Author: Rowena Dumlao

Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Jerry Thomas Speakeasy: The Secret Door to One of The 50 World’s Best Bars

A nondescript black door in an average Roman alley with cobblestones, a small brass plaque, a doorbell, an owl knocker and the number 30. Yes, you are at the right place. Buzz the door and say the password when it gets opened by their doorman dressed in 1940s style. Jerry Thomas Speakeasy is not your average cocktail bar that lures every customer to go in. … Continue reading Jerry Thomas Speakeasy: The Secret Door to One of The 50 World’s Best Bars

Rowena Dumlao
Events, Italy

Italicus Rosolio: The Award-Winning Sip That Epitomizes Italian Renaissance ArtItalicus

Imagine a drink that delicately permeates the nose and palate with pure Italian melange of citrus fruits, fresh flower petals, grass and green herbs. An Italian art epitomized in transparent liquid, smooth and sweet, sipped from glass crystals held by hands from past generations. Rosolio is a liqueur that was particularly widespread in some Italian regions like Piedmont, Sicily, Umbria and Campania in the Renaissance … Continue reading Italicus Rosolio: The Award-Winning Sip That Epitomizes Italian Renaissance ArtItalicus

Rowena Dumlao
South, Wineries, Wineries in Italy

Alois Winery: The Path to the Revival of Pallagrello and Casavecchia in Southern Italy

We are at the foot of Caiatini mountains in Upper Caserta, in the Campania region of Italy, close to the extinct Roccamonfina volcano and Volturno river, where nine hectares of land are surrounded by a natural amphitheater of hills. The presence of five volcanoes has restructured the landscape of the region and the prevalence of ignimbrite, a kind of volcanic rock that makes the region … Continue reading Alois Winery: The Path to the Revival of Pallagrello and Casavecchia in Southern Italy

Rowena Dumlao
South, Wineries, Wineries in Italy

A Taste of Cerasuolo di Vittoria: The Only DOCG Wine of Sicily

Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea just off the toe of the boot-shaped Italy, has another strength to its already abundant chest of treasures. It is a magical place famous for its stretches of fantastic beaches, ancient archeological sites, rich gastronomic heritage, active volcanoes, and roots of oenological culture. It is Italy’s largest wine producing region by landmass at more than 112,000 hectares … Continue reading A Taste of Cerasuolo di Vittoria: The Only DOCG Wine of Sicily

Rowena Dumlao
Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Otto Matur & Drykkur: Höfn’s Gastronomic Destination Born From a Couple’s Love for Icelandic Cuisine

Born from a couple’s unwavering passion for cuisine and culture, Chef Andrés Bragason and wife Auður Mikaelsdóttir have made Otto Matur & Drykkur Restaurant one of Iceland’s top gastronomic destinations. In spite of its 450-kilometer distance from Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, it is fast becoming one of the country’s referral point for Icelandic and Nordic seafood flavors, refreshed by the creativity of the chef. Otto Matur … Continue reading Otto Matur & Drykkur: Höfn’s Gastronomic Destination Born From a Couple’s Love for Icelandic Cuisine

Rowena Dumlao
Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Restaurants in Rome

Donna E of Elizabeth Unique Hotel in Rome: A Chef’s Tribute to Lucanian Cuisine

A refined hideaway tucked in a quiet corner of the capital, where shiny marble stairs and carpeted hallways laden with artworks lead to an exquisite restaurant of exemplary gastronomic experience. Donna E is a fine dining restaurant with an approachable cuisine located inside Elizabeth Unique Hotel, a five-star boutique hotel in the heart of Rome in via delle Colonnette, 35. Its location may be at … Continue reading Donna E of Elizabeth Unique Hotel in Rome: A Chef’s Tribute to Lucanian Cuisine

Rowena Dumlao
Center, Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome, Wineries, Wineries in Italy

Tenuta Monteti: Showing the Excellence of Tuscan Coastal Wines

Fifteen kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea on the coast of Capalbio at an elevation of 145 meters asl, spouses Gemma Bracco and Paolo Baratta have found the perfect home in Maremma to cultivate vines and vinify them. It was in a valley protected by the Monteti hills. Maremma is a wild land with unspoiled nature stretching from the sea to the hills, permeating the air … Continue reading Tenuta Monteti: Showing the Excellence of Tuscan Coastal Wines

Rowena Dumlao
Hotels, Hotels in Europe, Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Gostilna Lectar in Radovljica, Slovenia: A Traditional Family-Run Inn With Restaurant, Rooms and Museum

