Tasty Travels Through Trieste

I was invited to a physics conference in the small town of Trieste in Northern Italy where there is a famous center for physics. Now I have no reason to be invited to the conference other than the fact that my best friend is a doctor of the science. I had decided to go anyway and treat the trip as a culinary exploration of little cafés, bistros and big name Italian restaurants. Everyday was a new adventure. I did not make a record of all the restaurants that we visited but a few stood out in my mind.

If you ever visit the town of Trieste have the seafood. The town is situated along the Adriatic coast and seafood is plentiful. There is not just the run of the mill shrimp and white fish but an array of interesting delicacies. The langoustines are enormous and their meat just falls apart. The sea urchin is interesting and a must try for all and the octopus, oh the octopus… well let’s just say that it is perfect.

Italy is known for its elaborate pasta dishes, however Trieste has the elusive fungus that should be tried by all at least once in a lifetime. The white truffle. Now many people in the Middle East are familiar with the black truffle and a lot of eateries serve it in oil or mayonnaise. The white truffle is truly a delicacy for the wealthier few as it often sells for millions of euros. In Trieste one is able to experience this truffle for a fraction of the cost and in my suitcase I have an array of white truffle condiments bought at an interesting deli in one of the winding alleyways of the city.

The funniest thing about Trieste was that there were no fast food restaurants. However the coffee culture is very fast food like. The people of Trieste consider grilled Turkish kebab in a café to be fast food. We did not encounter a single McDonalds, KFC or Wendy’s. The coffee culture is very much “fast-bar” culture. One stands at a bar and takes an espresso or mini cappuccino which is a macchiato with a bit of milk added. The coffee is consumed as quickly as humanly possible and people are once again on their way. The way in which you drink coffee is very important and you may offend some Italians if you are not careful. Cappuccinos are only before lunch, thereafter it is expresses. No one drinks American coffee and there is no “Starbucks” silliness of skimmed, soy, flavoured, iced etcetera.

On the first day in Trieste we decided to go to the main square for lunch. We had seen a lovely restaurant with al fresco seating that looked busy and inviting. However when we asked for the lunch menu we were informed that they only served drinks and snack. We were famished and wanted to leave but a vibrant orange beverage caught our eye. We ordered “two orange beverages” from the waitress who brought us some delicious olives and bit sized sandwiches, on a stick. We relished in the orange beverage and snacks, the drink is called a Spritz Aperol. We found out that this is a common drink in Northern Italy that originated from Venice and is perfect to whet the appetite. It is a concoction of Aperol, Prosecco, sparkling water and an orange slice.

After our delicious drink and feeling a little bit buzzed from hunger my friend and I explored the many little alleyways in search of the perfect lunch bistro. We finally found a restaurant hidden in a slender yellow alleyway. The only reason that we spotted it was the small signboard outside. When we stepped inside the restaurant there was some sort of a celebration going on, a birthday for someone. However, the maître d’ seated us in a quiet corner. We ordered some red wine, a starter of pumpkin and truffle spaghetti and steaks. The spaghetti came with sliced black truffle and the mild pumpkin flavor was enticing. The truffles were gorgeous. We enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant and the diners were all relaxed. Even though it was a weekday no one was in that typical lunchtime rush of eat and go. We spent the remainder of the day exploring the city and the shops. The end of winter sales were in full swing and we couldn’t help ourselves in indulging in a bit of shopping.

Our second day in Trieste was spent exploring Miramare castle and subsequently the restaurants along the sea front. We strolled from the castle to the city enjoying the sights and people watching in general. We happened upon a lively atmosphere in a busy restaurant and decided to sit down for a cappuccino; it was before lunch so we could get away with it. However when we looked at the menu we could not help but order starters just to tantalized our taste buds. Being by the sea made us hunger for seafood, and that is just what we got. My friend ordered scallops and I decided to try the octopus. Each was as delicious as the other and I have no doubt that any of the al fresco restaurants on the Adriatic coast of this city serve the same standard of sea food.

Pictures Clockwise: Scallops, Octapus, Seafood Platter

This seafood trend lasted through the next few days with the two of us exploring the eateries of the city of Trieste, but it wasn’t until the second last day that we were there that we found a true gem.

Ristorante Grifone is not very visible from the street even though its gates bear the name proudly. However we spotted it on one of our many walks. Its closest bus stop is the 11th Septembre. This restaurant has, by far the freshest seafood. We had a platter and some langoustines. The platter allowed us to sample an array of fish and shellfish. The langoustines took the spotlight. These shell fish were huge. Their tails were just succulent. All the food was prepared in a way that maximized the flavor without compromising on the taste with heavy sauces and condiments. 

We decided that the only way to better the sea food at Ristorante Grifone was to go somewhere fancy, really fancy. We were all sea fooded out anyway and Harry’s restaurant on the square had been taunting us with its looming presence. Harry’s was opened in 1970 by Harry Cipriani himself and was voted “the most exclusive restaurant” by the food press. Well we just had to go and see what the fuss was about. The restaurant atmosphere is opulent and the food and beverage manager was most forth-coming and made us feel very special. The food was just perfect. Worth mention is the raw seafood platter, the sea urchin and spinach ravioli and the Milanese risotto.

If you are travelling to Italy or touring Northern Italy, or visiting Slovenia or Croatia which border Trieste it is worth stopping into this little city and exploring what it has to offer. See the Miramare castle and stroll through it elaborate gardens, drink Spritz Aprel and eat some seafood. A truly wonderful little place in Italy. 
Author: N. Lukic