Latest news with #ItalianCuisine
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The English seaside bar that feels like a ‘slice of Italy' and is loved by locals
ONE of the UK's most traditional seaside towns has a little-known beach bar that people say transports you to the Med. Posillipo Restaurant is found in Broadstairs in Kent, having opened more than 30 years ago. 4 4 Along with restaurants in Canterbury and Faversham as well, they said they created it to "feel like a little slice of Italy". Originally founded back in 1994, Posillipo was created by Vincenzo and Espedito who met at a cooking school on the Posillipo Hills near Naples in Italy. The restaurant's Italian cuisine features homemade olive bread, antipasti, sharing platters and speciality seafood linguine. And of course, what Italian restaurant is complete without tiramisu? Guests can enjoy stunning views of Viking Bay, the creek in Faversham and the charm of Canterbury from the restaurant. One recent visitor said: "This Italian restaurant exceeded all our expectations! "The food was excellent—authentic, flavorful, and beautifully presented. "The ambience was perfect, providing a warm and inviting atmosphere. Another added: "If you are a fan of Italian cooking you'll love this restaurant based on the Broadstairs seafront, not only is the food and service first class but the view is superb, if you are on holiday or local try it, you won't be disappointed." The cosy Italian spot is just steps away from Viking Bay - which is known for its horseshoe-shape. And between March and October, the beach is home to a surf school and lifeguards are at the beach seasonally. There is also Charles Dickens' House Museum nearby which celebrates the author's connections to the town. In fact, the museum is located in a cottage that Dickens used as inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield. When exploring the museum, visitors get the chance to see letters Dickens wrote up close, whilst he stayed in Broadstairs. Tours are also available and the attraction has a gift shop too. The own boasts more Dickens spots including a plaque dedicated to the author and 'The Charles Dickens' pub. After exploring the local area, you might want to enjoy a nice ice cream. If so, one popular spot is Morelli's Gelato, where you can get an ice cream from a business that originated in the early 1900s on a bicycle before making it to the famous Harrods food hall. The parlour in Broadstairs was the first to be opened and now the business has three destinations across the UK. You can then take your ice cream to the beach, where there is a funfair and plenty of space to thrown down a picnic blanket. The other Posillipo sites in Faversham and Canterbury are also great - with famous pianist Jools Holland visiting the Faversham spot. He most recently visited in January, but also dined there back in 2023. On a post on the restaurant's Instagram account, the musician commented: "Lovely dinner thanks." Broadstairs was also nicknamed the 'jewel of the region' with seven beaches and award-winning pubs. Plus, the English seaside district that used to be its own island is ranked amongst best places to visit in the WORLD this summer.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
A decade after opening, Centrolina is as enticing as ever
Dreaming about opening her first restaurant, Amy Brandwein says, she picked a name that referenced downtown and sounded feminine. The food would be Italian, no surprise given Brandwein's eight or so years working as a 'happy engaged soldier' for Italian maestro Roberto Donna. She had a clear vision of what she wanted her notion to look like: 'California cool with New York hustle and bustle.' Ten years later, Centrolina in CityCenterDC is packed when competitors aren't, growing when other restaurants are contracting, and as enticing as when I first ate there in June 2015. Dishes like her white Bolognese — so smooth, so comforting — help fill the room. A mainstay for years, the pasta is one of those plates Brandwein takes off only to put back on again, a lot, because the combination of ground veal, beef, parmesan and sage is a winning formula even in summer. Not that the chef isn't learning new tricks. Fruit-topped pappardelle, anyone? I'll admit I was skeptical until I remembered where I was. Turns out diced pickled rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes and mint have a great affinity for one another, especially when they're supported with roasted fennel and parmesan. Honestly, I've never had a pasta here that I haven't Hoovered. Gnocchi eat like clouds embedded with sails of crisp pork jowl, for instance, while ricotta-plumped pansotti decked out with morels and asparagus tells time like a clock. Centrolina is the kind of restaurant where servers seem to read minds, or at least anticipate diners' wishes. Could we order a few appetizers before committing to entrées? 