"I’m getting my wine in position to throw in your damn face." - Carmela Soprano
February is freezing. So, time to heat it up with my brand new Slutti Substack.
What does it entail? Well, I assume you’ve been following along with my nonsense on IG (and if you haven't, well here you go). It’s going to be a wild ride of primarily Italian food and wine nonsense - educational at best and debaucherous at worst. You will receive all the details of my explorations, from random trips to scandalously controversial opinions to the sexiest things to eat, of course. There will be contributions from friends (which I am the most excited about!!!), and opportunities to connect with the global Italian food and beverage-loving world. Italian food and bev culture are about community and having a straight-up slutti good time (ok sorry, I had to…)
Oh, and I will be sharing all the pasta secrets, amongst other things. The promise is this and only this; you won’t be bored. Especially if you subscribe for real and receive all my crazy content!
A little birdie also told me if you subscribe, you will get access to my playlists too, some of my very special ones for you to dance around in the streets on your next Italian vacation or make the sexiest carbonara of your life.
And, what better month to kick it off than February? My birth month, cupid’s favorite time of the year, and Carnevale season - a perfectly chaotic 28 days filled with zest, drama, and gluttonous treats.
I dig it. Subscribe if you dare to enter the world of carb seduction, terrible puns, and all the Italian food & wine fun.
The Slutti Spaghetti Secrets
Here’s my spicy lowdown of the latest things to know. Kicking off this Substack by living in the sweetest Verona, here are my 3 REAL Verona spots you must must must visit instead of Giulietta’s/Juliet’s balcony (because remember, it ain’t real!) Spots to dine, to drink, and to get your mega carb fix.
Il Localino di Verona - Why head to the center to eat and be potentially scammed? Most jokes aside, Il Localino in the cozy neighborhood of San Zeno is in the center, but like the Brooklyn center of Verona (minus the subway delays.) A sweet little restaurant with a delicious rotating menu and a fabulous wine list (the by-the-glass list is great for those nights you just can’t handle a bottle if they happen…)
But, if you really want to try local Veronese food, you can head to Trattoria al Bersagliere to try out Verona’s most scandalous dish - pastissada de caval, or stewed horse. You can savor it alone or with housemade gnocchi. No matter what, you’ll hate how delicious you find it. Just ask my little sister.
Amaro - Your home away from home, or at least it’s mine. It’s the spot for cocktails (along with its sister bar, Archivio), but it’s much more than that. Amaro is like the pizza of Verona - it’s always there, it’s delicious, and you are a little concerned about why you can have it at any time of day. In all seriousness, Amaro is the spot to hang, with a negroni in hand and without a care in the world. My drink? Martini secchissimo con limone, with Tanqueray when I’m feeling basic, or a surprise Italian gin from the bartender when I’m feeling spicy.
Impasti 4.1 - The heaven-sent bakery of Verona. When I found Impasti, I felt transported into a trendy New York bakery for a quick second, but boy did I deceive myself. Impasti is a ridiculously high-quality spot, making all the carbs of your dreams with a plethora of grains and love. Their bread is fantastic, and they’re always experimenting from bread with cime di rapa and pancetta to a funky Valentine’s Day loaf with hazelnuts and raspberries. But, this is actually a secret lunch spot as well. Impasti makes exceptionally delicious pizza rossa sometimes even making irresistible pizza bianca panini with prosciutto and mozzarella. Get that and one of their torta cioccolata for later (chocolate cake - more like a tart honestly), and you’ll be happier than Juliet on her balcony watching Romeo profess his love.
There’s a lot to come, from crazy mountain adventures to late-night eating to controversial rants to all the pasta secrets. But, rather than write loads to convince you, I will keep this first blurb short and sweet so you subscribe to…