Tradition is a noble word at Gostilna Lectar. Slovenian classic through and through, the inn has a restaurant with a fireplace on the ground floor, a gingerbread museum with a workshop in the basement and nine hotel rooms on the upper floors, all housed in a historical building of more than 500-years old in the medieval town of Radovljica. The gingerbread workshop and bakery was … Continue reading Gostilna Lectar in Radovljica, Slovenia: A Traditional Family-Run Inn With Restaurant, Rooms and Museum

Rowena Dumlao
Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Jasmina Golob Recreates Old Slovenian Recipes at Gostilna Štirna in Miren Kras

Miren Kras, the area of Slovenia between Vipava Valley and Kras, has a green landscape that borders with Italy and the sea. Miren’s bounties of nature pervade the air with aromas of freshness, pine, and its particular specialty, the bora-cured prosciutto. It has a sprinkling of inns that serve traditional food using seasonal ingredients from their own gardens or from trusted small farms in the … Continue reading Jasmina Golob Recreates Old Slovenian Recipes at Gostilna Štirna in Miren Kras

Rowena Dumlao
Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Gostilna Makorič: A Gastronomic Stop at Miren Kras, Slovenia

Darja Makorič reigns in the kitchen of Makorič Inn. Located in the town of Orehovlje, it is one of the most popular restaurants in this part of Slovenia for its authentic approach on traditional cuisine which are typical of the Vipava Valley and Karst. The menu is strictly seasonal with a variety of genuine local flavors using the best local ingredients. Asparagus season in spring … Continue reading Gostilna Makorič: A Gastronomic Stop at Miren Kras, Slovenia

Rowena Dumlao
Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Fudo Restaurant in Maribor: Quality Slovenian Cuisine Using Organic Ingredients

Fudo Restaurant is located right in the main square of Maribor, Glavni trg, which is the heart of the historic center the city. It is housed on the ground floor of one of the Medieval and Renaissance houses with cantilevered balconies. When the tables are set outside under the shade of umbrellas in the warm months, outdoor dining is delightful, bustling in a kaleidoscope of … Continue reading Fudo Restaurant in Maribor: Quality Slovenian Cuisine Using Organic Ingredients

Rowena Dumlao
Hotels, Hotels in Europe, Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

A Young Chef’s Fresh Take on Slovenian Flavors at Istrian Bistro and Tapas Bar in Portorož

A refreshing take on modern cuisine, the young chef of Istrian Bistro and Tapas creates his dishes with inventiveness without sidestepping the fundamentals of Istrian flavors while using seasonal ingredients. Chef Siniša Petrušić prepares dishes that are inviting and even more so as you dig in. The wine menu is stacked with excellent choices of local and international labels to accompany the dishes. Concluding the … Continue reading A Young Chef’s Fresh Take on Slovenian Flavors at Istrian Bistro and Tapas Bar in Portorož

Rowena Dumlao
Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Restaurant Oštirka’s Slovenian Cuisine of Tradition and Contemporary Keys

A gourmet surprise awaits you at Restaurant Oštirka where owner, Chef Miran Ojsteršek prepares contemporary plates with distinctive flavors. However modern, Slovenian tradition is not lost in the dishes. The ingredients are local including the meat, while the vegetables are sourced from the family’s own farm or the Celje City Market, which is right next to it that the chef visits daily for his fresh … Continue reading Restaurant Oštirka’s Slovenian Cuisine of Tradition and Contemporary Keys

Rowena Dumlao
Hotels, Hotels in Europe, Restaurants, Restaurants in Europe

Lake Bled, Slovenia: Rose Restaurant of Bled Rose Hotel

Chef Gregor Rozman, a member of the Slovenian culinary team, takes you on an inspiring culinary journey of the integration of tradition and modern trends attained by techniques and creativity. The quality of the raw materials is foremost in the chef’s agenda as he explains each dish he presents. At the hotel, working with local suppliers and farmers is paramount for the chef to provide … Continue reading Lake Bled, Slovenia: Rose Restaurant of Bled Rose Hotel

Rowena Dumlao
Events, Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome

Salt, Peat and Fire: Laphroaig Whisky Meets the Cuisine of Ciccio Sultano at Rome’s W Rome

With the principal components of salt, peat and fire, Ciccio Sultano, a two Michelin-starred Sicilian chef who is the Partner Chef of W Rome, and Nicola Zamperetti, Executive Chef, created a menu of finger food and tasting dishes paired with cocktails made with Laphroaig Whisky by Emanuele Broccatelli, W Rome’s Bar Manager. Laphroaig, known as the most richly-flavored of all Scotch whiskies, has single malts … Continue reading Salt, Peat and Fire: Laphroaig Whisky Meets the Cuisine of Ciccio Sultano at Rome’s W Rome

Rowena Dumlao