Tag: TRAVEL

Exploring VENICE by Bellino

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 


EXPLORING VENICE

VENETIAN TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK

Daniel Bellino Zwicke
AMAZON.com


How to Experience Venice Like a Local: Food, Hidden Wine Bars, and Timeless Romance

Venice is one of the most magical cities on earth, but if you only stick to the crowded paths between St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, you’re only getting half the story. To truly fall in love with La Serenissima, you need to step off the beaten track, wander along quiet canals, sample authentic Venetian cicchetti, and experience the soul of the city.

Whether you are planning your first trip to Italy or dreaming of returning, here is your insider guide to experiencing Venice like a true local.

1. Skip the Tourist Traps: The Art of Venetian Cicchetti & Bàcari

One of Venice’s best-kept secrets isn’t a museum or a cathedral—it’s its vibrant food and wine bar culture.

In Venice, traditional wine bars are called bàcari. Instead of sit-down multi-course dinners every night, locals meet at these cozy neighborhood spots for an ombra (a small glass of local wine) and cicchetti—Venetian-style tapas served on small plates or atop crusty bread.

Must-Try Venetian Specialties:

  • Baccalà Mantecato: Creamed salted cod whipped with olive oil, served over warm polenta.

  • Sarde in Saor: Sweet and sour sardines marinated with onions, pine nuts, and raisins.

  • Polpette: Tender Venetian meatballs made with beef, pork, or tuna.

  • Casanova’s Venetian Maccheroni Pie: A rich, celebratory baked pasta pie layered with pork, porcini mushrooms, and béchamel—a dish worthy of Venice’s most famous lover.

2. Get Intentionally Lost in the Quiet Sestieri

Venice is divided into six historic neighborhoods (sestieri). While San Marco draws the biggest crowds, the true charm of Venice reveals itself when you get lost in the residential quarters.

  • Cannaregio: The historic Jewish Ghetto neighborhood, known for quiet canals, charming bakeries, and authentic wine bars.

  • Dorsoduro: The artistic heart of Venice, filled with artisan workshops, student cafes, and stunning art collections.

  • Castello: A peaceful district where laundry still hangs across narrow alleyways (calli) and locals gather in sunlit squares (campi).

Pro Tip: Put away your phone GPS for an hour. Walking without a set destination is the single best way to discover Venice’s hidden archways, secret courtyards, and ancient footbridges.

3. Experience Venice After Dark

When the day-trippers leave and the sun sets over the lagoon, Venice undergoes a breathtaking transformation. The mist rolls over the canals, church bells echo across quiet waters, and the city’s rich history comes alive in the lamplight.

Take a moonlight stroll along the Fondamenta della Misericordia or sit by the Grand Canal with a glass of Prosecco to take in the unmatched romance of the Floating City.

Discover the Ultimate Guide to La Serenissima

Want the ultimate insider roadmap to Venice’s best trattorias, historic cafes, romantic spots, and secret culinary haunts?

Look no further than Exploring Venice by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.


Daniel-Bellino-Zwicke .com

Written by renowned Italian-American author and culinary authority Daniel Bellino Zwicke, Exploring Venice is far more than a standard travel guide. It is a heartfelt love letter to the city, packed magic. The magic of a city whose palaces have been preserved, and exist for enjoyment by people of the World. There’s no place on Earth quite like Venice. It is unique unto itself, so enjoy.

Curated Dining & Travel Recommendations : The absolute Best Trattorias, Osteria, and Bacari to eat and drink like a local.

  • Authentic Venetian Recipes: Bring the flavors of Venice directly into your home kitchen with classic, time-tested recipes.

  • Neighborhood Walks & Cultural Insights: Insider secrets, historical anecdotes, and practical travel tips to help you navigate Venice with ease.

Whether you’re packing your bags or traveling from the comfort of your armchair, Exploring Venice is your mandatory companion for experiencing the romance, flavor, and soul of Venice.

GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY !!! – On Amazon.com


BACK in VENICE

Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

At VENICE’S Most FAMOUS WINE BAR (Bacaro)

CANtiNA Do MORI

“VINO & CICHETTI”


PALAZZO DUCALE

VENICE

Italian Food and Travels – Take Italy Home with Recipes by Daniel Bellino

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 


ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS

ROME VENICE – PIZZA PASTA & ?

Including : BOURDAIN in ITALY

And 40 of ITALY’S MOST LOVED RECIPES


AMAZON.com


ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS : 

 A Journey Through Italy, One Plate at a Time

Italian Food & Travels: Rome, Venice, Pizza, Pasta & ? by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Italy is one of those rare places where you can travel with your eyes, your feet — or your appetite.

A plate of pasta can tell you something about a city. A glass of wine can introduce you to a region. A bowl of soup can reveal the traditions of a family. A simple meal in a neighborhood trattoria can sometimes tell you more about Italy than a day spent checking famous tourist attractions off a list.

That idea is at the heart of Italian Food & Travels: Rome, Venice, Pizza, Pasta & ?, the Italian food and travel book by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

Part travel guide, part cookbook, part culinary memoir, the book takes readers on a journey through Italy through the things that make the country so irresistible: food, wine, history, people, cities, traditions and the pleasure of sitting down at the table.

Italy Is a Country of Food

When people outside Italy talk about “Italian food,” they often imagine a handful of famous dishes: pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, tiramisu and perhaps a plate of chicken parmigiana.

But Italy doesn’t really have one single cuisine.

It has an extraordinary collection of regional food traditions.

The cuisine of Venice is not the cuisine of Naples. Roman cooking is different from Tuscan cooking. Sicilian food carries influences from centuries of Mediterranean history, while the food of northern Italy reflects a very different landscape, climate and culinary tradition.

Italy’s official tourism organization describes Italian cuisine as a vast mosaic of regional traditions, with different landscapes, cultures, ingredients and culinary practices contributing to the food of each area.

That’s what makes traveling through Italy such an exciting experience for anyone who loves food.

You aren’t simply eating “Italian food.”

You’re eating Roman food in Rome. Venetian food in Venice. Neapolitan food in Naples. Sicilian food in Sicily. Tuscan food in Tuscany.

And that’s a very different adventure.


ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Italian Food & Travels was written by New York-based food, wine and travel writer Daniel Bellino Zwicke, whose career has been deeply connected with Italian food, wine and restaurants.

Zwicke has spent decades working in the New York restaurant and wine world and has traveled extensively throughout Italy. His professional background includes culinary training, restaurant management and wine direction, including his work at Bar Cichetti, a Venetian-style wine bar in Greenwich Village.

That background gives Italian Food & Travels a perspective that goes beyond the typical tourist guide.

The book is about experiencing Italy through food.

It takes readers through places including:

  • Rome

  • Venice

  • Verona

  • Florence

  • Naples

  • Capri

  • Positano

  • The Amalfi Coast

  • Sicily

  • Puglia

  • Tuscany

  • and other Italian destinations

The result is a culinary journey through some of the most beloved regions and cities in Italy.





The COLOSSEUM

ROME



A Travel Guide for People Who Love to Eat

There are plenty of books about traveling through Italy.

There are also plenty of Italian cookbooks.

Italian Food & Travels brings those two worlds together.

Imagine planning a trip to Italy and being able to read about the places you’re visiting while also discovering the food associated with them.

That’s the concept.

Rather than treating food as something separate from travel, Zwicke treats food as one of the best ways to understand a destination.

And that’s an important distinction.

If you visit Naples, you don’t simply want to see Naples.

You want to understand Neapolitan food.

If you visit Venice, you don’t just want to photograph the canals.

You want to understand the Venetian tradition of bacari, cicchetti, seafood, pasta and wine.

If you travel along the Amalfi Coast, the experience becomes even richer when you understand the ingredients and dishes that come from Campania.

Food turns travel into something personal.

Rome: Pasta, History and La Dolce Vita

Rome is one of the world’s great food cities.

It’s also one of the best places to understand how Italian cooking can be incredibly simple while still being deeply satisfying.

Roman cuisine is famous for dishes such as:

Cacio e Pepe.

Carbonara.

Amatriciana.

Gricia.

But Roman food is much more than a list of famous pasta dishes.

It is about neighborhood trattorias, markets, bakeries, espresso bars, pizza, artichokes, porchetta and long lunches.

A traveler who understands the food of Rome experiences the city differently.

Every meal becomes part of the journey.

