti Meatballs while Tony ordered just Meatballs minus any pasta.

The BAR at BUCO Di BACCO

The service as usual was excellent, it was a absolutley gorgeous day in Positano and we were both a couple of Happy Campers outside on the lower Terrazzo of Buca Di Bacco. We both commented on how relaxing and peaceful it felt sitting there on the deck and we both sat back and thorughly enjoyed the whole experience and good fortune to having lunch there at such a nice restaurant in the beautiful town of Positano n the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Yes, we knew we were lucky and we were most certainly greatful to be sharing such a memorable meal together, two Italian-American cosuins in Italy in Positano, The Amalfi Coast.

Basta !

The WINE LIST

BUCA Di BACCO

Since 1916

POSITANO

As Usual, Cousin ANTONY Ordered

a Bottle of FERRARI "PERLE"

HIS FAVORITE

VINTAGE 2010

Author Daniel Bellino "Z" Enjoys

a BLISSFUL LUNCH

With COUSIN ANTONY

At BUCO Di BACCO

POSITANO

May 2018

PESCE MISTI di Mare

BUCO Di BACCO

ANTIPASTO

BUCO Di BACCO

BUCO di BACCO

POSITANO

ITALY

MANGIA ITALIANO

MEMORIES of ITALIAN FOOD

Daniel Bellino "Z"

.

.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Great Osteria ROME Italy

Augusto & I

OSTERIA delle OLLORO

ROME

ITALY

May 2018

My TRIPADVISOR Reveiw of OSTERIA delle OLLORO , ROME , Italy

Awesome ! Had a Great Time !

I was lucky enough to find this place when walking around looking for a good trattoria one night. The place was jumping, I looked at the menu and peeked into the restaurant and it looked good to me. I asked if they had Cariciofi alla Romano and they saide they did, and I wanted a plate of Cacio Pepe and I got a glass of Frascati. Everything was quite good , including the service and the place had a nice lively vibe. I was thoroughly enjoying myself. After I had my tasty artichoke Roman style nad my pasta, I skipped dessert but got a nice Amaro Montenegro. I went up to got to the bagno and on my wahy I came across the ower who seemed like a upbeat fellow with a good perosnality. . This proved to be an understatement, he was quite aweesome. I started up a conversation with hm and he was very friendly and receptive to a little chat. We hit off imediately. He told me his name was Augusto and he ws pleased to meet me (Piacere). Afteer about just 4 minutes of chatting, he told one of the waiters , "Get my friedn a nice Scotch, give him an OBAN." Wow, I was a little suprisied, but a verry Happy Suprise nun the less. This was my 12th trip to Italy and I had NEVER EVER had a Whiskey here of any type and never would have dreamed to get one, stricty : Campari, Negroni s, Aperol Spritz and good local Red or White wine from where ver I happen to be. A waiter brought me my fine Single Malt Oban Scotch Whiskey which I thoroughly enjoyed. And Augusto and I proceeded to have a wonderful conversation that lasted about 30 minutes. We were having a great time and beccame fast friends, and at one point when my glass was empty, Augusto oreded me another Oban. Finally after our long and most enjoyable chat, I went back to my table. I finishe dmy AMaro and asked for my check. The waiter brought it, it was 64 Euro. A minute later the waiter came and took my check back. Two minutes later he brought it back and the 64 was crossed out by Augusto and my check was now just 50 Euro. Wow, what a nice gestre again from the awesomely fantastic Augusto. He bought me about 36 Euro worth of Scotch and also took 14 Euro off my check.. Needless to say I had a most wonderful time at Alloro, and a meal I shall never forget, thanks to the Charming Ausgusto.

I highly reccomend this Osteria that had a great vibe, excellent reasonably price food and wine, and a great staff led by the affable Augusto. You can;t go wrong here, it's great, and a meal I will always cherrish and remember.

