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Curious Appetite is a food blog by writer and sommelier Coral Sisk. I blog about eating & drinking well in Florence, Italy & wherever curiosity takes me. I packed up to Florence via Seattle in 2012 to pursue a career in food & wine. Outside the blog, I lead culinary tours & write for trusted publications such as Eater, Vogue, The Guardian and others. My favorite food groups are pasta, gelato and cocktails. What about yours?

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LATEST POSTS

A cheat sheet to my favorites in Bologna, Italy

Oct 10, 2023

Hello there, it’s been a while since I shared a post about Bologna on the blog! I won’t go into a

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Favorite Bakeries & Baked Goods in Florence

Sep 25, 2023

Looking for the most buttery bakeries in Florence? Buttery may not be the accurate term since many Tuscan baked goods

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Top Picks for Where to Eat & Drink in Florence in August (including Ferragosto)

Aug 2, 2023

just because the city is hot and humid, doesn’t mean your food needs to be. Tips on where to eat (and

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Where to find the best gelato in Florence

Jun 27, 2023

Looking for the best gelato in Florence? Start with being able to filter out the bad sugar bees. Tips on finding

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Where to eat and drink in Bologna, Italy

Apr 12, 2023

if you are a first time visitor of my blog, I’m an American food & drink writer in Florence since 2012

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Where to Eat on the Cheap & Budget Dining in Florence, Italy

May 25, 2021

(Updated in May 2021, due to a literal global pandemic bear in mind to check/call in advance, don’t rely totally

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A Curated Guide to Restaurants & Food in Florence, Italy

Feb 23, 2017

If you’re getting overwhelmed by all the listicles on my blog, bookmark and study this page dedicated to where to eat

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The best panini in Florence (that’s not All’Antico Vinaio)

Jul 22, 2016

Panini panini, where art thou damn good and not-so-hyped panini? Read more…

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Food Souvenir Shopping in Florence

Dec 20, 2014

Where to shop for the most delectable, scrumptious food souvenirs in Florence to either take home or gift locally. Or stuff

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WHY YOU MUST VISIT ALTO-ADIGE, ITALY ❄️ Earl

WHY YOU MUST VISIT ALTO-ADIGE, ITALY ❄️

Earlier this month I went to Merano for @meranowinefestival_official, before hanging in San Francisco and Mexico City (now back in rainy Firenze, missing those whirlwind frenetic travel days) and I fell in love all over again with this unique northern alps lined Italian region of Alto Adige that is culturally mashed up, thanks to belonging to the Austro-Hungarian empire then annexed by Italy after WWI

I wanted to do a cute grabby caption of “3 reasons to visit” but there are a plethora of them and I refuse to distill the immense fascination Italy holds for the sake of the algo.

Curious Appetite started as a blog. You know, things you used to read. Not watch. I’m a writer, not a videomaker or SEO content farm. But hey- still had to grab your attention with the whole “must” thing 😉

I digress- so why should you visit? Here’s il perché:

Personally, I enjoyed Merano more than Bolzano but really you can’t go wrong with either as your base

🏔️Snow and mountains so gorgeous you won’t be able to help but yodel 📣
🥂SPARKLING WINE! Move over Prosecco (most of it sucks tbh) and even Franciacorta is loosing its edge thanks to climate change. The future is @trentodoc- I.e. 🍾 bubbles made nearby in Trento’s Dolomites. And loads more mouth watering wine
🍰 Strudel/all the food. Think Austrian cuisine actually made well thanks to Italy. Ask Altoaltesini locals how they feel culturally (German is more spoken than Italian) and without hesitation they’ll say Italian- solely because of the food.
🛁 THERMAL BATHS! You’ll smell like sulfur, but #yolo
🎄CHRISTMAS MARKETS! Move over, Germany. Italy’s are better.

And more! Icymi, my BA University Degree is in Italian Studies so this linguistic cultural hodgepodge is music to my Italian obsessed ears.

Visiting Alto-Adige (Sudtirol) is a reminder of reason 103018615 why I love living in Italy

Ever been? Need help planning a visit? Make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter (via link in bio) as I share all the worthwhile Italy things. Pfiat di (ciao!) e a presto!

#curiousappetite #italytravel #wheretovisit #foodblogger #iloveitaly #altoadige #merano

Must-try baked good if you’re in Florence in the

Must-try baked good if you’re in Florence in the Fall: castagnaccio (a chestnut flour flatcake!) 😋 The corner pieces always the best 😉

The translation might not sound sexy, but there are a few reasons to appreciate this lightly sweet cake made with nuts, rosemary and raisins. Every forno (bakery) has their own take (some do pine nuts, no walnuts, some nix raisins, etc) and I wouldn’t be mad if I had a corner slide alongside some marroni (chestnut) gelato… 🍨

Castagnaccio is naturally gluten-free and vegan while being one of the persistent reminders of Tuscany’s cucina povera times. Chestnuts were one of the most caloric rich foods widely available along with staples like polenta, making it a crucial food for residents in the Apennines of central Italy through WWII and the early post-war years.
This starchy nugget of the woods was/is also made into pasta, soups and crepes (not just cakes).

