The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
October 1 - Cortona

What do you know? We finally got the whole group together for a road trip! There is a first time for everything. We had a lot of interesting destinations to choose from, but finally settled on Cortona, one of our old favorites. We had rented a house just outside of town for a week several years ago so going back was almost like returning home.

Truth be known, our primary reasons to suggest Cortona as a destination was the Ricotta and spinach gnocci at Trattoria La Grotta and the gelato at La Dolce Vita. We got to both and neither disappointed. There is a lot to be said about the drawing power of a signature item, even when your market is primarily transient.

For example, I live outside Seattle but I consider myself a regular at Le Coq au Vin in Orlando ... and they treat me that way. How could I be a regular? Because I make it a point to eat there once (or twice if possible) every time I come to Mouseville. Think about that before you start treating transient guests like anything but potential regulars.

Like most Italian hill towns, Cortona tells its own story far better than we could, so I will leave you to eat your heart out over the photos.

Crawling Through Cortona

La Selva and the Compelling Cuisine of Cortona


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