'Sure' — the response every time I've asked at Centrolina — sounds so much sweeter than the usual 'Chef prefers you order everything at once so it can be paced out.' Brandwein says she has a soft spot for Sicily. The proof is in her thrilling crudo, one night lightly seared bites of swordfish in a pale green sauce, electrified with jalapeño, another evening slices of beef-red yellowfin tuna alternating with bright-orange coins of sweet potato. The tuna is finished with squiggles of fried spaghetti, stained black with squid ink. Summer brings steamy weather but also sweet, plump soft-shell crabs, which the chef props up on polenta lightened with (surprise!) coconut puree, a combination I wouldn't have thought of but am glad Brandwein did. She crushes artichokes, too. Takers get them four ways — fried, of course, but also creamed, roasted and shaved — in one lovely, lemony salad rounded out with frisee and parmesan. Grilled beef tongue was not a hit at my table; companions and I zeroed in on the appetizer's garden of pickled vegetables and broccoli rabe, leaving behind thin, leathery slices of meat. But everything else cooked over wood at Centrolina has been a home run. Part of that is good shopping, and part of that is a chef who knows a beautiful piece of snapper doesn't need much more than salt and pepper and a little time over a wood fire. (Well, that and coins of confit potato and glistening olives to support the fish.) Garnishes are used with restraint; plates are never overdressed. Pink slices of duck breast are arranged like a tepee over grilled vegetables and a sauce made crimson with beets and sweet-tart with kumquats. No more, no less. The chef exhibits confidence and follows it with consistency. You'll want to order some house-baked bread with your meal. The grissini are great companions to cocktails, and the whole-wheat sourdough and springy focaccia are perfect sops for sauces, including the coffee-jolted balsamic reduction with the grilled lamb. Diners sit on teal banquettes beneath gold balloon lights in a dining room ringed by windows and white brick. Most nights, Brandwein stands in front of the open kitchen, a calm orchestra conductor. Ten years has given me the opportunity to sit in a lot of seats at Centrolina. My favorite landing spots are the tucked away Table 26 and any stool at the central bar. (The chef says she likes the chef's booth in sight of the cooks.) The sunlight that streams through the windows at lunch and early dinner? The frisson of a roomful of engaged diners? I've seen similar scenes unfold in beloved restaurants in California and New York: Brandwein's initial intentions fully realized, in other words. The feminine design tilt extends to the team, including general manager Liz Martinez and chef de cuisine Mary Mendoza. Brandwein says women tend to 'inspire each other' and be 'more collaborative.' They understand each other, she adds, struggles included. Mendoza is a multitasker who also creates the desserts. Her green panna cotta flavored with crème de menthe and staged with shards and pearls of chocolate makes a distinguished farewell. Centrolina opened with a little market on one side and expanded over time to include Piccolina, a casual, all-day cafe across the alleyway, and a chef's salon within Centrolina, where Brandwein occasionally cooks solo on Fridays and is joined by guest chefs some Wednesdays. (Following the pandemic, Brandwein says she missed her friends in the business. Sharing a stage with them rectified the problem.) The pedestrian passage outside is typically dressed for the season. Most recently, Pride colors formed an eye-catching arch. The head-scratcher: The owner has been a James Beard finalist for Mid-Atlantic best chef award five times, but has never won. Give her the honor already! The secret to running a successful restaurant for 10 years involves sweat and tears (hold the blood, fortunately). 'I have to earn it every day,' says Brandwein, who thinks a staff that sees the boss show up early and often is motivated to follow suit. 'You're only as good as your last meal.' My last meal was wonderful. I expect the next ones — even those years from now — to be similar.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How Weston McKennie and Tim Weah wound up a nation: ‘Are you going to say Italian food is trash?'
