Buon appetito, Bologna!

Have you ever wondered what might have happened if only you had made a different decision? A few weeks ago, I tumbled headfirst into That Place and while there, I ate very well. Quite possibly as well as I’ve ever eaten anywhere.

Upon graduating college, I had several choices about where to pursue a Master’s degree in International Relations. Boston and Washington, DC were the frontrunners, but there was a third option – a Johns Hopkins program which offered the first year of studies in Bologna, Italy. At the time, some 40 years ago, staying stateside seemed like the solid choice – presumably, it would offer more job opportunities with long term potential. As a financially-strapped 25 year old, I prioritized this aspect. But now that I’ve just spent a week in glorious Emilia-Romagna, home of Bologna and equally-worthy foodie destinations like Modena and Parma, I can’t help but wonder deeply “what if?”

Emilia Romagna had been on my radar for quite some time. It ticked off several requirements – top location (which these days means minimal tourists), easily accessible, culturally unique, and of course, great food. I was hardly disappointed on any count, especially the last one.

Good fortune came to us too in the form of the weather. We arrived just about a week after torrential downpours submerged parts of the region, causing 300 landslides, 23 overflowing rivers and 15 deaths. Armed with waterproof shoes, raincoats and umbrellas, we landed at Guglielmo Marconi airport having packed apparel and expectations for a miserable drenching 10 day forecast. Not so. The sun shone enthusiastically the entire time we were there.

I learned quickly that what we know as “Italian food” bears no resemblance to what one eats in Emilia Romagna. Pasta is tender.  Sauces (such as Ragu Bolognese) are in perfect proportion to the pasta itself – there is a collaborative relationship between them, resulting in a taste explosion where you can’t distinguish one from the other.

Succulent meat is sliced paper-thin. It makes for a perfect warm weather dinner when accompanied with local cheeses and a round or two of Aperol Spritzes.

The local Parmesan has a texture that nearly defies description; it’s fresh and nutty with the tiniest bit of give and when drizzled with just a few drops of the intense, fruity Balsamico from Modena, it implodes with flavor and texture on your (very lucky) tastebuds. Nothing like your supermarket vinegar; this took 50 years of loving care in wooden barrels to taste so good! And then there’s the gelato. Sure, it’s famous all over Italy, but this gelato? Superlative. If I close my eyes, I can take myself back to Parma on a very warm afternoon. At La Golosa cremeria I savored my most memorable “specimen” (hey, it was research!!); a trio of chocolate fondant, coconut, and Greek yogurt with blueberries, crunchy biscotti shards, and blueberry compote.

Can Heaven really compete?

One might think that in seven days we would tire of pasta (and cold cuts and cheese and bread). I’m here to tell you ummm…. No. Definitively.  There are as many types (not just unique shapes, but actual composition) of pasta that we could try something new every day. Which we did. Happily. Here are a few highlights.

Our first lunch, at Trattoria Montanara, gave us the chance to try the signature tortellini in brodo (tortellini in broth..and in a lion’s head covered soup tureen!), as well as Tagliatelle Ragu and ricotti filled tortelli with sage.

Repeat after me, “Tortellini, Tortelli, Tagliatelli” – all in one meal! In later meals, we also had taglieri, taleggio, tortelloni, taralli, tigelle, taglierone, torrone, and more..at the trattorias!

My favorite lunch in Bologna was at the Trattoria della Santa. On one of the signature broad sidewalks with sun and shade in perfect amounts, we sampled another local specialty – Taglieri with Crescentine. This dish features thinly sliced meats and fresh puffy fried dough which was impossibly light and not at all greasy. Also, an unusual “Pasatelli” pasta made from bread crumbs, eggs, grated parmesan and a bit of lemon (sometimes nutmeg is used too). This was lovingly paired with asparagus and culatello. Ok, yes, culatello means “little ass” because of its location on the pig, but you wouldn’t give that a second thought once you taste it.

