Our journey brings us to Tuscany—a region that feels instantly familiar, even if you’ve never been. Known for its rolling hills, cypress-lined roads, and timeless countryside, Tuscany is home to cities like Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, and Siena, where tradition still shapes daily life. It’s a place where art, history, and food are inseparable—where every meal feels grounded in something older, something lasting. A Culture Rooted in the Land Tuscany is often d

A love letter to Lombardy, and to Sharon, who let the bidding go just a little too far By Joseph Harris Every year, on a weekend in late summer, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens does something quietly magical. It opens its gates to local wineries and restaurants, sets tables among the flowers and the fog, and invites the community to wander, taste, and give money to the hospital. The event is called Wine Song. It has been going on for thirty years, maybe more. It is the

This week, our Tour of Italy takes us to Lombardy, a region of contrasts, where grand cities meet alpine landscapes, and refined cuisine is shaped by both land and tradition. Home to Milan, Italy’s fashion and financial capital, Lombardy is often seen as modern and fast-paced. But beyond the city, the region opens into serene lakes like Lake Como and Lake Garda, rolling countryside, and mountain villages where culinary traditions remain deeply rooted and quietly preserved. A

This week, our Tour of Italy takes us to Liguria, a narrow ribbon of coastline known as the Italian Riviera, where mountains meet the sea and every meal feels touched by salt air and sunlight. Stretching along the northwest coast of Italy, Liguria is a place of quiet beauty, pastel villages, and a cuisine shaped by both land and water. Here, cooking is light yet deeply flavorful, built on herbs, olive oil, fresh seafood, and a reverence for simplicity. Where the Sea Meets the

A dedication to Beppe Gambetta, native son of Genoa by Joseph Harris There are evenings that arrange themselves without your permission — where the food, the music, and the company arrive in a combination so improbable that you spend the rest of your life wondering who organized it. Mine happened several years ago at a small private dinner on the Mendocino Coast, hosted by a friend who was sponsoring a local concert. The guests, I was told, included a couple of well-known gui

For Kirsten Powers, somewhere in Puglia By Joseph Harris Kirsten, I hear you found a trullo. Good. You always struck me as someone who understood that the best decisions look slightly irrational from the outside. Moving to the heel of Italy’s boot — that narrow, sun-hammered peninsula that juts into the Adriatic like an afterthought — is exactly the kind of move that makes complete sense once you’ve walked your own land, stood among your own olive trees, and tasted the bread.

Drive north from Verona and watch Italy slowly change its mind about itself. The vineyards shift from Corvina to Blauburgunder — which you may know as Pinot Noir, but they will correct you here, politely, as they correct everything. The architecture thickens, the roof pitches steepen against the weight of alpine snow, the signage becomes bilingual and then, quietly, more German than Italian. By the time you reach Bolzano — which they call Bozen — you have left the Mediterrane

This week, our Tour of Italy takes us to the sun-soaked region of Puglia, dubbed as the “heel” of Italy’s boot, where olive groves stretch for miles, the sea is never far away, and the cuisine is as honest as it is unforgettable. Pugliese cooking is rooted in simplicity, shaped by generations of farmers and fishermen who turned humble ingredients into deeply satisfying dishes. Here, food is not about excess but about making the most of what you have, and doing it beautifully.

This week, our Tour of Italy takes us to the beautiful region of Veneto in northeastern Italy—a place where mountains, countryside, and waterways come together to shape a rich and diverse culinary tradition. From the canals of Venice to its inland farms and vineyards, Veneto’s cuisine is deeply connected to both land and sea. Here, dishes are rooted in seasonality, history, and simplicity, offering flavors that are at once comforting, refined, and unmistakably Italian. A Dish