VENICE



VENICE  – The Magic of Italian Food on the Water

Venice is unlike any other city in Italy.

Built around canals and islands, Venice developed a distinctive food culture shaped by its history as a major maritime trading power.

Venetian cuisine has an extraordinary relationship with the sea.

Fish and seafood, polenta, rice, vegetables and small plates all play important roles.

And then there is the Venetian bacaro.

A bacaro is a traditional Venetian wine bar where locals can stop for a glass of wine and small bites known as cicchetti.

For Daniel Bellino Zwicke, Venice has particular significance. His professional career included creating Bar Cichetti in New York City, a Venetian-style wine bar inspired by the bacari of Venice.

This connection between Venice and New York is part of what makes Zwicke’s approach to Italian food and travel particularly personal.

Naples: Pizza, Pasta and the Soul of Southern Italy

Few cities are as closely identified with a single food as Naples is with pizza.

But Naples is about much more than pizza.

It is a city of street food, seafood, pasta, pastries, coffee, tomatoes, mozzarella and intensely flavored southern Italian cooking.

From pizza Napoletana to pasta dishes and seafood, the food of Naples reflects the character of the city itself: direct, generous, lively and deeply rooted in tradition.

And Naples is also the gateway to some of Italy’s most famous destinations.

From here, travelers can explore:

Capri.

Sorrento.

Positano.

The Amalfi Coast.

Each has its own food traditions and personality.

POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST


The AMALFI COAST : Lemon, Seafood and La Dolce Vita

The Amalfi Coast has become one of the world’s most recognizable travel destinations.

The dramatic coastline, colorful villages and Mediterranean views make it unforgettable.

But the food is equally memorable.

Think:

  • Fresh seafood

  • Handmade pasta

  • Local lemons

  • Tomatoes

  • Olive oil

  • Mozzarella

  • Seafood pasta

  • Lemon desserts

  • Limoncello

The Amalfi Coast is a perfect example of why food and travel belong together.

The landscape influences the ingredients.

The ingredients influence the recipes.

The recipes become part of the culture.

And eventually, the food becomes part of what travelers remember most.

Sicily: Where Italian Food Meets the Mediterranean

Sicily is one of the most fascinating food destinations in Europe.

Its cuisine reflects the island’s complicated history and its position at the center of the Mediterranean.

Greek, Arab, Norman, Spanish and other influences have all contributed to Sicily’s extraordinary culinary identity.

Some of the foods travelers associate with Sicily include:

Arancini

Caponata

Pasta alla Norma

Sarde

Cannoli

Granita

And countless regional specialties.

Sicily demonstrates something essential about Italian cuisine:

Italian food is not static.

It is the product of geography, history, agriculture, migration and generations of cooks adapting traditions to the ingredients available to them.

ALBEROBELLO

PUGLIA


Puglia: The Italy of Olive Oil, Pasta and the Mediterranean

Puglia, in Italy’s southeast, has become increasingly popular with travelers looking for authentic regional food and a slower style of travel.

The region is known for its olive oil, vegetables, wheat, seafood and handmade pasta.

One of its most recognizable dishes is orecchiette, the small ear-shaped pasta traditionally associated with Puglia.

Recent culinary travel coverage has highlighted the region’s cheeses, olive oils, seafood, markets and traditional food producers, illustrating how food tourism in Puglia continues to attract travelers looking for regional experiences.

Puglia is another reminder that some of Italy’s most memorable food experiences don’t necessarily come from the most famous tourist attractions.

Sometimes they’re found at the table.





ORECCHIETTE

PUGLIE



40 of ITALY’S Most LOVED RECIPES by BELLINO 

PASTA BOLOGNESE

“SECRET RECIPE by BELLINO”

Recipe


One of the attractions of Italian Food & Travels is that readers don’t have to simply dream about Italian food.

They can cook it.

The book includes a collection of Italian recipes connected to the culinary journey, allowing readers to bring some of the flavors of Italy into their own kitchens. Published descriptions of the book highlight dishes and recipes including Ragù Bolognese, Porchetta, Wild Boar Ragù, Pesto Genovese, Caponata, Lasagna, Spaghetti alle Vongole, Pasta Nerano, Ragu Napoletana and Amalfi-style lemon cake, among others.

That makes the book particularly appealing to two kinds of readers:

People who want to travel to Italy.

And people who want to taste Italy at home.

Ideally, of course, you are both.


What Does Italian Food Really Mean?

Perhaps the most interesting question isn’t “What is Italian food?”

It’s:

What does Italian food mean?

For many people, Italian food means family.

It means Sunday dinner.

It means Nonna.

It means pasta being made in the kitchen.

It means tomatoes simmering on the stove.

It means a bottle of wine opened with friends.

It means bread on the table.

It means staying at the table longer than you intended.

The cultural importance of food and sharing is deeply embedded in Italian and Mediterranean traditions. UNESCO’s description of the Mediterranean diet emphasizes not only ingredients and cooking, but also hospitality, social exchange, traditions and the communal act of eating together.

That’s why Italian food has such universal appeal.

It’s not simply about eating.

It’s about living.


Anthony Bourdain

Eatin CACIO PEPE

“TONY’S FAVORITE PASTA”

ANTHONY BOURDAIN’S ITALY  

One of the special features associated with Italian Food & Travels is its section devoted to Anthony Bourdain’s Italy.

Bourdain understood something that every serious food traveler eventually discovers:

The best way to understand a place is often to eat your way through it.

His Italian travels took him across different regions, cities and culinary traditions.

The Bourdain section of Zwicke’s book follows that spirit, exploring Italian destinations and foods associated with Bourdain’s travels and culinary adventures.

For readers who discovered Italy through Bourdain’s television programs, this provides another reason to pick up the book.

It offers a chance to revisit Italy through the food, places and experiences that made Bourdain’s travel stories so memorable.

Why Food Is the Best Way to Travel Through Italy

You can read about Italy in a history book.

You can study Italy on a map.

You can watch documentaries about Italy.

But food gives you another kind of knowledge.

You learn about a place by tasting it.

You discover that northern Italian cooking can feel very different from southern Italian cooking.

You discover that pasta isn’t one thing.

You discover that every region has its own specialties.

You discover that the best meal isn’t always the most expensive meal.

And you discover that sometimes the most memorable restaurant is the little trattoria you almost walked past.

That’s the Italy that Italian Food & Travels tries to capture.

The Best Italian Travel Book for Food Lovers?

For readers searching for an Italian travel guide, Italian cookbook, Italian food travel book, or book about traveling through Italy, Italian Food & Travels offers an unusual combination.

It isn’t simply a guidebook.

It isn’t simply a cookbook.

And it isn’t simply a memoir.

It brings these elements together.

The book combines travel stories, destinations, food traditions, recipes and observations gathered from Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s decades of experience with Italian food, wine and travel.

That makes it a natural companion for anyone who loves:

  • Italian food

  • Italian recipes

  • Italy travel

  • Italian wine

  • Pasta

  • Pizza

  • Rome

  • Venice

  • Florence

  • Naples

  • Sicily

  • Tuscany

  • Puglia

  • The Amalfi Coast

  • Capri

  • Positano

  • Italian culture

  • Food history

  • Culinary travel

TAKE ITALY HOME With YOU Take 

The wonderful thing about a great travel book is that it doesn’t have to end when the trip ends.

You can close the book, walk into your kitchen and make pasta.

You can open a bottle of Italian wine.

You can prepare a traditional dish.

You can invite friends over.

And suddenly, for a few hours, you’re back in Italy.

That is the real promise of Italian Food & Travels.

It isn’t merely about getting from Rome to Venice or Naples to Sicily.

It’s about discovering Italy through its food, its people, its traditions and its stories.

Italy is waiting.

The table is set.

All that’s missing is you.

Discover Italian Food & Travels by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Italian Food & Travels: Rome, Venice, Pizza, Pasta & ? is a travel guide and cookbook for anyone who loves Italy, Italian food and the adventure of discovering a country one meal at a time.

Learn about the destinations.

Discover the recipes.

Follow the stories.

And start planning your next Italian adventure.

Mangia!

Read. Travel. Cook. Discover Italy.






BELLINO in ITALY

Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

At The TEATRO GRECO

SIRACUSA, SICILY








Italys Most Famous Butcher – Dario Cecchini – Panzano Italy

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 


DARIO CECCHINI

MACCELERIA CECCHINI

PANZANO, ITALY

DARIO CECCHINI







DARIO CECCHINI Says “HELLO”

“HELLO NEW YORK” !!!