Bravo Augusto and Grazie Mille Bello. Che Vediamo Presto,

Daniele

Back at The COLOSSEUM

ROME

ITALY

NUNNS Walking by Cool Old Truck of Ristorante Carlo Menta

ROME

ITALY

MANGIA ITALIANO

by DANIEL BELINO "Z"

Friday, May 25, 2018

Back to ITALY 2018

At The TWIN CHURCHES of SANTA MARIA

PIAZZA di POPOLO

ROME

Nunns walking in TRASTEVERE

ROME

ITALY

This Cool Old Truck is owned by Trattoria Carlo Menta

and is Parked in Front of the Restaurant

Old FIAT

TRATTORIA CARLO MENTA

ROMA

BACK in ROME

The COLOSSEUM

May 2018

Me & My Buddy AUGUSTO

Owner of ALLORO RISTORANT , ROME

Near The TREVI FOUNTAIN

Fotana di Trevi

Roma

POSITANO

ITALY

. .

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COUSINS MIMO and MARTA

PREPARING OUR ANTIPASTI

SORRENTO

POSITANO

Shot From Le SIRENUSE HOTEL

Positano on The AMALFI COAST

ITALY

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View From My Balcony

At VILLA MARIA AgRITURISMO

MINORI

ITALY

Me & VINCENZO MANZO

Owner of Villa Maria Agriturismo

MINORI

ITALY

Pasta al Forno alla Maria

VILLA MARIA

MINORI

ITALY

The AMALFI COAST

PANSA

PASTICCERIA

AMALFI

PASTICCERIA ANDREA PANSA

AMALFI

ITALY

Cousin TONY and I Enjoying Aperitivo Time

at CASA SORRENTO

SORENTO , ITALY

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My CAMPARI SPRITZ

At Our House on VIA CAPO in SORRENTO

ITALY

Cousins MIMO & MARTA (Front)

ME , COUSIN TONY and ALAN

SORRENTO

ITALY

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View from our Apartment on Via Capo

SORRENTO

May 2018

Cugina Marta

Sorrento

RAVIOLI con TARTUFO

Made by MARTA & MIMO

For our Dinner in SORRENTO

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PAESTUM

Ancient Greek Ruins

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Cousin Marta , Mimo, Tony and Me

SORRENTO

ITALY

Cutting The PORCHETTA

For My PANINO

At Er BUCHETTO

ROMA

Another APEROL SPRITZ

At a Caffe at MARINA GRANDE

SORRENTO

The COOK

at O'PULEDRONE

A Family Seafood Ristorante

Where they CATCH THEIR OWN FISH

THIS PLACE was AWESOME

Michael The Fisherman

of O'PULEDRONE

KISSES a BABY

"For GOOD LUCK"

SORRENTO

O'Puledrone

MARINA GRANDE

SORRENTO

Spaghetti Vongole

O'PULEDRONE

MARINA GRANDE

FRITO MISTO

PULEDRONE

MENU

O'PULEDRONE

Marina Grande

SORRENTO

Atop The SPANISH STEPS

PIAZZA De SPAGNA

ROME

ITALY

A Church in SORRENTO

"DON'T ASK ME THE NAME"

MY SFOGLIATELLE

and ESPRESSO

PANSA

AMALFI

May 2018

Drinking FRASCATI

in FRASCATI

ITALY

The Bar at Bar Fauno

SORRENTO

ITALY

PIAZZA TASSO

Insalata di Polpo

OCTOPUS SALAD

BAR FAUNO

SORRENTO

Per Palummo

CASA AMBRA

ISCHIA

We had this wine, along with a Bottle of the same house's Biancolella

and Casa Ambra Aglianico with our dinner we made at Cassa Sorrento, the beautifuk apartment with a lovely garden we rented on Via Capo, Sorrento, Italy.

The dinner was with my Cousin Antony Bellino, and cousins Marta and Mimo from Salerno and our friend Alan from Lodi. Marta and Mimo served their Mozzarella di Bufala (from their Mozzarella Fattoria in Salerno), they also made tasty Ricotta Ravioli with Black Truffles shaved on top. We also ate Salami and Pecorino, and I made Lamb Chops with roast potatoes for the main. For dessert, Mimo and Marta made fresh Strawberries with Limoncello and walnuts. It was an amazing dinner, and one I'll always cherish.