Harvest Dinner in Italy

Seems like everybody's opening a restaurant this month in Seattle, and everybody who's already got a restaurant is promoting a harvest dinner. You want a real harvest dinner? Try this: a seven-course game, truffle & mushroom feast.

What's the big deal, you might ask? Well, here's the translation:

• crostini with mushroom & game pâté
• egg & parmesan flan with black truffles
• pasta with more truffles
• risotto with porcini
• roast suckling pig with forest mushrooms
• wild strawberry tart
• coffee with homemade liqueurs. 

The price: 30 euros (about $40, tax, tip and five wines included).

It's being held at the restaurant of a working farm, the Borgo del Riso, in the fertile Po River Valley 20 miles outside Bologna. Might be too late to get there this season, unless you don't mind shelling out two grand in last-minute airfares, but the rooms are only $65 a night once you arrive. And there's a lot to see nearby: the gorgeous "art cities" of Emilia-Romagna, Parmigiano dairies, Prosciutto farms, and one of the world's largest radio telescopes.

Some of those sights below, from a trip with the Italian Tourism Promotion Council back in 2006.

Me, I'm actually going to this one in Lazio, a cooking school called Casa Gregorio, an hour outside of Rome, next week. Promise to keep you posted.

Wheel of Parmigiano cheese

Baptistry ceiling in Bologna

A Tale of Three Campari

It was the best of drinks ... a far, far better one than I have ever known.

With apologies to Dickens, an ode toItaly's favorite aperitif, Campari.

We're in Bologna, about 8 on a moonlit night and the Piazza Maggiore is crowded with drinkers having their aperitifs and pre-dinner snacks.



At first bar, order for a straight Campari bitter brings the full-on set-up: three fingers of Campari in a tall glass; separate containers for ice, swizzle sticks, orange slice, soda water, mini-sandwiches, peanuts. 3 euros.

Under adjacent arcade, barman at second cafe responds to request for Prosecco bitter by topping up tumbler with sparkling wine kept in icebucket. Snacks are set out on bar; one helps oneself. 3.50 euros.



Third place, on sidestreet, is one of Bologna's hot spots. Calls itself Nu-Lounge. Has intelligent cocktail list, all 8 euros: Martinis, Muddles, Fashion, Frozen. From page labeled Classics, ask for Negroni: equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth and gin. Barman snags two bottles in one hand, third bottle in the other, upends all three. Does this often, it appears. Best snacks of the night, too.