Mamma Agata at the Bernards Inn this November.

 

 

 Join Gourmet Getaways on November 1 at the Bernards Inn for an evening of Italian wine, food and travel.  Chiara, Mamma Agata's daughter from Ravello Italy, will be doing a book signing.  Chiara has published an extraordinary collection of Mamma Agata's recipes that have been in the family for many years. This long awaited cookbook reveals Mamma's culinary secrets. It is a cookbook that will be cherished by all food lovers especially those that have taken her cooking class on the Amalfi Coast.  Don't be left out!  The cost of this wonderful cookbook is only $50.00

 

Gourmet Getaways will be presenting a special travel opportunity to the Amalfi Coast featuring Mamma Agata for September 2011.

 

There will be over 150 wine vendors from Italy and the chef at the Bernards Inn will be presenting some of Mamma's favorite antipasti recipes.

 

It is sure to be a fun filled evening so please make your reservations by calling the Bernards Inn at 908 766 7300 ext. 155 and ask for Traci.  The cost of the event is $60.00 which entitles you to wine and food!

 

Hope to see you there! Mark your calendar for November 1, 2010.  The event begins at 6:30pm and lasts until 8:30pm!

 

See you there !

A Visit to St. Louis, MO

Have you ever been to St. Louis, MO?  We, the family, attended a wedding over Labor Day weekend because my son was bestman for his childhood friend.  My husband, daughter and I decided to explore the city before the festivities started.  We had a good amount of time so off we went to the downtown area by cab.  Our cab driver was very informative. So for about 15 minutes he took  us on a scenic tour to downtown St. Louis.  We saw the famous Gateway Arch!  Then on to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery for a free one hour tour ending with two free beer tastings!  Free! Did you know that St. Louis has free admissions to other sights such as: S.t Louis Science Center, St. Louis Art Museum, National Great Rivers Museum and more!

By now it was close to lunch time and we had read about a great Italian restaurant in 'The Hill' district of St. Louis.  Being Italians and we love good food, we called a cab and off we went!  To Rigazzi's!

We ordered the 'toasted ravioli'and two different pizzas.  First came the ravioli, which by the way is not toasted, it is fried! ! with sauce on the side. We all looked at each other and wondered what the pizzas where going to taste like!

Before long they were being delivered to our table.  With our taste buds ready to attack we indulged.  One was a white pizza with roasted garlic, and the other was the pizza margherita - with gorganzola cheese? And how about the crust!  Does the phrase 'stale fortune cookie' have any meaning for you? Basically it had to be a loser in the Betty Crocker baker-off.   I must say we were a bit disappointed.  Coming from the New York metropolitan area maybe our expectations were too high!  We decided it was a waste of calories! 

Overall, we did have a good time touring St. Louis and we were all quite impressed with the city.  Well worth a trip !  By now it was time to get back to the hotel, Ritz Carlton, to get ready for the wedding, which by the way, was outstanding!

I would highly recommend the Ritz Carlton in St. Louis!  A very elegant hotel and it was enjoyed by all.

Girl's Night Out!

Girl’s Night Out at the Bernards Inn on April 7, 2010 was a huge success!  Katie Borghese presented her Casa di Francesca line of home fragrances.  In November 2008, Katie launched her new fragrance line on the Home Shopping Network. Casa di Francesca brings Old World European excellence to homes through an array of Italian-made diffuser fragrances. I was there to present some of my travel tales throughout Italy and to inform everyone  about traveling with Gourmet Getaways on an exclusive tour. No one wants to tour with 30+people when you can really experience Italy with just 10 eager travelers with a sophisticated palate.

Susan Van Allen, author of the best selling 100 Places In Italy Every Woman Should Go, enlightened everyone about how she fell in love with Italy.  Her book is a book that everyone, that loves Italy, should have.  At the end of the presentation Susan was there to greet and sign her books.[gallery]

Watch for future Gourmet Getaways events!

A Visit to La Champagneria Orvieto

During my tour of Umbria this October with my group of twelve people we visited my friend’s, Velia DeAngelis, Champagneria in Orvieto, located behind the Duomo in Piazza Marconi 2. This delightful champagne bar serves the most delicious appetizers and has a wonderful selection of champagnes.  We could have stayed here the entire evening!  We came a little on the early side because we had dinner reservations for later that evening but next time I will definitely skip the dinner.  No need for dinner when you can indulge in all the wonderful appetizers at this bar.  We had everything from roasted olives to stuffed foccaccia and more!  Velia DeAngelis is a fantastic chef!  She uses only the freshest of ingredients.  Two hours of pure indulgence!  As  we departed that evening, we all spied the fruit tart on the bar counter.  She happily sliced off a piece for each of us.  We all marveled at the buttery and tender crust and the savory fruit filling.  It was beyond compare!

It was a great way to start our busy week exploring Umbria, it’s food and especially it’s wines.

When I return to Orvieto, which I hope is soon, I am definitely returning to La Champagneria Orvieto.  I encourage you to go to this bar and tell them Gourmet Getaways sent you.  You will not be disappointed.[gallery columns="2"]

For Your Dining Pleasure - Visit Resto!

If you haven’t been to Resto in Madison New Jersey you are missing the best meal of your life !  I took a group of 20 people for dinner and a dessert demo and it was truly outstanding!

The décor at this restaurant resembles a small bistro in Paris with beautiful artwork decorating the walls.  We were presented with a menu consisting of:

Mussels with saffron and white wine sauce as the appetizer, and Pan Seared Scallops with onions and leeks ragout as the main course for the evening.

Robert Ubaus, the owner and chef, explained each of the dishes that were presented to us.  He also spoke to us about ‘healthy eating’ considerations especially when you are dining out.

 After we finished our main course, Robert, gave us a cooking demonstration on making crepes, which was our dessert!  Topped off with whipped cream infused with Calvados.  During the demonstration he educated us on the making of Calvados! 

 It was an evening full of good food and great company.  So all you foodies out there you must give this restaurant a try!  It will be sure to enlighten your taste buds!  Bring your own wine and enjoy!

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By the way he is in the process of expanding his facilities this December but you really need to call in advance to make those reservations.   When he opens the adjoining section, he will be serving both lunch and dinner and brunch on Sundays!

Buon Appetito!