Gelatomania, Trento, Italy

You just never know when you might discover something great. That's how I felt when I stumbled upon a gelato shop in Trento while trying to find a SIM card. Gelatomania had clearly labeled vegan gelato that I just had to try!

I chose the Nocciola or hazelnut gelato and it blew my socks off. Soft, creamy, and decadent, you really can't go wrong with vegan gelato in Italy.

Short and sweet, that's about all I have to say about that. There was also a pistachio flavor. I recommend you stop by when in Trento. Ciao!

Gelatomania

Via Garibaldi, 10 Trento 

Via Paoli, 41/B Rovereto

Trento, Italy

+39 0461 220014

Bio Essere, Arco, Italy #2

I discovered Bio-Essere in my journeys last year in Arco, Italy and was excited to go back. This organic, vegetarian restaurant is set-up buffet style with different offerings each day. You choose what you want and they weigh your plate to determine the price. All items are clearly marked as vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free.

On this particular day, the offerings looked most inviting. It made it very hard to choose.

I didn't want to put everything on my plate so I chose four things. The fennel salad made with mushrooms, carrots, and spinach was absolutely delicious. The farro pasta with pesto wasn't as good as it looked, but still pretty good. And I absolutely loved the curried tempeh with carrots over farro.  There was also a breaded tomato that was meh.

So many items to choose from and so little time. I look forward to coming back and trying more. Be aware that this restaurant is only open for lunch most days and for dinner only Friday and Saturday. Also, be sure to check out their very vegan-friendly grocery store next door because it is fantastic! Till next year!

Previous review
December 14, 2016

Bio-Essere
via Santa Caterina 40
Arco 38062
+39 0464 516597 

Taste of India, Riva Del Garda, Italy

Italians aren't really big on foreign food--or at least they aren't in this area of northern Italy where I was staying. I tried Indian food here last year, made by Indians, I might add, and it was not good. So, when my Italian friend mentioned that he knew where to get good Indian food 20 minutes away, I was all for it.

Taste of India is located in the bustling beach town of Riva Del Garda in a little strip mall. The funny thing about this place is that it serves Indian food and pizza. Why? Because, apparently, just Indian food doesn't cut it in Italy. This place would fail without offering patrons pizza as well, so they obliged.

Inside, the restaurant is quite large with orange and black tablecloths. We started with some delicious pappadums and chutneys. An order of fried samosas filled with veggies took the hunger away--salty, but good.

For my meal, I ordered the Vegetable Kadai made with carrots, green beans, cauliflower, and broccoli in a rich sauce. It was very good and spicy--just how I like it!

I also got an order of garlic naan that was out of this world.

All the while we drank a great local white wine and gazed at the mountains just outside the window--so picturesque.

I'm so glad to have discovered good Indian food in this area! There are lots of vegan options too! Highly recommended.

Taste of India
Blue Garden, Viale Rovereto, 
38066 Riva del Garda TN, Italy
+39 0464 544103

Alfio Ristorante, Dro Italy #2

Ristorante Alfio is an Italian restaurant in Dro, Italy that has tons of vegan options. I discovered it last year as I was wingsuit BASE jumping and headed back this year for more!

It's a huge restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. We sat outdoors amongst the smoking patrons (ugh) and the beautiful statues. Everything that is vegan is clearly marked on the menu including a full vegan tasting menu.

We started with some bread and the random tortilla chips and salsa that are served as an appetizer on every table.

On my first visit there, I ordered a bottle of local Lore white wine. And for my meal, I went with the Scialatielli alla Salernitana, which is freshly made pasta with pine nuts, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, oregano, and olive oil. It was every bit as good as it sounded.

My friend ordered something similar, but with a tomato sauce.

On my next visit, we ordered a bottle of local red wine. To start, we ordered the Bruschetta Classica with vegan bread. We topped the bread with the mix of tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and olive oil and it was pretty good.

And for my meal, I went out on a limb and tried something unusual--Fusilli di Kamut al Pate di Oliva. This is a pasta made out of organic kamut flour with black olive pate and olive oil. It was...well, a lot of olives in a heavy pasta. It was good, but just know that the only flavor you get is olive and nothing else. I'd go with a lighter pasta next time for sure.

Other vegan items on the menu include a vegan burger, penne arrabiatta, and kamut spaghetti pomodorini.

The service isn't fantastic because it's Italy and they just don't care, but it was better than we experienced last year, for sure. The prices are incredibly cheap at just 8 to 10 Euros for the meals and 20 Euros for a bottle of wine. I'd eat here every day if I could. :-)

Alfio Ristorante
Road West Gardesana 7
B Dro (TN) 38074
+39 0464 504208

Bar Parete Zebrata, Dro, Italy

As many of you know, I go overseas for one reason only -- to BASE jump. I end up in somewhat remote areas sometimes worried about the vegan fare. But, I'm usually pleasantly surprised. One of my favorite discoveries was the BASE jumper cafe that is right in the area that we land our parachutes at the base of Monte Brento (Mount Brento) in Dro, Italy.

To my delight, I discovered that Bar Parete Zebrata offers one vegan croissant each morning! Clearly labeled as "vegana," I quickly snatched one up to try it and it was delicious. Fresh and flaky and filled with some sort of jam, it was fantastic.

