Foods of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna

So after our week in Tuscany, we drove about three hours to the town of Ravenna, which is known throughout the world for its Byzantine-era mosaics--most of which are UNESCO heritage sites.  More about that in another post.

The region of E-R is also known for some wonderful foods that are particular to the region, which also includes Bologna, Parma and Modena.

Our first stop in Ravenna was at the bustling enoteca Ca de Ven, which must hold several hundred people at once. We had table number 161! Many of the tables held 20 or more and most folks were sitting at communal tables of 10. We were happy to have our own end of a long table without anyone sitting right next to us.

The atmosphere is classic with dark paneled walls, frescoed ceilings and a Beaux Arts vibe.

My favorite meal when we visited Bologna last year was tortellini in brodo so I ordered it again. Delicious! Joe had saffron ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach topped with a duck ragu. Yum!

We also ordered a piadina, which is the local favorite late-night or afternoon snack. Its a fried flatbread, opened up and filled with any one of dozens of options. We tried the spinach and parmesan and it was served warm and gooey--comfort food!

Later that night we tried La Gardela an old-timey restaurant with a local crowd and a professional waitstaff of people who have likely been there for upwards of 50 years in some cases.

I loved the swordfish carpaccio, and for dessert I had an affogato, which is a cup of espresso with a ball of vanilla gelato floating in it. Is that a great idea or what?!

The next day we stopped for wine and bar snacks at I Capelli Enoteca, a great corner to sit outdoors and watch the busy people traffic. Then we finished our night at Osteria Boaria, where we consumed some fabulous crostini topped with sauteed veggies.

We couldn't stop and eat all of the wonderful things that were there to be consumed, but it was fun to enjoy all the smells and the window eye candy during our short visit.