The MENU

A BEEF STEAK FEAST

5 COURSES of PRIME BEEF

CARNE CRUDO (STEAK TARTARE) 

CARPACIO di CULO
 (Seared Rump Steak)

TAGLI CECCHINI (Dario’s Signature Cut)

BISTECCA PANZANESE (Panzanese Steak)

COSTATA alla FIORENTINA (Bone-In Ribeye)

Served with FAGIOLI (Beans) & PATATE (Baked Potato)

CHIANTI

OLIVE OIL CAKE & VIN SANTO

“ALL For ONLY 50 EUROS”





OUR TUSCAN STEAK FEAST


I have known Dario Cecchini since 2001. That was the first time I went to his macceleria in Panzano. I don’t know him very well, but I have been to his butcher shop a few time, and said hello. Since the last time I was in Panzano, and at Dario’s butcher shop (Macelleria Cecchini) Dario has opened a restaurant, Officina Bistecca in Panzano, across the street from his famous butcher shop. Ever since I heard I was dying to go there. At Officina Bistecca you are treated to an amazing Tuscan Steak Feast by Dario. The feast incudes several courses of Prime Beef Steak in numerous forms – Carne Crudo (Steak Tartare), Carpaccio di Culo which translates to Carpaccio of the Ass, “Haha.” Just a little joke. The Carpaccio is made from Beef Rump (Culo). Then you move on to Tagli Cecchini, then Bistecca Panzanese (T-bone Steak), and then Crostata di Fiorentian (Ribeye Steak), alls served with Fagioli (Tuscan Beans) Roast Potato, Tuscan Butter (Lardo), and all the Chianti you can drink. You finish the meal with a tasty piece of Olive Oil Cake and Vin Santo Dessert wine, all for only 50 Euros. “Quite a Deal? And we Loved it”

The we? Me, and my cousins Tony & Debbie. We had a hard time convincing my cousin Tony. He didn’t want to go, but his wife Debbie loves Steak better than anything, and I love steak as well, and had been yearning to eat there, ever since I heard about it. I had to go. I told Debbie, “come on Debbie, we Gott go.” She agreed, and talked Tony into it. So on Tuesday March 3rd (2026), we drove down there. To Panzano and to the Macceleria Cecchini, for an amazing Tuscan Beef Feast at Dario’s Officina della Bistecca (Office of Florentine T-bone Steak). We were not to be denied, cousin Debbie and I. And so we arrived. It was quite exciting. When we arrived, and parked our car in the adjacent parking lot, we walking in through the maccelleria which was already abuzz with people meeting Dario and getting ready for the steak feast of their lives. The Antica Macelleria Cecchini has been in Dario’s family for many years and Dario is the 8th Generation of his family to run this butcher shop. Dario and the macelleria became famous, a couple years after Dario took over the shop. Dario would often quote the famed Florentine poet – Dante Alighieri, and that’s how he started gaining notoriety and thus became famous, along with the butcher shop. It didn’t hurt that Mario Batali became good friends with Dario, and author Bill Buford apprenticed with Dario and wrote about him in his Best Selling book “HEAT,” which is almost like a biography of Batali, with parts about Dario, and Buford’s experiences apprenticing with both Dario at the macceleria and with Mario at Babbo.

Anyway, back to me and my cousins, and our Tuscan Steak Feast. We had a wonderful time. The dining room is quite convivial, festive, and it’s loads of fun. Needless to say, everyone is happy and in high-spirits. It all starts with Dario making a speech to charge everyone up before we go into eat. Dario blows his bus horn and welcomes everyone to the Maceelleria & Officina dell Bistecca for the Feast to come. “Carne Diem !!! Carne Diem,” Dario shouts, and the crowd outside repeats his chants. Everyone is all charged-up and ready to go.

Anyway. We had the Steak Feast. We Loved it, and all agreed that it was a very special thing to do, and a day we shall always remember. And needless to say, “Cherish,” always.

After we got back home in the USA, me in New York, and Tony & Debbie down in Florida, I gave Tony a call one day, and we talked about the trip, (a Week in Tuscany). We talked of Lucca, going to Villa Santo Stefano Wine Estate (Lucca), our day in Bolgheri, on the Tuscan Coast, and our day at Dario’s, and Tony said to me, “You know, the Best Thing we did, was going to Dario’s (Macelleria Cecchini & Officina Bistecca). I agreed, and was quite happy to say that. Happy that he didn’t just agree because that’s what Debbie & I wanted to do more than anything, and Tony was going along. No Tony loved it just as much as we did. And so, that was our day with Dario. I chatted a bit with Dario and I shot some video to make a little film (video) of Dario, the famous butcher shop, and our “Wonderful” Tuscan Steak Feast. Yes a day to remember, and one I hasn’t forget. It was so very cool.

Basta! 


Daniel Bellino Zwicke 

May 21, 2026 








ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL

ROME VENICE PANZANO PIZZA PASTA

CHIANTI BISTECCA & More …
AMAZON.com
Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE (r)

with DARIO CECCHINI 

And COUSIN TONY B (L)

At MACELLERIA CECCHINI

PANAZANO


BELLINO & CECCHINI
From Google search

Daniel Bellino and Dario Cecchini share a deep connection rooted in a mutual passion for traditional culinary arts, particularly celebrated through Cecchini’s legendary Tuscan butcher shop.
The CONNECTION
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is a prominent New York-based Italian-American cookbook author, wine educator, and food writer. He has frequently documented his travels to Italy and his high-profile culinary encounters, notably featuring Dario Cecchini across his social media platforms, blogs, and videos as a supreme “Master of Meat”.
  • The Meat Mecca: His historic shop, Antica Macelleria Cecchini, is a global destination for food lovers.

  • Acclaimed Restaurants: He runs three specialized dining concepts directly attached to his shop: Officina della Bistecca (famous for its 8-course Florentine steak progression), Solociccia, and Panzanese.

  • Theatrical Flair: Dario is famous for his rock-and-roll attitude, energetic hospitality, and shouting his signature catchphrase, “To Beef or Not to Beef!” while passionately reciting Dante’s Divine Comedy to his guests.
Daniel Bellino’s Perspective
Bellino-Zwicke first visited Cecchini’s butcher shop in 2003 before the attached restaurants were open, and has since returned to experience the full communal dining feasts. Through his books (like Sunday Sauce) and food tours, Bellino bridges the world of authentic Greenwich Village New York-Italian food with the ancient, soulful culinary traditions kept alive by masters like Cecchini in Tuscany.


“CARNE VINO e ROCK N’ ROLL” says DARIO

MACELLERIA CECCHINI

PANZANO, ITALY






The ITALIAN NONNA COOKBOOK

COOK LIKE a NONNA

Daniel Bellino Zwicke
AMAZON.com









DARIO

“The KING of BEEF”

ETRUSCACAN STEAKS & MORE !


New Venice Travel Guide Cookbook by Daniel Bellino Zwicke – Venetian Food Recipes

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 


EXPLORING VENICE

TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK

The LATEST From DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
AMAZON.com

EXPLORING VENICE
Exploring Venice. Daniel Bellino has done it again. He just released has latest book – Exploring Venice – Travel Guide – Cookbook. Speaking of travel guide cookbooks, it seems as though Bellino owns this genre, having written three wonderful books that fall under this genre, which we even think that Bellino-Zwicke may have even invented.
His latest offering is all about one of the World’s most loved and cherished destinations – Venice, Italy. Venice, a city like no other in the world. Venice is totally unique, and the people of the World love it, and love going there. So Mr. Bellino Z has written a quite wonderful book that will help to guide these people –  on where to go in Venice – restaurants, wine bars, museums, and other local sights, it’s all there.

Bellino’s “Exploring Venice,” like all of his Italian Travel Books, gives you the authors very own unique perspective, as only Daniel Bellino can. You see, unlike many who write travel books, Bellino has some 40 years experience under his belt, when it comes to visiting and knowing Venice, the place, the people, the lifestyle, and of course the food, of which, no Venetian Travel Guide has ever had such a large battery of great Venetian food recipes such as this. And not many can match when it comes to Bellino & Venice, wine bars, and Venetian food, as Daniel Bellino Zwicke is a master of it all. He created the 1st ever Venetian Bacaro in America in 1998. What is a bacaro you ask? A bacaro is the Venetian dialect name for a wine bar. The word bacaro translates to “House of Bacchus”. – with Bacchus being The Roman Guide of Wine, the name for a wine bar in Venice “Bacaro” is quite appropriate. Daniel Bellino fell in love with the bacari of Venice and wanted to open one of his own, and so he did. 

