Without hesitation I can say that one of my favorite travel destinations is Italy. In the days leading up I salivate as I plan my first meal of my go-to Italian delights and research regional cuisine that I will most certainly be trying. So, when I was recently in the Veneto region in the town of Vicenza I thought, “Yes! Venetian seafood!” The last time I was in Venice, my dining experiences were just fine. To be fair, I ate in very touristy areas and the better meal I did have was when my friend Kate and I ditched our travel companions. I was very eager for a dining upgrade during this trip, although, I wasn’t going to Venice, I was going to Vicenza a city a little more up in the hills. None the less, I had a pretty solid list of the cuisine I wanted to try.
Very excited, rice & peas? Hello! My family is Jamaican. Polenta e osei? Mouthwatering…. I’m a big game bird fan. Give me a quail, pheasant or Cornish Hen any day! But what I was particularly eager to try was the Baccalá all Vicentina. I love codfish, from Jamaican to Cuban to Italian….
Two weeks later — casually chatting about my trip during a meeting, someone asked me if I gorged myself on food. There was hesitation, I stuttered and grew nervous. “No… not really.” “Yea, where were you? Vicenza? Not great food over there, it’s like a strange mix of the surrounding areas.”
A sigh of relief! Finally, someone said it. Yes! It was almost blasphemous to be in Italy and hate on the food but ech, an extremely well-traveled friend agreed. Vicenza, WTF?! I flashed back to Min and I with unfinished plates of boiled cod and flavorless cakes of polenta. There were multiple pizza dinners, because frankly, that was the best thing in the region.

gnocchi ai fungi at a restaurant down the street from the hotel. It would have been a pleasant meal were it not for the open window. During the spring, cotton-like pollen blows into the town, almost coating it at times like snow. At around dusk, when this is at it’s worst, dining al fresco can be a challenge.
So there you have it. I am honestly saying, I had a trip to Italy where the food ranged from just fine to ech. But really? I’m still pretty lucky to be having pizza in this setting.