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now--voyager · 11 years ago

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Learn more about Now, Voyager here.

For my portfolio: Katharine Friedgen

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#portfolio #K. Friedgen ©#2013 #italy #now voyager

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now--voyager · 12 years ago

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Give the gift of Italy: Enjoy the Amalfi Coast like the locals

Wow! My images from this trip just got featured in this article from Examiner.com by DARA BUNJON

So this story begins at the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s holiday party when I chatted up my friend Mary Ann Cricchio, owner of Da Mimmo Restaurant in Baltimore’s Little Italy. The question to her was what’s new since I last saw you? The dam broke as Mary Ann exploded with excitement about an Amalfi Coast tour that she and her executive chef Masood Masoodi had put together for 20 customers. I love Italy; have been twice on cost effective tours where we were packed liked sardines on tour buses. Do you remember the old movie If It’s Tuesday it must Be Belgium? That is what my tours were like, packing and unpacking, going from city to city. Mary Ann’s tour had her guests stay in one city, Maiori, where they relaxed and didn’t have that syndrome of being in a new city every other day. Mary Ann lives in Maiori, Italy each year during the summer. She is passionate about the region and the people. Her tour guests got to live and mingle with the locals during their free time and enjoyed the well planned tour events. Guests got to stay in the top hotel in Maiori, the Hotel Reginna, away from the hustle bustle of the tourist traps. Criccho informed me that Maiori has the largest beach area along the Amalfi coast.

One day guests sailed on an 80 foot yacht along the Amalfi coast to Capri. They then transferred to the tiny boats and were rowed in the tiny Blue Grotto opening to enjoy the miracle of the phosphorescent azure blue water. The tour then visited the isle of Capri and back on to the private yacht for lunch as everyone basked in the sun. They sailed southwest of Positano to the Li Galli Islands where the water is so blue, so clear, that it is the perfect spot for swimming. Gloria Friedgen and daughter Katie Friedgen, who were part of the inaugural tour, concurred that this was a tour highlight. Katie said, “The water is so salty that you almost float.” Later on they took dinghies to a restaurant at the foot of a cove. I don’t know about you but his sounds like the perfect day to me. The Mary Ann – Masood Amalfi Coast tour started as somewhat of joke at the restaurant’s cooking classes. A student said they should take the next cooking classes in Italy. The seed was sown, the tour came to fruition and guests had that cooking class in Maiori with one of Italy’s leading celebrity pastry chefs, Sal De Riso. Chef De Riso is to Italian television as Duff Goldman is to the Food Network in the United States. One of his recipes was chocolate eggplant…need I say more. Mary Ann says that she and Masood guided the tour along with a local woman that made sure everything would be covered for any type of contingency. I remember a story about the late Julia Child falling face down while traveling in Italy and luckily an American doctor recognized her and assisted her. It is that peace of mind l personally like when traveling, knowing I am in the right hands should something happen. “We reserved tables on the balcony a year in advance for the fireworks in Ravello. You can’t get these tables,” quipped Mary Ann. The tour went to Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Minori, Paestum, Pompeii, and a wine tour at Feudi di San Gregorio. Katie Friedgen raved about the meal, “Every dish was a winner. Each one shined.” Feudi di San Gregorio’s restaurant Marenna was awarded a Michelin star. Katie, a photographer, has shared a number of her photographs from this trip for the attached slideshow but you can see all of them at http://now--voyager.tumblr.com/ Food and wine were a big part of the trip, how could you go to Italy and not enjoy the food and wine. What made the food and wine special on this tour is Mary Ann and Masood’s connections. I believe it was Nick Starace from the tour who told me others outside the tour commented on all the food they were being served, all the multiple courses which they weren’t. It all had to do with the chefs wanting to please and honor Mary Ann’s guests. Mary Ann and Masood chose restaurants that truly knew how to highlight the food of the region, highlighting local cuisine and seafood. Victoria Starace never really liked fish but told me that it was all so fresh, right from the Mediterranean, that she loved it, even the octopus. Bacchus would have loved to be part of the group’s meals; wine flowed freely and was a bit heavy handed on the Italian reds. I’m writing this as a not so subtle hint to the husband that maybe we should go on one of the next two tours; June 30, 2013 to July 9, 2013 or September 6, 2013 to September 16, 2013. The June/July tour is new since the September tour only has a couple openings left. They keep the tour to just 20 guests, to keep it more personalized. The intimacy of the small group made the tour that much nicer stated numerous guests on the first tour. The guests bonded so much so that they are having a reunion at Da Mimmo restaurant in February. Katie Friedgen, “Mary Ann and Masood created a trip that was exquisite and effortless.” Victoria and Nick Starace concurred, “Mary Ann and Masood took great care in putting together places that they love.” Nick told Mary Ann that he would love to go fishing and she made it happen. An Italian gentleman from the bait shop met Nick at 5 a.m. at the town statue with 2 chairs, fishing poles, bait and coffee. Neither spoke the other’s language but enjoyed trying to communicate. Actually they had fun with a smart phone translation application. Another guest on the tour Laura Collins told me, “It was a trip of a lifetime.” Laura especially liked the Buffalo Mozzarella tour. She was impressed how humanely the animals are treated. By now I’m thinking Mary Ann and Masood are gods when it comes to the Amalfi coast. Deb and Steve Filippi said the trip was a once in a lifetime trip and would do it again in a heartbeat. Mary Ann sent me an itinerary and will gladly send one to you, for more details reach out to her at Da Mimmo Restaurant, [email protected] or call 410-727-7301.

#amalfi coast #examiner.com #Da Mimmo #article #publishe #published #K. Friedgen ©#2012

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now--voyager · 12 years ago

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