It’s interesting that in the last year or so there have been two movies about the Roman legion “lost” in North Britain during the Hadrianic period. It just goes to prove that Hollywood loves to copy. Two volcano movies? Two Wyatt Earp films? Two Lambada films? And, to boot, it’s unlikely the legion was actually “lost” (as in militarily). More likely it was just disbanded and the sketchy historical record makes it seem to have disappeared.
What better intersection of my interests than a meal based on Ancient Roman cuisine. On Thursday July 14 and 15th the Getty Villa offered a combination of lecture on ancient food and a meal of authentic Roman dishes based on…
Restaurant: Fraiche Santa Monica Location: 312 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Phone : 310.451.7482 Date: July 13, 2011 Cuisine: Cal French Italian Rating: Epic! ANY CHARACTER HERE Last weekend I was eating at one of my favorite local spots, Sam’s by the Beach and chatting…
Restaurant: Osteria da Camillo Location: Poggibonsi, Italy Date: June 18, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan Rating: Very mediocre ANY CHARACTER HERE We were in Poggibonsi to drop my brother off at the bus/train station and we spent a few minutes wandering around and then…
Location: Staggia, Italy Date: June 11-25, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan ANY CHARACTER HERE This is our third year renting a villa in Europe for a big chunk of June. I’ve experimented with different ways to handle the breakfast situation for a…
Just finished up a new “working cover” for my second novel, Untimed. Thanks a million to my friend and long time business partner Jason Rubin for concocting the excellent logo. He is a true Photoshop wizard. If any of you…
Restaurant: Nove IX Location: Florence, Italy Date: June 17, 2011 Cuisine: Modern Tuscan Rating: Tasty! ANY CHARACTER HERE Our Florentine friend brought us to this attractive new place on the banks of the Arno river as the sun was making it’s…
This book itself as Fantasy, but it’s certainly not your typical one. Really it’s a sort of reinterpreted epic (and I mean long) historical romance — without much of the modern sense of romance (almost none). But it does have plenty of the traditional, more atmospheric form.
Restaurant: La Cantinetta Antinori Location: Florence, Italy Date: June 17, 2011 Cuisine: Modern Tuscan Rating: Slick and tasty ANY CHARACTER HERE On our first trip to Florence (we went thrice) we met up with an Italian friend and her family…
Restaurant: Arnolfo Ristorante Location: Colle di Val d’Elsa, Italy Date: June 16 & 23, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan Rating: Awesome, but hard to find ANY CHARACTER HERE Just fifteen minutes from our villa and Siena lies the city of Colle di…
Restaurant: Ristorante La Griglia Location: San Gimignano, Italy Date: June 16, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan Tourist Rating: Mediocre ANY CHARACTER HERE We visited San Gimignano, as nearly all tourists in our part of Tuscany do. This is an interesting town, fairly unique…
Location: Staggia, Italy Date: June 15 & 18, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan ANY CHARACTER HERE Twice in the villa we arranged a “simple” dinner of local bounty. All the stuff below was purchased at either the local market in Staggia or…
Restaurant: Pizzeria Il Rifugio Location: Volterra, Italy Date: June 15, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan + Pizza Rating: Solid Pizza ANY CHARACTER HERE I highly recommend the medium sized town of Volterra. Besides the negative of being the home town of one…
Episode 9, “Baelor.” This is the episode where it all comes together, pretty much summed up by the text I got on first airing from a friend I convinced to watch (he hadn’t read the books — but is now): “OMG! They killed Ned Stark!”
Restaurant: Il Pozzo Location: Monteriggioni, Italy Date: June 13 & 22, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan Rating: Classic Tuscan ANY CHARACTER HERE This local resteraunt in the cute little walled town of Monteriggioni pretty much typifies Tuscan cooking at its traditional best. We initially…
Episode 8, “The Pointy End.” The last third of the season, or even last half, is all about grinding out the consequences of positions and choices made in the first half. Many of these lead to additional hasty decisions that will also have repercussions. Also it is worth noting that this episode is actually penned by George R. R. Martin himself.
Restaurant: Lo Sfizio di Bianchi Location: Gaiole in Chianti, Italy Date: June 14, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan Rating: Surprisingly good for a random pick ANY CHARACTER HERE My father and I went on a Chianti Classico wine tasting quest, and this…
Restaurant: Ristorante Albergaccio di Castellina Location: Castellina in Chianti, Italy Date: June 13 & 20, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan Rating: Great food, great service ANY CHARACTER HERE Albergaccio di Castellina is the first “fancy” place we went to in Tuscany, and it was…
Restaurant: Dietro Le Quinte Location: Colle di Val d’Elsa, Italy Date: June 13, 2011 Cuisine: Tuscan Rating: Good food, but a little more $$ than some ANY CHARACTER HERE We wandered into the town of Colle di Val d’Elsa having no idea that…