Having wanted to open a Venetian Wine Bar (bacaro) in New York, Bellino needed to know about them, and as much as he could. Everything. And so in the Spring (Primavera) of 1995, after reading an article on the bacari of Venice, Bellino decided he had to go and check them out. He book a flight to Vencie, and stayed for 11 days, going to every wine bar (bacaro) in town. He ate, drank wine, chatted with the owners and clients alike, took pictures, and absorbed it all, find out all about the food (cichetti), the local wines, and how the food and wine was produced, presented, and consumed in these bacari of the enchanting city of Venice. 

Daniel Bellino went back to New York, and along with business partner Tom T, opened Bar Cichetti – “America’s 1st Ever Venetian Bacaro” (wine bar). Danie was the Chef, Wine Director, and managing partner of Bar Cichetti which the food-press and Italian wine professionals in New York and Italy absolutely loved. We could go on and on about Bar Cichetti, but sorry, though a great subject, we actually got off the main subject at hand – the book by Bellino, EXPPLORING VENICE. 

So, like any other travel guide, there’s a list of the best restaurants to go to, and bacari. A list of museums, best sights to see, some history, and the hotels of Venice. Then there’s a few stories, containing the authors own wonderful experiences and insights into the enchanting city of Venice. The author touches on the most famous Venetians of all : “Casanova,” Vivaldi, & one Giuseppe Cipriani, the creator of World Renowned Venetian Treasure “Harry’s Bar.” Not every guide book of Venice touches on these subjects, but Bellino does. And his insights are quite valuable. The author tells you of several of Casanova’s favorite haunts that remain open and active to this very day. And you can go to Caffè Florian and the wine bars of Venice , eat and drink, and enjoy these establishments just as Giacamo Casanova did, almost 300 years gone by. Now that’s quite something, wouldn’t you say?

Now the recipes, some of which are quite unique. Oh, we almost forgot to inform you, the author cooked professionally in New York City for some 14 years, before getting heavily involved in Italian Wine, as  the wine director of some New York’s most renowned Italian restaurants, and became one of the foremost authorities in America, on Italian wine. So Bellino’s experienced is quite significant. 

Yes, back tot he recipes in the book. The author / chef has included some 40 recipes on the most important dishes of Venetian Cusine, including, Risi Bisi, Baccala Montecato (whipped Salt Cod), Bigoli con Anatra (Venetian pasta with Duck Ragu), Calves Liver Veneziana, and more. Daniel has also touched on Cichetti and throwing your very own “Cichetti Party,” when you get back home. And he tells you how to do it. The author, in writing his Italian travel guide -cookbooks, has said that his does this in order to inspire people to cook the foods that they love from their travels. Daniel states that it’s a great way to relive cherished memories of certain trips, by cooking some dishes that you loved while on vacation. He has done this with other travel -cookbooks he has written, such as – Poistano The Amalfi Coast – Travel Guide – Cookbook & ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL.
We almost forget to inform you. Daniel Bellino cooked professionally in some New York’s most renowned Italian & French restaurants of 15 years, after which he became heavily involved in Italian Wine. He opened Bar Cichetti, and for this, every Italian Wine Estate Owner wanted to meet him, and have him sell and promote their wines. And so Daniel became one of America’s foremost authorise of Italian Wine. For his passion and great knowledge of Italian wine, Daniel Bellino Z is one of the most highly respected Italian Wine Guys of America – known and respected by most of Italy’s top Italian Wine producers (Italian Estate Owners), such as : Giovanni Manettiof Fontodi, Conti Sebastiano Capponi of Villa Calcinaia (Chianti in Greve), The Marches Piero Antinori (Antinori Wines of Florence, Tuscany), Francesca Planeta (Paneta Wines, Sicily), Cavelierie Luigi Cappellini of Castello Verrazzano, and many more. Too many to name.

And so, we highly recommend any of the fine books of Italy, by one of America’s foremost authorises on the subjects – the subjects of Italian Food, Italian Wine, Italy, & Travels in Italy – chef ‘ author Daniel Bellino Zwicke. He knows it all. 





WE ALSO RECOMMEND 

“ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS”


ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS

ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA & ???

Daniel Bellino Zwicke
AMAZON.com


Positano Ultimate Travel Guide 2026 – The Amalfi Coast

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment
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Positano

WELCOME to BEAUTIFUL POSITANO

And The ULTIMATE GUIDE to EVERYTHING POSITANO

EAT – DRINK – SLEEP – EXPLORE – SWIM – PLAY – GET AROUND





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The MAIN Beach at Positano



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Pulling Into POSITANO

This is a Great Car … But it’s Best to Leave the Car at Home

GETTING to POSITANO

The BEST WAY

ROME to POSITANO PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION

There are several ways to get to Positano, either by Bus, Car, or Boat, and some ways are much better than other ones. 



If you are Flying into the Airport in Naples, you can get Affordable Ground Transportation , directly from the Airport to Sorrento, where you can take a spectacular Bus Ride, or Ferry Boat directly from Sorrento right to the center of Positano. 




POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE

CAPRI – NAPLES – SORRENTO

The AMALFI COAST ITALY
AMAZON.com


The AMALFI COAST


The ROLLING STONES !!!
POSITANO – ROLLING STONES

TEE SHIRT

This is an “EXCLUSIVE” SHIRT

YOU CAN NOT GET IT ANYWHERE ELSE !!!

If YOU LOVE IT ?  “CLICK HERE” !!!




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POSITANO

Wish You Were There ???



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Positano Getting There

NAPOLI DAY TOURS to POSITANO


ITALY



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View of Positano





Hotels CAPRI – POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST

And WORLDWIDE
EXPEDIA.com




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.”ONLY YOUR” 
DowneyMarisaSERENUSE
How to Get There
Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. arrive 

by FERRARI in “ONLY YOU”



SirrenuseaA
WHERE to Stay

This is Where Billy Zane, Marisa Tomei  and Robert Downey Jr. Stayed

Le SIRENUSE Hotel

“ONLY YOU”





LaCAMBUSSa
in POSITANO



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In POSITANO

ITALY




ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL 

ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA & ???

NAPLES CAPRI SORRENTO The AMALFI COAST

ITALY TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK
AMAZON.com








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Lo SMERALDO

AMALFI

WHERE to EAT on The AMALFI COAST




AmalfiCoastMAP

GET GREAT RATES on AIRLINE FLIGHTS
The AMALFI COAST


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SUNDAY SAUCE

Cooking Like

The You’re in Positano
The AMALFI COAST
Daniel Bellino “Z”




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Clark Gable with Sophia Loren

Naples and The AMALFI COAST

ITALY




WHAT to DO on The AMALFI COAST


TOP THINGS to DO in POSITANO

And The AMALFI COAST

CLICK HERE for INFO







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The Path of The Gods
POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST




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In POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST

ITALY


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VIEW From Le SIRENUSE

Thee PLACE to STAY in POSITANO

SirenuseROOM

CASA ALBERTINA  … Positano

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Look at This View ??? !!!!

How’d You like to Have Your Breakfast Here ?

One of Our ALL-TIME FAVORITE 
POSITANO

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Casa Albertina

LUXURY For LESS





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Beautifully Appointed Rooms 


Casa Albertina is a wonderful 1st Class little family run Hotel that is perfectly situated so you get a nice view of the town from just a little way up, yet a short easy teen minute walk to the Beach and Center of Positano. 

I first discovered Casa Albertina way back in 1986 and had 3 glorious days staying there. The son Lorenzo gave me a special rate, seeing I was a young man (22) and probably didn’t have much cash. This hotel is beautifully appointed and the entire staff provides the most friendly service. Casa Albertina is an Absolute Gem.

Note : The first time I stayed at CASA ALBERTINA was the Summer of 1986. The owners sone Lorenzo gave me a special rate of $79 a night, and I had an absolutely wonderful time. The next year when I came back, the price had gone up to $119 a night. When I checked the prices in May of 2018, the rate was $279 a night, and actually a reasonable rate for the quality of this hotel, which is not super deluxe, but does make it in to the luxury category of hotels.





