The Other Italy Field Notes

Short notes from the places we plan trips to in Sicily, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont: what the food is really like, which towns reward a slower visit, and the planning mistakes worth avoiding. For the full picture, start with our Other Italy Planning Guide.

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Why Bologna Eats the Way It Does

Bologna sits inside what the food world calls the Food Valley, with Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and true balsamic vinegar all within an hour's drive.

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Balsamic Vinegar, the Slow Way

Somewhere in the hills above Modena, there's an attic full of barrels that have been quietly doing their job since before Italy was a country.

David Walter 10/15/26 David Walter 10/15/26

Bologna and Its Two Nicknames

Bologna carries two nicknames that explain most of what you need to know. La Dotta, the learned one, home to the oldest university in the Western world, founded in 1088.

David Walter 10/15/26 David Walter 10/15/26

The Emilia-Romagna Mistake We See Most Often

Most people treat Emilia-Romagna as a day trip from somewhere else, usually Florence, usually just Bologna, usually just long enough for one plate of tortellini and a train back.

David Walter 10/15/26 David Walter 10/15/26

What Emilia-Romagna Actually Is

Ask someone to name an Italian region, and Emilia-Romagna rarely comes up. Ask a chef, and it's often the first one they mention.