Genoa, Italy

[Kibbee Nayee]

and to get this back on topic, the one (and only) time I tried to eat at the 29'er Diner...the cigarette smoke was so thick and prevalent (even on the "non-smoking" side) that I had to leave. Unless they've shot all those people with a cigarette permanently stuck in the corner of their mouth who seem to live at the counter, washed 200 years of nicotine off of every surface within 20 square miles and trashed all the ashtrays, I don't think I'm interested in going....now food in Genoa, Italy, that's a different story and one to come later this week.

Isn't Genoa the home of the best pesto in the world....?

[Escoffier]

Isn't Genoa the home of the best pesto in the world....?

Hmmm, pesto...we've had some of the best (and definitely freshest) fish ever, we've had great gelato, wonderful wines but I can't recall having pesto yet. We have a bunch of pictures from the restaurants we've eaten in here in Genoa and will be posting them along with the names of the restaurants as soon as we get back to the States. As a small teaser, we had lobster and linguine night before last, sitting in a cafe in the old part of the city. The lobster was perfect, the linguine was excellent and the wines were unbelievable. Last night I had a seafood salad that could have been a meal in itself. (but still can't recall any pesto. I'm going to ask around for you though..oh, and olive oil with white truffles ... perfecto)

[Anna Blume]

Isn't Genoa the home of the best pesto in the world....?

Considered its hometown. Small leaves on highly prized basil. Native Ligurian olive oil is softer and milder in taste--vs. the spicy, sharp, assertive EVOO Americans often prefer. Predominant cheese is an aged sheep's milk cheese (pecorino) from Sardinia whereas we generally favor Parmigiano Reggiano. Traditionally produced w mortar and pestle vs. blender, thus coarser and less uniform in texture. I believe Coleman Andrews collected a number of different recipes for his book, Flavors of the Riviera.

A knowledgeable gardener like Porcupine should speak up since a variety available in U.S. and called "Genovese" is praised for its large leaves on this site. Same but plucked later? Genovese only in name, but not in origin?