Italian regions

[richl2214]

Mario it's a pleasure.

I was curious as to which region in Italy is your favorite for food overall? I understand that this may be a tough question and that all regions have their own unique tastes and foods. However I am sure there is a place that seems to call you when you land on Italian soil.

I am planning atrip next year and would like to incorporate not only sightseeing but "sighteating." I am very excited since this will be my first trip to Italy.

PS- My experience at Babbo was nothing but spectacular. How the heck do you get your octopus to be so tender?

[Mario Batali]

for first trippers the grand tour of venezia, firenze and rome is a great way to start, but look on the www.babbonyc.com web site and read thru the travel pages that i have written and see if anything really gets you going... thatsaid.. i love bologna and the amalfi coast as for you eight legged question.. we put the octo in a big pot with a couple of chilis, 2 cloves garlic and a cork , and no water...and pop it into a 350 oven for a hour covered and then remove it and let it cool... we then portion it, chill it and then grill it to order on the hot spot of the grill easy no???

mb