For lunch, there isn't anything on the menu that is vegan, but they did have a vegetable sandwich that I ordered without the cheese. The Vegetale sandwich is made with thinly sliced roasted vegetables including eggplant and lettuce on fresh French bread. It was really good.

Accompanying this meal was a nice glass of local Italian wine, which is always cheap and good.

Needless to say, I'll be back here again next year as it's the only cafe/bar at the base of the mountain. Now, back to wingsuit BASE jumping!

Bar Parete Zebrata
Statale per Trento
Loc. Gaggiolo, 4
38074 Dro (TN)
0464 507 146

Veganima, Arco, Italy #2

After having such a good experience at Veganima, one of the vegan restaurants in Arco, Italy, last year, I headed straight back there as soon as I got into town!  On a Sunday evening, this restaurant was packed and we were excited to see what was on the menu that day.

Veganima offers a different menu every day and the only way to know what is on the menu is to show up. They pride themselves on all-vegan, organic food. You can choose a plate based on how many items you want to try. I went with three. With so many choices of hot and cold dishes, it was very difficult to choose, but I finally did.

The pumpkin gnocchi with bechamel sauce was, by far, my favorite. Tender, fresh, sauteed gnocchi with creamy rich bechamel sauce left me wanting more. The barley salad made with zucchini, beans, and chickpeas drenched in a rich pesto came in a close second. At this point, I was glad it was not an unlimited buffet. The chickpea cakes with veggies were also quite good.

My friend got the gnocchi and chickpea cake along with a bunch of other things including a shredded vegetable salad and a beggar's purse.

For dessert, I had chocolate mousse with pistachios -- yum! And my friend had a tiramisu-style mousse.

We enjoyed it all outside in the courtyard by the ice cream cart with the birds singing. It was very pleasant.

I also love the vegan artwork, which makes for a fun, lively atmosphere.

All in all, it was another great visit. Can I open a Veganima in DC, please? We need something just like this at home. But, for now, I'll just look forward to visiting again next year. Ciao!

Previous review
January 13, 2017

Veganima
Viale delle Magnolie 29
Arco (TN)
+39 0464 519764 

Veganima, Arco, Italy

As we neared the end of our trip, I desperately wanted to go to this 100% vegan organic restaurant, Veganima, in Arco. Luckily, I convinced two friends to come as well! I heard it was hard to get in so we went for a lunch instead of dinner. We showed up just as they had opened at noon and snagged a table inside.

Veganima had an adorable ice cream cart outside!  Inside, there were plain brown tables and an eclectic, small dining area. We sat down and ordered drinks and waited for them to open the food area. In this restaurant, there is no menu. You just go up to the counter and see what they are serving for the day and pay by the number of dishes they put on your plate. I went with three.

I had a delicious salad with spinach, broccoli, beans and pesto, a mushroom lasagna that wasn't so great, a so-so chickpea cake, and a fantastic piece of pizza. The vegan pizza made my day because I was about to leave Italy as the only member of my group that did not have pizza in Italy!

You can see the array of dishes my friends got -- they found they loved some dishes and others were so-so -- similar to my experience.

For dessert, I chose a raw chocolate cake. It was very filling.

My friends loved their desserts.

On my way out, I noticed they had a separate counter where they served ice cream and pastries. I wish I hadn't been so full.

So that ends my adventures in Italy. Oh, wait, then I did this:
 

Okay, so that ended it and it was fantastico! Mucho BASE!

Veganima
Viale delle Magnolie 29
Arco (TN)
+39 0464 519764

Alfio Ristorante, Dro, Italy

After about a week in this beautiful mountainous city, we met some friends at Alfo Ristorante in Dro, Italy. From the outside, this place did not look very special -- a drab facade and a big sign indicating where the beer garden was. I was not impressed.

But, once you got inside, it was a nice place! And even the outside "beer garden" was a beautiful outside dining area with lots of plants and statues.

What my friends didn't tell me was that there are tons of vegan options here! There is even a vegan tasting menu!  I felt a bit overwhelmed so we ordered wine first.  I went with fantastic local Pinot Nero from Trento. I could have bought several bottles of this.

I really wanted to try the vegan tasting menu, but I wasn't that hungry. So, instead, I ordered the "Mucho BASE." It is named this because of the BASE jumping community here - yay, so I had to support! Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I expected. There was a vegan burger made of tofu, spelt, potatoes, and carrots, baby spinach sauteed in olive oil, and basmati rice with soy sauce. It was a very odd combination that didn't go well together and the burger needed some oomph.

We came back another night and I decided to try one of the many vegan pasta dishes. I had this amazing dish of fresh pasta with tomatoes and pine nuts. It was the best pasta dish I had in all of Italy. And there were so many other vegan dishes to choose from.

For dessert, I had fresh pineapple. They get an A for presentation.

So, despite the painfully slow service, the pasta dishes here are incredible. I think we ate here for three nights straight!

And this is what you see when you come out of the restaurant -- gorgeous!

Alfio Ristorante
Road West Gardesana 7
B Dro (TN) 38074
+39 0464 504208