Easy Tuscan Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary

Inspired by many a London menu featuring some version of posh fiore de latte softserve, drizzled in an artisanal olive oil, I decided to try the trend at home this weekend. While I love this savory sweet combo, I decided it could do with a little crunch, so I took a page from Halicopter Away’s…

Easy Snickers Cheesecake Recipe to Impress

In an effort to clean out the pantry’s baking department, I ended up crafting a “Snickers” cheesecake this weekend, even though no Snickers were involved in the making of said cheesecake. The cheesecake itself is lovely plain, nice and light, and the toppings were merely a happen accident of what was on hand. This was…

Ina’s Lemon Pasta with Zucchini & Basil

Thanks to a bumper crop of basil (finally!) this year, I froze the end of it in ice cube molds filled with olive oil. It was my first time trying this trick, and for Ina’s Lemon & Zucchini Pasta, my first time cooking with the little flavor bombs. First up, what an excellent life hack!…

Dining at Al Covo: A Romantic Venice Experience

After finishing our 10K stretch of the Venice marathon, we decided that we more than earned a very lovely lunch. Al Covo, conveniently located between Castello and the Grand Canal, served just that. While the long run had us both wishing for a big plate of cheesy pasta, the Michelin-guide touted Al Covo served up…

Taste of Local Flavors: Dining at Osteria Ai Do Pozzi

While we were enjoying exploring our new neighborhood of Castello, on a leisurely stroll one evening, a waitress popped out of a restaurant and handed us a card for the establishment. Not thinking much of it, it certainly did help us remember the osteria buried among the meandering dark alleyways on the backside of Castello….

Best Dishes at Hosteria Castello: An Honest Experience

The neighborhood spot for us happened to be absolutely excellent- Hosteria Castello. Vibes, food, service, were all impeccable though came with a hefty +10% cover charge! Usually this is 3,4,5,6 EUR per, but wow they really rack that up. I’m not sure it would prohibit me from visiting in the future, but it would definitely…

Dining by the Canal: Ristorante Riviera Experience

This is the third review of Ristorante Riviera and it still racks up as one of my top favorite Venetian restaurants. We scored a canal-front table on an unseasonable warm October afternoon and started with a glass of Franciacorta. Why does wine always taste better on the water? The first course is my absolute favorite…

Liassidi Arco: Affordable Comfort in the Heart of Venice

Buried in the heart of the sprawling Castello neighborhood is the group of Liassidi properties. For the Venice Marathon we elected to stay at the four room Liassidi Arco due to it’s proximity to the race’s end. The room looked lovely online, but I wasn’t certain they’d live up to the main hotel. Luckily, they…

Ina’s Berry Crumble

After enjoying a homemade berry crumble in Ireland, I was extra inspired after seeing cranberries in the store this week, I knew this berry crumble recipe of Ina’s just had to be tried. I didn’t follow Ina’s recipe exactly since I needed a smaller serving size and after reading many reviews that they were too…

A Review of The Montenotte Hotel in Cork

The penultimate stop to the tour landed us in the south of Ireland in Cork with a stay at The Montenotte, situated above the river and city center. Upon arriving, we were both pretty enamored with the hotel instantly and saw a lot of potential. The common areas were elegant, yet playful, the cocktail bar,…

Top Tips for Visiting the Cliffs of Moher

The next day we woke up early to tick a bucket list item for me- Cliffs of Moher! We were very lucky with the weather. Despite the grey skies, there was no rain and minimal wind so we were able to keep the visit. Apparently, it gets so blustery that it’s hard to stand up…