CASA ALBERTINA … Via Tavolozza 3  … POSITANO , ITALY  … Reserve a Room

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Me at Casa Albertina

Breakfast with Nicoletta

Summer 1986


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BUCA di BACCO …. Positano

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View From a Room

HOTEL BUCA di BACCO

HOTEL BUCA di BACCO  … Via Rama Teglia 4 … Positano, Italy …  tel. 39 081 1892 2289 CLICK to Book a Room INFO & RESERVATIONS

….

Le SIRENUSE



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Le SIRENUSE




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The POOL

Le SIRENUSE



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A Room at Le Sirenuse

“ROOMS GO FAST”

ARE YOU COMING From ROME ?


ROME to The AMALFI COAST
PRIVATE LUXURY TRANSPORT


“I LOVE POSITANO”

TEE SHIRT

SirenuseBARvdv


View From Terrace Bar at Le SIRENUSE

Le SIRENUSE HOTEL … Via C. Colombo 30 , Positano, Italy .. tel. 39 0862 060556 

 Book a Room at Le SIRENUSE HOTEL – INFO & RESERVATIONS




il SAN PIETRO

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View from the SAN PIETRO

One of The Worlds Most Renowned Hotels


For The DREAM VACATION of a LIFETIME



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One of The SAN PIETRO’S FABULOUS Rooms

Your Own Private Balcony


GROUP & PRIVATE TOURS

SORRENTO CAPRI POSITANO POMPEII The AMALFI COASTS – BUS TOURS

WINE TASTING LUCNHES – PIZZA & ITALIAN FOOD COOKING CLASSES

NAPLES – SORRENTO – The AMALFI COAST & CAPRI

THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE !!!
INFO & RESERVATIONS


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Sunday-SauceeBIGGERx

SUNDAY SAUCE

AMERICA’S FAVORITE 

ITALIAN COOKBOOK


“FLY WITH EXPEDIA”

HOTELS & FLIGHTS


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HOTEL ART PASITEA

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View from the Terrazzo at Hotel Art PasItea
POSITANO




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Lounge at HOTEL ART PASITEA


Free Wifi, Free Breakfast, Beautiful Views, affordable Prices …

HOTEL ART PASITEA  …. Via Pasitea   207, Positano, Italy 


FIND a Room


HOTEL DIMORA FORNILLO

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View from the Terrazzo at Hotel Dimora Fornillo


POSITANO

A Room with a VIEW
Hotel Dimora Fornillo

HOTEL DIMORA FORNILLO … Via Fornillo 27 , POSITANO

About 200 Steps up to the Hotel from the Beach and Center of town.

AC Free Wifi … 


Free BREAKFAST   Reserve a Room

VILLA MARIA ANTONIETTA

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View From VILLA MARIA ANTONIETTA

If You’re on a Budget, Villa Maria Antonietta is on of The Best Options in Town …

Posiitano has to be one of the hardest place in the World to find a hotel room, and in the Budget Category, almost but not Impossible. Villa Maria Antonietta is one of your best options if you want to pay less than $150 US Dollars a night. It’s almost impossible finding a room here in the high season (April to Mid October).  You have a much better chance getting a room here in the off-season when you can get a room for about $96 a night (US Dollars).
I first stayed here in the Summer of 1985, and was recommended this place by the late Poet RENE RICARD. At the time I paid $40 a night, so considering the way things have skyrocketed here in Positano, that you can get a room for about double the price in 2018, that’s pretty reasonable.

The accommodations are basic, but most important, they are clean, the location is Fantastic, you are in Positano and it’s relatively Cheap.
If you want to stay in in Summer, Book Far in Advance !!!
Just 1,900 Feet from the Main Beach and Marina to catch Boats (Ferries) coming and going to Positano. 


VILLA MARIA ANTONIETTA … Via C. Colombo 41 , POSITANO , ITALY 





ROME to POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

PRIVATE DOOR to DOOR TRANSPORTATION

NAPLES AIRPORT to The AMALFI COAST
GET INFO – RESERVATIONS





HOTELS & FLIGHTS

HOTEL CONCA D’ ORO

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Hotel Conca D’ Oro

Positano



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View From Balcony

HOTEL CONCA D’ ORO

POSITANO

Afforadable with Average Room Rate of $145 a Night US Dollars
150 Steps Up, about a 15 Minute Walk to The Main Beach


HOTEL CONCA D’ ORO  …. Via Boscariello 16 ,   POSITANO , ITALY   Info

BookingsPOSITANO
Find Your HOTELS

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TIPS on GETTING a ROOM in POSITANO and The AMALFI COAST


Positano has to be without question one of the hardest places in the World for the Budget minded to get a hotel room. There are not many options, as most hotels, the prices are astronomical priced. Seriously! This being said, it’s not impossible and there are some options available.

We have Compiled a List of Several Affordable (Cheapest Hotel Rooms in POSITANO) Options for the Budget Minded. It wasn’t easy, but we did it.

It goes without sayint that’s it’s markedly more dificult to find a reasonably priced room here during the high season which runs from mid April to mid September, with mid May to the first weel of Septemeber being super busy.

This all being said, if it’s possible for you to go in October or April, these two months might be your best possible option. If you have plenty of cash and can afford to pay $300 or more a night for a hotel room, then you won’t have as much as a problem.
The other alternative to see Positano if you want to go during the High Season, is to stay in another town like, Paiano right next door to Positano, or Minori, Sorrento or other town near by, and take a bus or Boat to visit Positano, have a nice lunch and do some sightseeing.

Good Luck!

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POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

COOKBOOK & TRAVEL
AMAZON.com

POSITANO – ROLLING STONES

“EXCLUSIVE POSITANO TEE”



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At BUCA di BACCO




Positano , Italy

Yes a Wonderful Ristorante Amazing View Great Food Excellet Service … This Hotel and Restaurant is a mainstay of the hugely popular town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Everything about the place is First Class, the hotel of course , the restaurant and a friendly professional staff of waiter, BBs, host, Chef, cooks, and all who work at this establishment. I’ve eaten here numerous times since 1985, and it’s always been a great experience including my latest trip this past May with my cousin Tony. We went for lunch, this was my cousin Tony’s first time, and he loved as I always have. I think I created a Monster when my cousin Tony said let’s get a bottle of Champagne and a suggested we might get a good quality Italian Sparkling Wine. A few days before we were at Lo Smeraldino Ristorante right on the water in Amalfi. I ordered the Ferrari “Perle” Brut 2007. It was wonderful and Tony was hooked, he loved it, and wanted to get it at almost every restaurant we went to for the rest of the trip. Now back to Buco di Bacco. Tony scanned the Wine List at Buco, he found the Ferrari “Perle” and ordered another bottle (Vintage 2010). We started drinking it and as with the 5 or so bottles of this wine we had on the trip, it was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed. Now when it came to ordering, for Antipasto we got an order of Melanzane Parmigiano (Eggplant Parm) and some grilled vegetables. Now, though we both love eating Seafood when down on the Amalfi Coast, when we saw Meatballs (Polpette) on the menu, we both ordered some. I ordered a plate of Spaghetti Meatballs while Tony ordered just Meatballs minus any pasta.








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The BAR at BUCO Di BACCO




The service as usual was excellent, it was a absolutely gorgeous day in Positano and we were both a couple of Happy Campers outside on the lower Terrazzo of Buca Di Bacco. We both commented on how relaxing and peaceful it felt sitting there on the deck and we both sat back and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and good fortune to having lunch there at such a nice restaurant in the beautiful town of Positano n the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Yes, we knew we were lucky and we were most certainly grateful to be sharing such a memorable meal together, two Italian-American cousins in Italy in Positano, The Amalfi Coast. Basta !




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The WINE LIST

BUCA Di BACCO

Since 1916

POSITANO



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PESCE MISTI di Mare



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BUCO di BACCO


POSITANO  … I won’t give you the address, as you can’t miss it. The Hotel and Ristorante BUCA di BACCO is front and center, right at the main beach in the center of town in Positano. If by some insane reason you have a problem finding it, just ask, it’s right down near the water.  telephone :  39 081 837 0723

PS … If you can Afford It? The Hotel is Wonderful.