The Best Meal I Ate was actually not in Bologna, but in Ferrara, a 35 minute train ride away. Ferrara is an enticing little town, not as well-known as Parma or Modena. (where we also ate mightily at food maestro Massimo Bottura’s trattoria and did Balsamic and Lambrusco tastings)

The food at Ferrara’s Trattoria de Noemi was exceptional. A bread basket featuring the local Coppia twists, which are a legally-protected gastronomic treasure and supposedly call to mind the curly hair of a famous seductress.

We started with the Cappalacci di Zucco Burro Salvia e Tartufo; this is not your local Italian restaurant’s pumpkin ravioli- even if yours also comes with butter, sage and shaved truffle. Next up was a delectable Pasticcio with a faintly sweet tender crust; this takes several days to make and includes multiple layers of pork, veal, bechamel sauce and truffle.  And for the finale, there were 2 incredible desserts. Since we couldn’t decide between them, it was obligatory to order both! The Tenerina Cioccolato is a symphony of  chocolate flavors in a perfectly-textured yet not too sweet cake. But the thing I can’t get out of my head was the Torta di tagliatelle (“noodle cake”) – a mouthwatering honey and almond filling generously piled on shortcrust pastry with crispy vermicelli blanketing the top. Help!

I’ve focused disproportionately on the food. Which isn’t to say there aren’t many other redeeming features of Bologna. I loved the porticoes. All 60 kilometers of them, whether wood, stone, or brick, are a Unesco World Heritage site. They are an architectural wonder as they shelter historic buildings and sweet little shops while keeping one cool and shaded in the heat or protected from inclement weather when it’s cold and rainy.

The city’s vibe is fed by its sizable student population. Bologna looks and feels young at heart, despite architectural wonders that are close to 1000 years old. It’s a wonderful juxtaposition – bright-eyed students and young couples sipping Aperol Spritzes and eating Taglieri in the shadows of the 8^th century Santo Stefano church. If only these buildings could tell their stories!

We happened to be in town while university graduations were taking place. You can’t miss the scholars as the local custom is for the graduate to wear a laurel wreath for the whole festive day. The wreaths (which were also worn by ancient Romans and Greeks and gave us the term “laureate”) are enhanced with bells and colorful ribbons indicative of the specific academic area of mastery.

Bologna is also famous for its towers.  It’s said that in 1200 AD, Bologna had about 180 towers, as wealthy merchants competed to outdo one another. These days, the Torre degli Asinelli and Torre della Garisenda are the prominent remaining structures. They were built by the nobility around 1100 and lean slightly. (or maybe it was all those Aperol Spritzes?)  Asinelli is taller at 320 feet high and close to 500 steps you can climb, but Garisenda has earned a place in works by Dante, Goethe, Dickens, and other famous writers.

Bologna has 3 nicknames which capture its uniquenesses:

La Rossa- The Red One – this refers both to her ubiquitous reddish buildings and rooftops but also to leftist political leanings.

La Grassa – The Fat One – if you’ve read this far, you need no explanation! I consider this nickname both a reflection of the abundance of amazing food in the greater Bologna region as well as a warning about what would happen to me if I stayed longer and continued eating at the pace which I kept.

La Dotta – The Learned One –  the University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university, founded in 1088.

One of my unexpected high points was visiting the Anatomical Theatre and the municipal library. While my candy-striper career was short-lived (yes, I wound up running from my duties in the maternity ward emptying wastebaskets and instead, volunteered in the hospital coffee shop serving pie) and I take precautions not to faint (again) when I have to give blood, I found the Surgical theatre fascinating. Completely carved in spruce and used for both humans and animals, it was originally lit by candles when surgeries were performed. I can’t even…

Libraries always bring out the reverence in me. But to explore inside the Archiginnasio Municipal Library was special. The impressive collection in a stunning space contains over 15,000 volumes from the 16th century alone. Perhaps this was finally my chance to feel what it would have been like if I had accepted the offer to study in Bologna all those years ago. I eagerly embraced the moment.

As we were preparing to leave the wonders of Bologna, we received a text message from our brother-in-law citing the following headline, released that day:

“The No. 1 ‘underrated’ city in the world, according to 175 travel experts: It’s the ‘new hot city’.” What was it?

Bologna.  Of course!