Bologna’s nickname is “The Fat” and we certainly know why. Bologna is not only full of wonderful restaurants, but exceptional food markets and specialty shops, crowding on nearly every corner. We have truly never before seen such varied and high-quality food within such a small area. We only had a day in Bologna, but we definitely made the most of Bologna’s food in that single day – come join us on our tour.
After a highly successful meal at All’Osteria Bottega, we headed north into the center of town. We started our tour at the traditional green market, Mercato delle’erbe (Via Ugo Bassi, 23). This old-school market is housed in a historical covered market building, and is considered the local place to get fresh food. It is a little bit off the tourist track (and is closed around lunchtime), but it is worth seeking out. The array of foods and veggies available at this market are astounding: the freshest herbs, every variety of tomato, romanesco broccoli, and a wide array of Sicilian citrus. Along the perimeter of the market are meat and cheese shops ready to sell accouterments for your meal.
Mercato dell’Erbe
Next we headed to the area just off of the central historical square in Bologna, right outside of the Duomo. In places like Rome, you will want to give the food places near the touristic center a wide (and we mean WIDE) berth. However this is not so in Bologna, where amazing food is found literally in the shadow of the Duomo. Our first stop was Paolo Atti & Figli (Via Caprarie, 7) and our first food mission was Tortellini.
Paolo Atti & Figli
Tortellini, or their larger cousins, tortelli, are little folded rings of pasta stuffed with meat or cheese. They are native to Bologna, where they are traditionally served in broth. After having divine tortelli at all’Osteria Bottega, we were of the mind to find some to bring home. Fresh tortellini graced the storefronts in many food stores across Bologna- including Paolo Atti which immediately drew us in. Unfortunately, these fresh, handmade pasta morsels only had a couple days longevity. No preservatives here. Sadly this meant no tortellini could return with us to Lisbon.
Fresh tortelli for sale at Paolo Atti & Figli
However, we found a way to take a taste of Bologna’s tortellini with us – chocolate tortellini! Chocolate tortellini held pride of place at the amazing food shop Drogheria Gilberto (Via Drapperie, 5). They came in three varieties – white, milk and dark chocolate – all of which are filled with a rich chocolate ganache. Though the prices may seem a little high, you definitely get what you pay for. We’re thinking we should have gotten a kilo more and have carefully been portioning out our remaining choco-tortellini.
Heavenly chocolate tortellini on display at Drogheria Gilberto
If you are looking for some ready-made food to make a quick meal, look no further than A. F. Tamburini (Via Caprarie 1), which had a full counter of lovely Bolognese specialties by the kilo. As you can see, along with prepared foods, there is also no shortage of meats and cheeses on offer. One great thing about Italian cheese stores is that they will vacuum seal any cheese for you. Our favorite kind of souvenir.
A. F. Tamburini
We definitely fell in love with the sumptuous food of Bologna, “The Fat” and we only wish we had more time to explore the labyrinthine food wonders of this medieval city. We know we will be back someday. As final proof that Bologna takes its food seriously, check out this food stall in the Bologna airport, sending travelers off with some delicious memories.
Eating The World 