Last month I wrote about where to find chestnut festivals in Tuscany for @giadadelaurentiis’s new online mag @thegiadzy, but if you missed it you can still catch some castagna 🌰 treats around Florence at some of my favorite bakeries like Antico Forno Giglio, Sforno, Chicco di Grano inside @mercatosantambrogio, etc etc 🍞 🌰

For more best of Florence, peruse my blog I’ve been writing for over a decade ➡️ thecuriousappetite.com

Let me know what you think of castagnaccio! #curiousappetite #florenceitaly #foodblogger

⚡️Our gourmet club is BACK! With festa flair 😉

If you’re subscribed to our newsletter, you should have received the 411 (icymi, that’s the number we 🦖 used to dial on the telephone ☎️ for information)

Included in this year’s holiday set is a delicious bottle of aged balsamic vinegar from Modena (IGP) which zings of bold umami cherry, dried prunes and smoky molasses that will level up fruit bowls, grilled meats, fresh cheeses and even gelato. That’s if you don’t guzzle the whole thing by the spoon, of course!

Didn’t receive our e-mail? Let us fix that- subscribe via link in bio or drop us a DM and we’ll add you!

We taste Italian gems like these (plus all the Negronis, not necessarily together;) irl on our food tours between Bologna and Florence 😋

Grazie mille for reading and savoring Italy with us 🎉 🎉 #curiousappetite #florentinefoodclub #negroniclub

Did you know Oct/Nov marks a sneak peek of peak ar

Did you know Oct/Nov marks a sneak peek of peak artichoke season before the thistle’s main arrival in winter? These are “rifiorenti” artichokes (meaning rebloomed) and you’ll find them around these Italy parts! 🌸

I asked my produce stand vendor for a veg suggestion to pair for a pasta with a jarred amberjack tomato sugo I’ve been waiting to crack open, and they suggested cooking up some thinly sliced artichokes with just a touch of garlic and EVOO before adding sauce/pasta and proceeded to give a quick lesson on preparing these easy to cook chokes! It really only took 10ish min since these guys are so tender at the moment (after you discard all the tough parts). And this fibrous supplement made for a delicious pasta. One of the 1039188 reasons I love shopping from fruttivendoli (produce stands) ! I’ve learned so many easy, healthy and tasty recipes from these nutrient mongers over the last decade+ 👩🏻‍🌾 🫶🏼

Love artichokes, too? What are your favorite ways to eat them? 💚 💜 #curiousappetite #florenceitaly #carciofogram #carciofirifiorenti #ilovefirenze

🌮 🇲🇽 OOO IN CDMX After an intense Sprin

🌮 🇲🇽 OOO IN CDMX

After an intense Spring/Summer/Fall season of food tours and writing articles, I planned a thing called a vacation- for myself this time! It’s been glorious! 😍

Quick tips:
🥑For all things food/experiences you kinda sorta need to follow @thecuriousmexican @devouredmx
🌮 @taqueriaorinoco (but there is so much more)
🎨 @museofridakahlo but also @anahuacalli
🖼️ Murals @ Secretaría de Educación Pública (and honestly there are a litany of 📍w/ murals around the city)
🥃 @cafe.denadie @limantourmx and heaps more! *travel tips and Mezcal intel @natdelarose
🍊so far loved Mercado De Coyoacan but there are SO many more markets I need to see!

While I haven’t even scratched a centimeter of surface, still I wanted to pop in to share some local flavor I’ve been enjoying thus far and invite you all to follow along in stories for the next week or so until I’m back in saltless pane toscano land!

Since this is my first visit (I foresee more) I’m trying not to pressure myself to pack a bunch in nor do this or any trip perfectly, including stringent following of recs/listicles. As this is my line of work (travel, tourism, etc) I couldn’t help but do some soft/basic planning but left the rest up in the air!

I firmly believe the magic of travel should hold an element of spontaneity, space to make observations in various missteps and time to stumble into random scenarios!

What’s your approach to travel? And have you been to CDMX? Let me know in comments! #curiousappetite #MexicoCity #OOO

Curious about where to eat in Bologna? While foo

Curious about where to eat in Bologna?

