Arlene Gibbs, Author at Casa Mia | Italy Food & Wine Tours

Amara, a special (bitter) taste of Sicily

by Arlene Gibbs | Sep 18, 2018 | CasaMia, Cocktails, Sicily

I recently conducted a small private amari tour for Casa Mia. I do know my cocktails but amari? Not so much. Once I heard that one of their clients was a mixologist/bartender, I knew I had to step it up. Amaro literally means ‘bitter’ in Italian. Amari are...

Best Gelato in Rome, spring-summer 2018

by Arlene Gibbs | May 22, 2018 | CasaMia, Gelato, Rome

Planning out your Roman Holiday? Need advice on where to eat in the best gelato in Rome and beyond, or would you prefer we design a detailed eating itinerary? Email us! It’s spring in Rome. What a wonderful time to be alive (despite being covered in pollen). Quite a...

The best places for Amatriciana in Rome

by Arlene Gibbs | Mar 27, 2018 | CasaMia, restaurants, Rome, Tips

Planning out your Roman Holiday? Need advice on where to eat in Rome and beyond, or would you prefer we design a detailed eating itinerary? Email us! During my first week in Rome my friend Giampiero invited me to a dinner party at his girlfriend’s home. Giampi and I...

Liquid gold, the olive oil of Masseria Brancati

by Arlene Gibbs | Feb 6, 2018 | CasaMia, Food Shopping, Harvest

It’s not everyday one sees a tree that’s over three thousand years old. That’s what I thought to myself as we toured Masseria Brancati’s olive grove. The three thousand year old tree, familiarly called il grande vecchio, ‘the great elder,’...

Italicus liqueur, Italy in a bottle

by Arlene Gibbs | Jan 23, 2018 | CasaMia, Cocktails, Food Shopping

I tried the Golden Future Year cocktail at Hotel Eden a few weeks ago. This is a special cocktail created by the talented bar team to celebrated the New Year. One of the ingredients was Rosolio di Bergamotto Italicus, a liqueur I wasn’t familiar with. I’m a...