Have you ever heard of food-focused travel? Did you know that 95% of U.S. citizens are interested in having ‘some kind of unique food experience’ when they travel? Do you agree with the majority? If you do, you’re clearly not alone and you’re in the right place. (Because we wholeheartedly agree, too.)

The Table Less Traveled was started because of the memories and connections that happen when people gather around a table and share a meal together. Culinary experiences are a deep part of how we travel as a team and how we encourage our travelers to travel as well.

Sharing regional and seasonal cuisine with others really is the best way to get to know a culture and participate in it.

On our Heart of Italy Food Tour, we spend 9 days traveling and eating our way through three different regions of Italy and a handful of different cities. Our travelers are able to experience how the cuisine changes to reflect the area that they are in, the history of the region, and the lives of the people. Not only do they sample dozens of different dishes and explore on a handful of food tours in Italy, but they also try their hand at making a lot of these dishes. From learning to make mozzarella and limoncello on the coast to the hearty pasta dishes of Florence and Tuscany.

Here is just a highlight of some of the food-focused experiences you’ll get to participate in on our culinary trip to Italy.

Homemade dinner at Marika's home above Positano looking out over the sea.

Imagine walking up the hills of Positano until you have the best view of the sea. There, nestled among a few other local homes, we dine with Marika and her family. Marika is a friend of ours who opens her home to us and our travelers just a few times a year. We get to wander through her kitchen and out onto her back porch where her garden is bursting with vegetables. She and her family prepare a feast of gnocchi, crocche, and eggplant parmesan, among other traditional dishes. We gather around her table and pass food around family style, and eat authentic coastal dishes made with the fresh produce from her garden.

Private 'secret garden' lunch at Domenico & Maria's patio in Anacapri, after a guided tour.

Domenico is one of the few local guides who grew up in and lives on Anacapri, an island located just off the Amalfi Coast. He leads our group of travelers around the island and talks about what life is like there and the rich history of the island. Afterward, he invites us into his home where we meet his wife, Maria. We sit on their porch under lemon trees that have been growing for hundreds of years. For our secret garden lunch, Maria prepares homemade ravioli caprese (her grandmother’s recipe!), pizza monacone, and her famous lemon cake accompanied by, of course, limoncello.

Cooking class in Tuscany - Alain's small restaurant closed down just for us.

We start with a market visit where we purchase the ingredients we’ll need for our lunch feast at Chef Alain’s small pizzeria that he closes for the day just for us. Once at the pizzeria, we don our aprons, pour some wine, and start preparing lunch all together. The menu changes depending on what’s in season but rest assured, there will be plenty of pasta! Our feast often consists of homemade ravioli with traditional potato filling, roasted pork, seasonal vegetables, and tiramisu. And to top it off, you get to take all those recipes home with you.

Dinner in Gloria's apartment in Florence overlooking the Duomo.

Gloria is a retired nonna (grandmother) who lives in an apartment filled to the brim with art and pottery overlooking the Duomo. In her home, she shares her favorite Florentine recipes and we follow along asking questions as she prepares different dishes and shares insight into how to perfect each dish. We dine on peposo with beans and mashed potatoes, testaroli al pesto, seasonal vegetables, and enjoy some homemade croccante for dessert. It’s the perfect way to end the day in Florence.

Garden tour with chef before our Michelin-star tasting menu.

In the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, we walk through our hotel’s private garden with the Michelin-star chef, Antonello Sardi, as he points out the different produce that will be featured in our dinner that evening. He shares insight into how the food grows what the area is known for, and how his food philosophy shapes the dishes he creates. Afterward, we dine on his Michelin-star tasting menu. Each course features a unique nod to the region and season.

Are you hungry yet? Each of these food-focused travel experiences are exclusive to our Heart of Italy Food Tour which we only offer a few times a year. Experienced chefs and home cooks unlock the secrets of the cuisine you love over the course of 9 days and on informative, intimate, and fun food tours in Italy. Join us and other inspired travelers on an unforgettable and all-inclusive Italian culinary journey.

Travel with us around the world on one of our multi-day small group food tours. Check out our itineraries to Italy, Japan, Peru, and more! Join us as we visit tea farms in Japan, sip on limoncello in Italy, and savor ceviche in Peru.

If you’re traveling abroad and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our Travel Coaching and Private Trips with booking service.

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