While food is deeply personal, I compiled a quick cheat sheet on the blog to my favorite places to pasta, aperitivo, wine, dine and gelato around the mortadella bastion of Italy: Bologna (head to thecuriousappetite.com or link in bio for the 🫖)

Sneak peak of inclusions:
🐱 Lasagna (Garfield’s favorite) @ristorantegrassilli
🍹old school bar with classic aperitivo and quality wines by the glass @granbarbologna_champagne tucked behind the main square
🍨 Gelato (my favorite food group) @gelateriagalliera49 (and not only)

…and many more on the blog and newsletter 😋

Albeit personal, I’ve eaten plenty of calories in La Rossa over the last decade as on-going quality control for our #lagrassatour and for compiling guides for sites like @eater, @condenasttraveller and @voguemagazine- but also simply because, I revel in sincerely well-made food! (The guide on the blog includes links to those too, all in one handy post)

I love eating in Bologna, as well as exploring the various cultural richness it has to offer ❤️❤️

Have you ever been/planning to go? Intrigued to hear what you thought!! #curiousappetite #foodblogger

10 things in Florence that have brought a little s

10 things in Florence that have brought a little solace in these strange days

🥐cardamom rolls and savory egg 🥓 danishes and flat whites ☕️ @wildbunsbakery_florence

🥂Fun Italian rieslings and vinyl jams @vineriasonora

🥭 Sicilian-grown mangos from @mercatosantambrogio and messy mango yogurt bowls (not pictured: all the mango sorbetto especially from @il_procopio_)

💨Rustling windy Florence strolls by night without a soul in sight

🌹Persian comfort food by #pomegranatesandartichokes author @labnoon during Florence’s annual film & culture festival @middleastnow.festival and my pomegranate ring from Shiraz to match 💔

🍯 Grilled squeaky halloumi with dill, sesame and honey @floret_tribe (one of the few places I’d enjoy brunch’ing at)

🍄Umami rich comforting porcini soup and a slice of Tuscan pane toast soaked underneath @trattoriamario1953 (sempre una garanzia)

🐟Florence’s best butter and anchovy toasts @enoteca.bellini with curly 🍋 zest

🫐Mulberry molasses and flavorful Lebanese food @lo_saj_libanese (perfect for lunch near Piazza della Indipendenza/San Lorenzo!)

🤌3D printed tchotchkes from @palazzostrozzi’s gift shop after checking out the Untrue Unreal optical illusion-esque exhibit by #AnishKapoor

Now the real question is where is halloumi being sold in Florence since it clearly exists?!?

#florenceitaly #curiousappetite #foodblogger #foodtours

Puzzled by where to go to admire Florence during g

Puzzled by where to go to admire Florence during golden hour? I got some ideas 💡 (that aren’t Piazzale Michelangelo and Ponte Vecchio)

I love getting away from the obvious suspects and finding solace in Florence’s vivid sunsets from:

✨Ponte San Niccolò (then getting a glass 🥂 from Ditta in Ferrucci or Calistro along the Arno)

🌅Piazza Santa Croce can be lovely and I especially dig hanging around @ferminofirenze at aperitivo hour as well

🏰Forte Belvedere (currently closed but will re-open in the spring) is also a clutch spot to catch a sunset

But also a handful of other rooftops and wine bars with patios offer pleasant views, sips and snacks. As we are still enjoying unseasonably mild weather- get them in while you can before the cold rolls in.

Curious for the addresses? I’ll drop the link in the comment section and feel free to share your picks 🌈

Sending a bit of love and happiness from Firenze in these confusing days ❤️ #curiousappetite #florenceitaly

🚲 WEEKEND IN FERRARA, ITALY I counted and happ

🚲 WEEKEND IN FERRARA, ITALY

I counted and happened to spend 36hrs in Ferrara last weekend for @internazionale’s annual journalism festival. The talks that made the most lasting impressions were by @mattaikins and @bunkawen - go check their work out

Apart from the festival, there’s good reason to make an overnight or weekend trip in this Renaissance city of bikes from say a week-long stay in Bologna (please stay for more than 36hrs if you can)

Its robust culinary traditions date back to the Middle Ages, is listed @unescoworldheritage and is where the humanist concept of an ideal city was born 🏰

Personally, one of my main objectives was hunting down great food and drink. Ferrara is known best for their cappellacci filled with zucca 🎃 and so whenever I saw piadina or gelato made with zucca (squash) I didn’t sleep on it.

They also have other tasty specialties such as garlic rich salamis, béchamel ragù laced pasta stuffed puff pastries “pasticcio di maccheroni” 🤯, plush focaccia called pinzone, tagliatelle topped almond torte 🥧 and chocolate flourless cakes 🤤

I also enjoyed the few quality watering holes like @double_sip_bar_ferrara and epic vermouth bar @artemisiavermuteria

And traditional homey vibes at Hostaria Savonarola and regretted missing out on a table at Trattoria da Noemi

Want the full scoop with more addresses, pastry shops, where to stay and cultural sites to pop around in between carb loading? Subscribe to my newsletter via link in bio- subscribers get the full run-down 😉

Ever been to Ferrara or are curious to? #curiousappetite #seeitaly

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