The votes are in… the best negroni, panini, gelato, tiramisu, pasta, pizza in Italy
As you know, we have a mild obsession with negroni, panini and gelati, and have made sure to rate them all along the way. So, without further ado, please find the winners including both gluten free and non-gluten free. Note this post is *not* sponsored (we wish).
Best negroni
Winner: Miro, Lecce, Puglia (scoring a 4.9/5 on criteria based on volume, consumability, bitterness, cost and taste)
Runner up: four-way tie between Moon, Ortigia, Sicily; Biblios, Ortigia, Sicily; Yaqqu, Cagliari, Sardinia; and Bastianello, Milan (all scoring 4.4/5)
Best panini
Winner: Porceria, Lecce, Puglia (the Goya with truffle is so good)
Runner up: Caseificio Borderi, Ortigia, Sicily (get the chef’s special, you won’t regret it)
Gluten free
Winner: Caseificio Borderi, Ortigia, Sicily (not only is there no surcharge for gf and clear communication for cross-contamination, but the flavours are immense and the panino is huge)
Runner up: Porceria, Lecce, Puglia (get anything with stracciatella, that will ooze into your tastebuds)
Best gelato
Winner: Don Peppinu, Ortigia, Sicily (gelato chain across Sicily) – order the ricotta from Agrigento and the niccola settemmezzo
Runner up: La Romana, Lecce, Puglia (also a chain so can get all around Italy) – order anything with nonna in the title
Gluten free
Winner: La Romana, Lecce, Puglia (beyond just traditional flavours on the menu, but I have never had chocolate so decadent and yet enjoyable)
Runner up: Antica Gelateria, Bari, Puglia (worth the line out the door for an MVP salted caramel)
Best tiramisu
Winner: Vermut, Catania, Sicily (best of my life)
Runner up: New Pasta and Basta, Torino, Piedmont
Gluten free
Winner: Mama Eat, Rome (it’s all gluten free, but the tiramisu is the highlight)
Runner up: Café della Piazza del Duomo, Origitia, Sicily (perfect mid-morning breakfast with a coffee overlooking the iconic cathedral)
Best pasta
Winner: Gnocchi with truffle from Trattoria ZaZa, Florence
Runner up: Tagliolini with white truffle gelato from Tacabanda, Asti, Piedmont
Gluten free
Winner: Agriturismo Pedru Caddu, Sardinia (hand crafted and soft, with sun-ripened tomato sauce and plenty of wine to accompany)
Runner up: Volo, Lecce, Puglia (local flavours done really well, with soft penne to accompany)
Best pizza
Winner: Favignano from Pizzeria Schiticchio, Ortigia, Sicily
Runner up: Mangia, Cagliari, Sardinia
Gluten free
Winner: Trevi Pizza, Rome (gluten free bases as soft and flexible as ever, the ability to do half/half, a gluttony of flavours – no debate this is king)
Runner up: Mangia, Cagliari, Sardegna (bases so good they can make stuffed crust, calzones, and different variants of base type)
Happy eating/drinking!