The 5 Best Things I Ate in Italy in 2024

I'm still thinking about them.

Just for fun, since it’s New Year’s Eve and I’m in holiday mode, waxing poetic on the moments that have made this move abroad worth it. Food is very high on that list.

In Italy, food is thy cure.

One bite. Senses alive. Mind stilled. A great meal doesn’t have to be fancy (though there are two fancier dishes on this list), but the power of something done well is that it makes you realize just how little else you need. Only that thing in all of its fullness. Bite after bite, after bite.

Though, not too many bites. Italy understands portion-control in that you realize when something tastes good, there’s just as much satisfaction in the right last bite as in the first.

With that, onto the deliciousness. In no particular order:

1. The eggplant parm at Venice M’art.

Maybe it was the day (our anniversary). Maybe it was because it was cold and we were sitting outside near the water. Whatever it was, this two-disc stack of perfectly cooked eggplant (when your knife ever so easily slices through it) layered with a tangy tomato puree and béchamel-style sauce hit all the right notes without feeling heavy or gloppy. It was something warm, rich, and grounding in the midst of the Venice fog.

Also still thinking about their house Americano with citrus-infused foam.

2. Schlutzkrapfen at Babsi in Soprabolzano.

Admittedly, not a great photo and one I’ve already shared here. Even still, this homely, delicious dish is exactly what you’d hope to find on a mountaintop in November. Thin mezzelune pasta stuffed with an enjoyable ratio of spinach to cheese, with a little dusting of spring onion for some unexpected pizzazz. I think I loved it so much because I heard this dish recommended but had no idea what it was. Who doesn’t love a spinach surprise?

I do. Always.

3. Grilled cheese at Conca d’Oro in Bassano.

On the menu, I could decipher almost everything in this dish except the main. When the host translated it as “local cheese,” my answer was, “Yes, please.” Paired with a whipped aioli and organic vegetables grown steps from where we were seated, it was a meal that truly revealed how spectacular the simple things can be.

Everything about this farm-to-table restaurant is wonderful, by the way. From who they employ to the shop on-site selling artwork and local goods. You can read more about it here.

4. Carrot cake sorbet at Estro in Venice.

[No photo for this one, as I was too distracted thinking Chloë Sevigny had been seated at the table next to ours and was trying to play it cool. Turns out, it was not her.]

This dish was one of those revelations. A carrot. Meets gingerbread. In a sorbet! Only fellow vegetable-lovers would probably understand the joy of this dessert, but it was excellent. Not too sweet. Somehow odd and yet inviting, daring my spoon to come back for more until it was all gone. None of the meat-eaters at my table cared for it, which was fine. Some things are not meant to be shared, only savored solo.

5. Walnut, feta + pear ravioli from the shop next door.

The number of times we’ve eaten this pasta... is a lot. So much so, the ladies in the shop know what we’ll ask about before we even open our pasta-craved mouths. Salty feta mixed with sweet pear and creamy walnut tucked inside of an al dente envelope. There’s nothing better. This is that good. I bought it one day on a whim and the rest is history.

Therein lies Italy’s greatest lesson: always take a chance.

Wishing you more pasta, cheese, and vegetables in 2025. Buon Anno!