A football career is short and players often muse over what they might do afterwards. For Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, perhaps scratch diplomacy off the list… or being food critics. The pair, who have collectively spent seven years at Italian club Juventus, have committed the ultimate faux-pas for many in their adopted home. They criticised the food. Advertisement Speaking on an episode of the Turin club's Talk with Us podcast, the USMNT internationals tentatively discussed Italian cuisine before, possibly with a side of tongue-in-cheek, accusing it of 'lacking variety'. At least Weah seemed to acknowledge it was a bad idea before they even got started. 'I was going to say something crazy but I don't feel like having that debate right now, so please,' said the New Yorker, before being urged on by McKennie, who has previous for not being afraid to speak his mind. 'Nah, I don't wanna get bashed,' insisted the 25-year-old son of Milan legend George Weah (a man who could offer advice on international politics, as he is also the former president of Liberia). But McKennie, 26, who grew up in Little Elm, Texas, seemed to be in the mood for mischief. 'Are you going to say Italian food is trash? Needs some work?' he prompted. Weah continued to demur, while indicating he did have something to get off his chest, until his team-mate went ahead and spat it out. 'Y'all don't have much variety, I'll give you that,' said McKennie. 'Pasta, pizza, fish, steak… and if you go anywhere it's all… You know what the problem is with Italian food? It's great. It's good food. 'You guys have good specific things that you do very well. But in America, the thing is, if I go to a burger joint or steak house, and then I go to one that's like 10 minutes down the street, I'm still eating a burger but it's a completely different taste. 'In Italy, if I go here to this restaurant and get a pesto pasta, and then go 10 minutes down the street and order a pesto pasta, it's going to be the same thing. You guys don't have variety so that's why I say American food is…' Then Weah nips in with, 'Hot take,' before claiming he prefers American-Italian dishes, and the pair reminisce about a delicious chicken parmesan Weah once enjoyed at a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. There was just time for one last serving of controversy with, again, perhaps a splash of deliberate devilment. 'But I mean, Americans do everything better so…' said Weah. 'That's true,' added McKennie. The pair were speaking from the U.S. where Juventus are participating in the Club World Cup — they play Manchester City in their final group game tonight. Advertisement It did not take long for offended Italians to respond. Former Italy and Fiorentina goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano served up a withering (if also light-hearted) response. 'The United States is the country with the worst food in the world,' he told TV Play. 'They would even deep-fry the soles of their shoes. If I was (Italian Prime Minister Giorgia) Meloni, I wouldn't let him back into Italy. 'How can you say there's no variety in Italian cuisine? His very definition of 'variety' irritated me. McKennie, there are 200million of you Americans and all you ever eat are hamburgers. 'The truth is, all the food in America was brought there by other nations. I just want to tell McKennie that he has achieved the incredible feat of managing to unite all of Italy against him. It is not about fans anymore, he can be insulted by absolutely everybody.' McKennie, whose personal chef is Italian, has possibly contradicted himself in the past, when asked by Juventus' social media team for his favourite food in 2023. While many team-mates replied it was pasta or pizza, he also opted for a local dish — pasta with pesto, tomato and chicken. In December this year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will decide whether to grant Italian food its prestigious Heritage Site status. It was made a candidate in 2023, around the same time as a row prompted by Italian food history professor Alberto Grandi, who told the Financial Times that Italians' attitude to food comes from insecurity. 'When a community finds itself deprived of its sense of identity, because of whatever historical shock or fracture with its past, it invents traditions to act as founding myths,' he said. 'Italian cuisine really is more American than it is Italian.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Float on fettuccine: Olive Garden unveils line of pasta-themed pool noodles