Da VINCENZO

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A Great View of POSITANO from a outdoor table at Da VINCENZO


That’s the terrazzo of Caffe Positano where all the people are sitting outside, which if you started going to Positano long ago, you may know that spot as the old BAR DeMARTINO, one of my favorite places ever in Positano, but sadly no longer there. Anyway, this is a spectacular spot to get an Aperitivo, have lunch or dinner, and just enjoy the moment and the beauty before you, and just how “Lucky” you are to be in this Gorgeous Place, known as Positano. 

Enjoy!




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Italian Cookbook Author (Me)

Daniel Bellino Zwicke, Enjoying Lunch

at Da VINCENZO

Been Going there Since 1985

Positano



Yes, I started going to Da Vincenzo way back in 1985. Ever Since my first trip to the lovely little Seaside Town on The Amalfi Coast, that was yet to be discover by the masses all around the World. Yes, there were people who had heard about this gorgeous place, but not nearly as many as do now. Yes, Positano for the most part was still relatively un-known back then. That’s before Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. made the movie ONLY YOU that brought the town to the attention of so many more Millions of people then had ever even heard of the palce before. Anyway Cei la Vie.

Now back to Rene Ricard and myself and how I discovered and went to Da Vincenzo way back in the Summer of 1985 (Bar DeMartino also). It was just a few days befor my long awaited first trip to Italy, Spain, and the South of France when as I waas walking down 2nd Avenue one night I ran into my friend Alma who was with the Poet RENE RICARD. We were all chatting on the street when I emntioned my trip. When I said I was going to Rome, Venice, and positano, Rene got quite excited and told me the best places to go to in Rome, Venice and Positano. So besides all the info Rene gave me on Rome and Venice, he told me all about Positano and where to stay and where to eat which included going to Da Vincenzo where Rene told me I’d get the Best Plate of SPAGHETTI VONGOLE that Id’ ever have in my entire life.


La CAMBUSA

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La CAMBUSA



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View From a Table at La CAMBUSA


La CAMBUSA … Piazza A. Vespucci / Spiaggi Grande  POSITANO … tel # 39 089 812051

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Linguine Frutta di Mare , La CAMBUSA 

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La CAMBUSA

PIAZZA A. VESPUCCI

POSITANO



La CAMBUSA

Out of most of the places we went in Positano this was easily best. They are so friendly and the food was perfect while overlooking the beach. Our first night they were about to close and stayed open for us to get a light bite and a great bottle of wine and we told them we would be back and they didn’t not disappoint. The seafood pasta was amazing and once again the staff was accommodating. I couldn’t recommend this place more. Enjoy Positano and really get to know the people because it’s a great place.

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Le PERGOLA

La CAMBUSA



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La CAMBUSA and The Piazza Amerigo Vespucci

POSITANO




POSITANO


HOTEL ROYAL

Via PASITEA  344, – POSITANO

INFO & RESERVATIONS






LATTERIA

“Alimentari”  … Via Pasitea   , POSITANO

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LATTERRIA

“Some of The BEST FOOD in All of POSITANO”



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FRITTATA FORMAGGI ARANCINI PANINI MELANZANE SALUMI e FRUTTA

The Selection at “LATTERIA” is AMAZING

And You Can Take it out and Eat on Their Lovely Little Terrazzo
“I Did”

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The Terrazzo at “LATTERIA ALIMENTARI”

We just lucked out and stumbled into this place for sandwiches while we waited for check in time at our hotel. We took them down to the beach and ate them on benches. Several people came up and asked where we got them! They were delicious and SO reasonably priced. Fantastic!

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The GIRLS at Latteria Positano


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Eat out on The Terrace or Take Out to Your Hotel Room or Apartment
or for Your BEACH LUNCH

They’ve got everything you need : Water, Wine, Sandwiches, Fruit, Rice Balls, Cheese, Salami, Eggplant Parmigiano, Frittata, Olives, Sweets, everything.

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Daily Specials at LATTERIA POSITANO






The AMALFI COAST

ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE


POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK

POSITANO CAPRI NAPLES SORRENTO


AMAZON.com




DELIKATESSAN

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Delikatessan

Yes another deli  (Salumeria). Believe it or not, Salumerias / Rosticerias have some of the best food in almost every city in Italy, and so is the case in Positano with Latteria Deli and here at Delikatessen. We decided to grab some food to take back some food to enjoy on our balcony. The food was of great quality and very reasonably priced. We bought some Pasta, Panini, and Eggplant, Arancini (Rice Balls) . Everything was super tasty. They make greay Sandwiches (Panini) that a great to take along with some Fruit and Arancini for an awesome Beach Lunch. If you are staying in Positano for a while and don’t want to eat out all the time then this is a great option. They have a great wine selection if you like to do as we do and keep a bottle or two back at our room , as well as fruit and  bottled water which you always need.

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In The KITCHEN at DELIKATESSEN

POSITANO


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Look at This Awesome Panino

Eggplant, Salami, Mozzarella, Peppers



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One of the Girls at DELICATESSEN

POSITANO

DEICATESSEN …. Via Mulini 5 , POSITANO

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The BEACHES


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View from Beach Club La SCOGLERE

at Music on The Rocks

POSITANO

“My own personal Favorite Beach in Positano”

ITALY


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Arienzo Beach

POSITANO


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Spiaggi Grande

The Main Beach of Positano



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Fornillo Beach is a Great Spot with Several Nice Bars and Restaurants


POSITANO





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3D BEACH MAP

of POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST 


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The Boat to Da ALDOLFO

POSITANO

at LAURITO BEACH

ITALY








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Map of Positano and its Beaches


 

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POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE

AMAZON.com



Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke
FLY With EXPEDIA !
THINGS to DO ALL OVER ITALY !!!
GET YOUR GUIDE ! 





The AMALFI COAST


The AMALFI COAST – MAP

AMALFI COAST HOTELS



Scogliera Beach Club Positano by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 

POSITANO

View from SCOGLIERA BEACH CLUB


SCOGLIERA BEACH CLUB

POSITANO







SCOGLIERA BEACH CLUB

I first spent a couple wonderful days at La Scogliera Beach Club way back in the Summer of 1985. I was a young man of just 23 back then, and getting a Chaise Lounge and hanging out at La Scogliera was like a dream come true. Like I had seen in movies as a kid, Agent 007 James Bond and the like swimming exclusive Mediterranean Beach, lounging at exclusive beach clubs with beautiful European Women, and living “The Good Life,” and here, so was I. Yes it was a dream come true. Most young men my age would have opted for one of the free beaches, but not I. I would pay more to be among the beautiful people. Especially the gorgeous bikini clad girls. Or just half a bikini? Just the bottoms as the sun bathed going topless, I must say I enjoyed it all so very much. I had my chaise lounge, Campari & OJ, lovely music playing, the Sun, the Sand, the Beach, Beautiful Women, “yes, I was in 7th Heaven,” to say the least, I felt like a King back then. Being in Positano, gorgeous girls, great Italian Food, Cocktails, gelato, properly pulled Espresso, the World’s Best Pizza, the Casa Albertina, “what more could I want?” Not much I tell you. I was oh so happy those days in Positano, on the Amalfi Coast, Italy, for I was living my dream. My dream I saw on all those James Bond movies, growing up as a young boy in 1960s and 70s America.

We went to the Rivoli Theater in Rutherford, New Jersey. Yes I watched Bond, Sean Connery and Roger Moore, and I wanted to be just like them. Well, not a Secret Agent, but I wanted to travel the World, going to exotic locals with beautiful women, Deluxe Hotels, cars, Champagne & Caviar, as they say. Yes, movies like Summertime (Venice), William Holden in Hong Kong in The World of Suzy Wong, Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, “that’s what I wanted,” and here I was at the exclusive beach club La Scogliera in Positano, on the Jet-Set Amalfi Coast. My dreams had come true. I savored it all, took it all in, and was appreciative at being there, in this one of the World’s most beautiful spots of all.

