Food and Travel: La Famiglia DiGiorgio

Food and travel are my reasons for being. This is something I am very passionate about, as someone who has a food Instagram and loves to try new foods in new places. As a child I was exposed to travel and a variety of food. This is something that my parents gifted to me that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have created so many fond memories surrounding food with them. This is a story of the time I traveled across Italy. The food was the most impactful part of my trip because my family is from Italy and I've grown up with Italian food. My dad's side of the family lives on Long Island and when we get together it is always around large pasta dishes and Italian pastries. Although I grew up with amazing home cooking, I. had always yearned for authentic Italian on the streets of Italy.

I started watching Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix and immediately fell in love with Phil's energy, which inspired me to write this blog post. Somebody Feed Phil is a travel series that follows a man named Phil who goes to different cities to meet locals and try their cuisine. I felt a connection to the show because of his positive attitude and excitement to try new things, which I try to embody myself. I wanted to write this blog post as someone whose travel is impacted by food. When I think about my time in Italy I remember the meals I had with my family the most. I remember the atmosphere was a very crucial part to the food I ate. We typically sat at tables on the street outside the restaurant, and enjoyed the sounds of the city and people chatting while we ate. I remember always being hungry walking the streets and smelling pizza ovens and seafood.

Pictured here is a street market in Venice that had the most delicious symphony of smells. Fresh produce, cheeses and breads lined the streets.

The restaurant experience that I will remember for the rest of my life was Buca Mario in Florence. I went with my parents and my grandfather, and it was a significant place for our family to go because it is where my parents went on their honeymoon. It is underground, hidden on a side street with low ceilings and an intimate ambience. They call these underground restaurants "holes" and have been a part of Florence since the 16th century. The waiters were friendly Italian men that felt like family to us. Buca Mario is known for its steak, and it is well deserved. The waiter brought over a large carving board of steak and we were able to pick the pieces to cut off and enjoy. Steak is not usually my favorite food because it can be tough, but this melted in my mouth. Then came the lasagna. The smells of Italian herbs and tomato sauce filled the room and we all shared the best lasagna we had ever eaten. Of course we could not leave without espresso and tiramisu. My mom and I have a saying that no two tiramisu dishes in Italy are the same. That's the most fun part about ordering tiramisu wherever we go.

At this point the majority of Italian I had learned was food language. I tried my best to connect to the wait staff by ordering in Italian and asking them questions about the food. Food is often a gateway into a deeper cultural connection to a country. In this way I wanted to connect with people, since my family is so connected to Italian culture. I found when asking locals about food they are excited to share their traditional meals and local delicacies. I learned that Buca Mario has been in the Pasquetti family for over 100 years. The other people eating in this restaurant were not only travelers, but also locals. That is how we knew the food was authentic and not touristy. Food is universal, and people love to share the food of their culture. I left with a deeper understanding of the significance of cooking and enjoying food beyond eating.

When I think about Italy, I think about the memories with food I made there. It reminds me of the way Phil talks about food bringing people together, whether it's family, or a local showing you the food of their culture. Food makes people happy, and it makes an experience with travel that much richer and more memorable. The take away from this experience for me was the importance of having a meal with your family, and cherishing those moments.