If you've ever wanted to float on pasta noodles while relaxing in a pool, now is your time to shine. Olive Garden announced on June 23 it is debuting first-ever line of pasta-themed pool noodles. The collection features items such as Floatin' Fettuccine, Takin' It Easy Tortelloni and Relaxin' Rigatoni, according to the Italian restaurant chain, making them the "perfect accessory for any summer pool party." To celebrate the chain's never-ending breadsticks and soup or salad that accompany every meal, each pool noodle purchase comes with a free "first course" inspired summer item. Customers can choose between a Breadsticks Bucket Hat, Soup-er Summer Vibes Tote Bag or Lettuce Chill Floating Drink Holder, according to a news release. The pool noodles will be available for purchase online at starting Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET, with a limited amount available for eClub members beginning Thursday, June 26 at 10 a.m. ET. According to Olive Garden, each pool noodle and its accompanying "first course" item will be sold for $40 each with free shipping while supplies last. "Olive Garden has always been known for going big — big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses," said Jaime Bunker, Senior Vice President of Marketing, in a news release. "This summer, we're bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool. Our pasta-inspired floats are a larger-than-life way to celebrate the dishes our guests love, and just like in our restaurants, every order starts with a first course." Olive Garden now has a Spicy Three-Meat Sauce on its Create Your Own Pasta menu, in addition to a newly-added Bucatini, which the company describes as a "thick spaghetti with a hollow center" that allows the pasta to soak up sauce. Starting July 7, customers can get Calabrian Steak and Shrimp Bucatini featuring grilled sirloin tips, shrimp and bucatini pasta tossed in a spicy Calabrian cream sauce with spinach and tomatoes. According to the chain, the sauce blends spicy Calabrian chilis with butter, garlic, white wine, cream and Olive Garden's marinara sauce. The new items will be available until Aug. 25 in-restaurant, to-go and via delivery, the company said. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olive Garden debuts pasta-themed pool noodles
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Juventus's Americans anger all of Italy with food slur
USA's Juventus pair Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah are facing the wrath of Italy after criticising the nation's famous cuisine. The Americans unwisely agreed in an appearance on a recent podcast that the food since they arrived in Turin 'has no variety'. To dig themselves deeper into trouble when the Serie A season begins, both went on to suggest US restaurants were better. Their comments prompted Emiliano Viviano, the former goalkeeper, to suggest in mock dismay that Italy's Prime Minister should take away their visas. McKennie and Weah were being interviewed for the Juventus Talk With Us podcast when they were asked about the local cuisine since arriving in Serie A. 'You guys don't have variety - it's pasta, pizza, fish, steak,' said McKennie. 'You know what the problem is with Italian food? It's great, it's good specific food that you do very well, but in America if I go to a burger joint or a steakhouse, then I go to another place 10 minutes down the street, I'm still eating a burger, but it's a completely different taste. In Italy, I go to this restaurant and get a pesto pasta, I go 10 minutes down the street and order a pesto pasta, it's the same thing.' Weah agreed he 'prefers Italian-American food' to the real thing. The comments sparked inevitable outrage in Italy, with former Arsenal, Palermo, Fiorentina and Sampdoria goalkeeper Viviano telling TV Play: 'The United States is the country with the worst food in the world. They would even deep-fry the soles of their shoes. If I was (Italian Prime Minister Giorgia) Meloni, I wouldn't let him back into Italy! 'How can you say there's no variety in Italian cuisine? His very definition of 'variety' irritated me. McKennie, there are 200 million of you Americans and all you ever eat are hamburgers. 'The truth is, all the food in America was brought there by other nations. I just want to tell McKennie that he has achieved the incredible feat of managing to unite all of Italy against him. It is not about fans anymore, he can be insulted by absolutely everybody.' According to the Football Italia website, McKennie's food choices had already shocked Juventus team-mates, as they were 'famously horrified when he suggested cookies and brownies in pasta' or 'ranch dressing on pizza'. 'Most recently, he proclaimed his special recipe of 'pasta with pesto, tomato and chicken,' the website adds. Juventus are currently competing at the Club World Cup and are leading Group G ahead of a showdown with Manchester City on Thursday.