I spent my day, just hanging out, either lounging on my chaise lounge, sipping my Campari, soaking in the Amalfi Coast Sun. I swam a lot. Yes, I’m not usually a beach person, except when I’m in places like; Capri, Positano, the Costa Brava, or French Riviera. Then I become one. A beach person, and so when I’m on Capri or Positano, I hang at the beach and spend quite a lot of time swimming the Mediterranean (Tyrrhenian Sea). I go in the water, and I’m swimming at least 15 to 20 minutes at a time, even up to 30 minutes before getting out of the water. Oh yes, I love swimming the waters of Capri (Da Luigi Beach Club) and Positano. I swim out and just float there at times, looking at the town that just seems to sprout and shoot up out of the sea, straight up to dizzying heights above. This scene is quite dramatic and awe inspiring, both on Capri and Positano, and I love it. Yes I love floating on my back and looking out at the beautiful scene before me, the seagulls are singing, and I can faintly hear the music at the club, and chitter-chatter of people on the beach. It all blends together for the most lovely sound. That special sound of the seashore, do you know what I mean?

Yes, back in 1985, as a young man, I paid more ($8) to be and the beach, and felt it was worth every penny to be there. These days, a chaise lounge can run you anywhere from 20 to 40 Euro for the day, depending upon the time you are there, the price varies. Now I would not pay 4o Euro a day, that’s a bit much. I would however pay 25 Euro to have a private chaise at La Scogliera Beach Club, Positano. That’s the price (25 Euro) I pay for a chaise lounge and towel at Da Luigi Beach Club on by the Faraglioni Rocks in Capri. Expensive? Yes, but worth every penny to treat yourself to a special treat, “don’t you think?”


by Daniel Bellino Zwicke



SCOGLIERA
POSITANO




POSITANO The AMALFI COAST
TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK
CAPRI NAPLES SORRENTO RAVELLO
VOTED # 1 BEST AMALFI COAST GUIDE
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2026 Top Italian Food and Travel Books – Italian Cookbooks and Travel Guides – Italy

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 TOP ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BOOKS 2026

ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

 
ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS
 
ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA & ?
 
TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK
 
BEST SELLER ITALIAN FOOD
& TRAVEL BOOKS 2026
.

 

TOP ITALIAN TRAVEL & FOOD BOOKS 2026
  • Regional Guides: Puglia Travel Guide 2026-2027 and Lombardy Travel & Tour Guide 2026 cover specific areas with local food, wine, and hidden gem recommendations.
 
ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS – ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA & ?
A wonderful journey through”Bella Italia” with Best Selling Travel & Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke. A wonderfully unique Travel Guide / Cookbook of the Italian peninsula – Travel Tips & Info with 100 tasty recipes that are easy to prepare. When it comes to Italy & Italian Food, it’s hard to beat Daniel Bellino. – Amazon.com
 
  • Comprehensive Guides: ITALY Travel Guide 2026 and Italy Unscripted 2026 offer insider advice on culture, food, and itineraries.
  • Culinary Travel: Rick Steves Italy for Food Lovers and Italy on a Plate: Travels, Memories, Menus combine travel experiences with authentic recipes.
  •  
  • Memoirs: Grandma Backpacks Venice: Italian Comedy Memoir Adventure Story.

    Amazon.comAmazon.com +3

     

Top Sellers & Popular Titles
  • General Travel: Lonely Planet Italy and Rick Steves Italy remain top choices for comprehensive travel planning.
  •  
  • Culinary Focused: Old World Italian: Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy.
  •  
  • Specialized: Amalfi Coast Travel Guide 2026 and Italy Travel Guide for Seniors.

    Amazon.comAmazon.com +3

     

Italian Kitchen Finds on Amazon (2026)
As of March 2026, popular Italian-made kitchen items available on Amazon include:
  • Stainless steel cookware for pasta-making.
  • Specialty kitchen tools for preparing authentic dishes.

    Food & WineFood & Wine

     

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TRAVEL GUIDE COOKBOOK
 
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Italian Explorer Giovanni Verrazzano Discovered New York Bay and Manhattan Island

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GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO

The DISCOVERER of MANHATTAN ISLAND

The HUDSON RIVER & NEW YORK BAY


GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO “The DISCOVERER of MANHATTAN ISLAND 

& NEW YORK BAY”

Verrazzano was born in Val di Greve (now Greve in Chianti), south of Florence, the capital and main city of the Republic of Florence. Recent archival research indicates he was born on July 20, 1491 to Frosino di Lodovico di Cece da Verrazzano and Lisabetta di Leonardo Daffi. An older hypothesis identified him with a son born in 1485 to Piero Andrea di Bernardo da Verrazzano and Fiammetta Cappelli.


GIOVANNI VERRAZZONO VOYAGE 1522- 1524

DISCOVERS NEW YORK BAY 

n September 1522, the surviving members of the Magellan expedition returned to Spain, having circumnavigated the globe. Competition in trade was becoming urgent, especially with Portugal. 

French merchants and financiers urged King Francis I of France to establish new trade routes. In 1523, the king asked Verrazzano to explore on France’s behalf an area between Florida and Newfoundland, intending to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was funded by a consortium of Florentine merchants based in Lyon and Rouen, including the Gondi, Rucellai, Nasi, and Albizzi families. Over 20,000 écus were raised, with Verrazzano himself contributing as both captain and investor.

Within months, four ships set sail due west for the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, but a violent storm and rough seas caused the loss of two ships. The remaining two damaged ships, La Dauphine and La Normande, were forced to return to Brittany.

Repairs were completed in the final weeks of 1523, and the ships set sail again. This time, the ships headed south toward calmer waters under hostile Spanish and Portuguese control. 

After a stop in Madeira, complications forced La Normande back to home port, but Verrazzano’s ship La Dauphine departed on January 17, 1524, piloted by Antoine de Conflans, and headed once more for the North American continent.

It neared the area of Cape Fear on March 21, 1524 and, after a short stay, reached the Pamlico Sound lagoon of modern North Carolina. In a letter to Francis I, described by historians as the Cèllere Codex, Verrazzano wrote that he was convinced that the Sound was the beginning of the Pacific Ocean from which access could be gained to China. 

Continuing to explore the coast further northwards, Verrazzano and his crew came into contact with Native Americans living on the coast. However, he did not notice the entrances to the Chesapeake Bay or the mouth of the Delaware River.

In New York Bay, he encountered the Lenape in about 30 Lenape canoes and observed what he deemed to be a large lake, really the entrance to the Hudson River. He then sailed along Long Island and entered Narragansett Bay, where he received a delegation of Wampanoag and Narragansett people. 

The words “Norman villa” are found on the 1527 map by Visconte Maggiolo identifying the site. The historian Samuel Eliot Morison writes that “this occurs at Angouleme (New York) rather than Refugio (Newport). It was probably intended to compliment one of Verrazzano’s noble friends. There are several places called ‘Normanville’ in Normandy, France. The main one is located near Fécamp and another important one near Évreux, which would naturally be it. West of it, conjecturally on the Delaware or New Jersey coast, is a Longa Villa, which Verrazzano certainly named after François d’Orléans, duc de Longueville.”[27] He stayed there for two weeks and then moved northwards.

He discovered Cape Cod Bay, his claim being proved by a map of 1529 that clearly outlined Cape Cod. He named the cape after a general, calling it Pallavicino. He then followed the coast up to modern Maine, southeastern Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, and he then returned to France by 8 July 1524. Verrazzano named the region that he explored Francesca in honour of the French king, but his brother’s map labelled it Nova Gallia (New France).


MAJOR POINTS


GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO was born in Greve in The Republic of Florence, modern day Grave in Chianti, Italy.

VOYAGE of 1524 – From 1522 – 1524, the Exploration of the East Coast of North America, from Florida to Newfoundland, Canada.

Landed at Cape Fear, Florida – March 21, 1524

1524 – Reaches the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Delaware River

1524 – Sao;s into New York Bay and discovers Manhattan Island. Then explores Long Island, New York and discovers Narragansett Bay. 

1527 – Second trans Atlantic Voyage to Brazil. Returns to Dieppe, France with a cargo of Brazil Wood.

3rd VOYAGE 1528 – After exploring Florida, The Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles, Verrazzano anchorage of the Island of Guadalupe, and rowed ashore, where he was allegedly Killed and “Eaten” by the native Caribs.







GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO EXPLORING The HUDSON

NATIVE LENAPE INDIAN SLOOK On





VERRAZZANO’S SHIP – La DAUPHINE

GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO
1524 VOYAGE
EXPLORATION of The EAST COAST of NORTH AMERICA
From CAPE FEAR FLORIDA to NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA
With The DISCOVER of MANHATTAN ISLAND
And NARRAGANSETT BAY of LONG SILAND, NEW YORK
CASTELLOI VERRAZZANO
GREVE, ITALY in CHIANTI



CASTELLO VERRAZZANO Wine Estate – Greve

Castello di Verrazzano

, located in Greve in Chianti, is a historic Tuscan estate with roots dating to Roman times and documented winemaking since 1150. Famous as the birthplace of explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485), the castle was held by his family until 1819. Owned by the Cappellini family since 1958, it is a renowned Chianti Classico producer focusing on Sangiovese and organic, sustainable farming.


