Italian Food Like You've Never Tasted Before

You think you know Italian cuisine all too well? Think twice before coming to Liguria. Rich and varied, authentic Ligurian food is anything but pasta-mozarella-tomato-basil combo.  

While fish and sea food reign on the Riviera, there are plenty of new tastes to discover in the mainland. There are a lot of cucina casalinga establishments (homey cooking eateries) in the region worth checking. Most of them offer menu fisso, a generous and affordable  full lunch menu with starter, main, dolce, vino and cafe.

Here are few must-haves:

• Capra e fagioli: absolutely delicious (and filling) goat meat and beans stew.
• Stoccafisso brandacujun: strongly flavored mix of boiled mashed potatoes,stock fish and garlic. Not for the faint of heart. 
• Trofie al pesto: homemade pasta with Ligurian pesto. Simple and delicious!
• Trippa con ceci: tripe and chickpeas stew. We bet you haven't tried anything like it. 
• Torta verde: wonderfully juicy thin crust pie with zucchini or pumpkin. Perfect with aperitivo.
• Sardenaira: delicious focaccia with tomatoes, garlic, oregano, capers, tagascca olives and sardines. 

You shouldn't miss the Ligurian wines either. Vermentino, a semi-aromatic red and Pigato, a dry aromatic white won't disappoint.

Buon appetito!