  • The Verrazzano Family (7th Century–1819): The castle was home to the Verrazzano family. Giovanni da Verrazzano, who discovered New York Harbor in 1524, was born here. The family line ended in 1819.
  • The Ridolfi Era (19th-20th Century): The estate was passed to the Florentine Ridolfi family, known for founding the Fiorentina football team.
  • The Cappellini Era (1958–Present): Purchased by the Cappellini family in 1958, who restored the estate and revived its winemaking reputation.
  • Modern Era & Sustainability: The estate underwent full organic conversion in 2014. It also features a link to 1150 roots to the New York explorer, including exchanging stones between the castle and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1963.

    • CHIANTI

    A bottle of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO CHIANTI 1969

    And a bottle of VILLA CALCINAIA CHIANTI 1969

    At The 100 YEAR ANNIVERSAY of The CHIANTI CONSORZIO

    GALA TASTING _ FOUR SEASONS – NEW YORK

    photo Daniel Bellino Zwicke


    Author / Italian Wine Guy – Daniel Bellino Zwicke

    With CAVALIERI LUIGI CAPPELLINO of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

    In NEW YORK






    CASTELLO VERRAZZANO CHIANTI

    VERRAZZANO ROSSO – CHIANTI & CHIANTI RESERVE 
    .



    SUNDAY SAUCE

    by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    “AMERICA’S FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOK”
    AMAZON.com



    New York Italian Food and Wine Guy Daniel Bellino Zwicke

    On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

     



    “ITALIAN FOOD & WINE GUY”

    DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    With Some of His FAVORITE FRIENDS WINES

    And a PUMPKIN PIE

    DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    Daniel Bellino Zwicke

     is a prominent New York-based Italian food and wine professional, best-selling author, and restaurateur with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Known in the culinary world as “Danny Bolognese,” he is recognized as an authority on Italian wine and culture.

    Wine Industry Contributions
    Bar Cichetti: In 1997, he founded Bar Cichetti in New York City, credited as America’s first Venetian wine bar (Bacaro), where he served as Chef, Wine Director, and Managing Partner.
    • Professional Roles: He has held prestigious positions as a wine director and chef at notable New York establishments, including Barbetta, as Wine Director – (home to one of the greatest Italian wine cellars in the U.S.), Del Posto, and Da Silvano.
    • Industry Connections: He is frequently associated with legendary figures in the wine world, such as Sebastiano Rosa (former winemaker of Sassicaia) and the Antinori family, Conte Sebastiano Capponi – proprietor of legendary Villa Calcinai Wine Estate in Greve, Cavelieri Luigi Cappellini (Castello Verrazzano), The Marchese Piero Antinori, Francesca Planeta of Planeta, Antonio Rallo of Donnafugata, and more.

    • Notable Books & Writing
    • Bellino Zwicke has authored numerous books that blend Italian-American recipes with wine pairing advice and travel stories:
    • Sunday Sauce: a #1 Amazon best-seller focusing on Italian-American “Gravy” and wine culture.
    • The Feast of the 7 Fish: A popular guide to the traditional Italian Christmas Eve seafood feast.
    • La Tavola: Stories and recipes reflecting the life of an Italian-American New Yorker.
    • Positano – The Amalfi Coast: A cookbook and travel guide that explores the regional dishes and wines of Southern Italy.
    • SINATRA SAUCE – The Cookbook
    • The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK
    • Current Projects: He is actively working on a dedicated book about Chianti and the wine of Chianti Classico, which he cites as one of his greatest passions.

    BOOKS by Daniel Bellino Zwicke are Available on Amazon.com

    • Online Influence
    • He manages the highly successful Instagram page @NewYork.Italian, which has over 500,000 followers and covers topics ranging from regional Italian wine to classic cinema and recipes








    Daniel Bellino Zwicke

    With FRIEND – CAVELERI LUIGI CAPPELLINI

    Of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO- GREVE, ITALY





    DANIEL with PALE ITALO STUPINO

    CASTELLO NIEVE

    BARBARESCO






    With The MARCHESE FERDINANDO FRESCOBALDI

    FRESCOBALDI BRUNELLO – CHIANTI







    SUNDAY SAUCE

    “AMERICA’S FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOK”

    # 1 BEST SELLER ITALIAN COOKBOOKS for 2 YEARS
    AMAZON.com



    Dario Cecchini – Italys King of Beef – Steak – Panzano Italy

    On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

     

    “To BEEF or Not to BEEF” ?

    DARIO CECCHINI

    ITALY’S Most CELEBRATED BUTCHER

    MACELLERIA CECCHINI

    PANZANO, ITALY






    DARIO CECCHINI

    MACELLERIA CECCHINI



    DARIO Says “HELLO NEW YORK”

    A PIECE of BEEF

    BISTECA FIORENTINA alla DARIO




    BEEF FEAST MENU


    OFFICINA DELLA BISTECA – DARIO CECCHINI


    1)  CHIANTI CRUDO – STEAK TARTARE

    2)  CARPACCIO di CRUDO

    3) – BISTECA PANZANO

    4) BISTECA FIROENTINA

    with FAGIOLI (Tuscan Beans)

    ROAST POTATOES

    LARDO & BREAD


    WINE – “SANGIOVESE”

    5). DESSERT – COFFEE & GRAPPA

    “OLIVE OIL CAKE”





    MEET DARIO

    MEET DARIO CECCHINI






    ANTICA MACELLERIA CECCHINI


    DARIO’S TUSCAN BEEF FEAST

    by author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    PANZANO, ITALY

    2026






    GENARO MEETS DARIO
    GENARO CANTALDO Goes to PANZANO

    BISTECA FIORENTINA with DARIO CECCHINI




    Getting READY
    To COOK SOME STEAK

    BISTECA at DARIO’S


    BISTECA FIORENTINA

    And Other CUTS of BEEF

    On The GRILL


    BEST SELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOK Author

    DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    Making The SCENE at DARIO’S




    STEAK TARTARE

    alla DARIO

    “So GOOD”

    “BEST STEAK TARTARE I’VE EVER HAD”



    BEEF CARPACIO alla DARIO

    And DARIO’S AWESOME “STEAK TARTARE”


    You start the BEEF FEAST with DARIO’S STEAK TARTARE

    Probably the BEST YOU WILL EVER HAVE

    “So GOOD”

    Then they send out DARIO’S BEEF CARPACCIO





    TUSCAN BEANS

    Do You Know They Call TUSCAN PEOPLE “FAGIOLINI”

    BEAN EATERS

    They REALLY LOVE Their BEANS

    The ROAST POTATOES are AMAZING !!!!


    CHIANTI




    AMERICA’S FAVORITE

    ITALIAN COOKBOOK
    SUNDAY SAUCE

    by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    “STEAK ITALIAN STYLE”

    SUNDAY SAUCE – MEATBALLS – PASTA

    LASAGNA & MORE …
    AMAZON.com 

    Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    ITALY TRIP 2026

    Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is a noted admirer and visitor of 

    Dario Cecchini, the world-renowned Italian butcher based in Panzano in Chianti, Tuscany. Bellino, an author of Italian-American culinary books, has documented his visits to Cecchini’s famous restaurant, Officina della Bistecca, praising him as a “Master of Meat” and a “True Gentleman”.

    • Daniel Bellino-Zwicke: Author of books including “Mama + Me” and “Sunday Sauce,” who often features Italian culinary experiences and has highlighted his visits to Cecchini.
    • Dario Cecchini: Known as the “world’s most famous butcher,” Cecchini is an 8th-generation butcher from Panzano who gained international fame for his dedication to traditional butchery, respecting the animal, and using every part of it.
    • The Experience: Bellino has described dining at Cecchini’s Officina della Bistecca(The Workshop of the Steak) as a cherished experience, highlighting it as a pinnacle of Tuscan meat preparation.
    • Connection: Bellino has documented his admiration for Cecchini’s work and philosophy on his social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.