Oct 5-12, 2025
Despite producing some of the best wine, cheese, salumi, and seafood on the continent, Abruzzo improbably flies under the radar, its dreamlike mountainous hinterlands, hilltop Renaissance towns, and coastal enclaves still remarkably untouched by mass tourism. But true heads know, which is why our guide Eugenio Signoroni, former editor of L’Osteria d’Italia and a longtime Abruzzo devotee, put together this fantastically well-connected journey through his favorite region. In the beautiful last blush of the harvest season, we will travel from mountain to village to seaside to farmstead, learning the secrets of Abruzzo through its incomparable cuisine.
Celebrated Food Writer
Eugenio Signoroni
Chef, (Grand)Son of Abruzzo
Andy Ricker
Overview
Tucked between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea just a few hours from Rome, Abruzzo is wild, diverse, and generous beyond measure. Despite producing some of the best wine, cheese, salumi, and seafood on the continent, the region improbably flies under the radar, its dreamlike mountainous hinterlands, hilltop Renaissance towns, and coastal enclaves still remarkably untouched by mass tourism.
But true heads know, which is why our guide Eugenio Signoroni, former editor of L’Osteria d’Italia and a longtime Abruzzo devotee, put together this fantastically well-connected journey through a region very close to his heart. He will lead us across a food scene steeped in timeworn tradition that is also home to one of the most inventive minds of Italian cuisine, the three-Michelin-star chef Niko Romito. In the beautiful last blush of the harvest season, we will travel from mountain to village to seaside to farmstead, learning the secrets of Abruzzo through its incomparable cuisine.
Local Guide
Editor of Osteria d’Italia
There may not be a single person in all of the Republic better qualified to know what to eat, at what time of year, and with whom, than Eugenio Signoroni. After a long editorial career at the iconic Slow Food, he branched out to write prolifically on Italian food culture in all parts of the boot. The former editor of the authoritative Osteria d’Italia guide, he is the host of Lievito Madre, one of Italy’s top food podcasts, and a longtime Abruzzo fanatic who recently wrote a book on seafood of the Adriatic Coast. A perfect guide for this journey.
R&K Host
Chef, Writer, Traveler
Andy Ricker is an award-winning chef and best-selling author widely credited with introducing Northern Thai cuisine to the United States through his Pok Pok Restaurants. Formed in Portland in 2005, Pok Pok later operated in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York, where it earned a Michelin Star. The two-time James Beard Award winner has worked as a pumpkin picker, DJ, house painter and construction contractor, ship’s cook, busboy, waiter, bartender, musician, commercial fisherman, outdoor store salesperson, maintenance man and short order cook. Among many reasons why he’s an ideal host for this trip, Andy descends from a long line of proud Abruzzans.
THE FORTIFIED VILLAGE
THE HILLTOP CASTLE
Another hotel that is also a piece of history, Castello Chiola is believed to have been erected sometime in the 11th century atop another ancient castle dating from around 864. An aristocratic residence throughout the 13th century. Castello Chiola has been a haven for warriors, nobles, and emperors, prized for its location on the highest hill of the village of Loreto Aprutino. The castle came into the hands of the Chiola family in 1870 and they themselves lived there until 1995, when they began to transform it into the boutique hotel it is today.
THE CULINARY MONASTERY
Casadonna is a 16th-century former monastery in Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, brought back to life by Niko and Christiana Romito. The former is one of the great chefs of contemporary Italy, the latter his wife and business partner, with whom we transformed the monastery into an experimental estate for food and wine, opening his three-Michelin-star restaurant Reale, a culinary academy, and the 10-room boutique hotel where we will spend our fifth night in Abruzzo.
Renee V.The level of thoughtfulness in every experience and every afterthought was simply amazing. I am extremely grateful to have had Eugenio as our host.
Claudio S.Eugenio’s depth of knowledge was unparalleled, and he was very adept at translating his love of Italy’s food, wine and culture to us.
Kim W.Travel magic. Plan nothing, discover everything, simply delicious.
April 6-12, 2025
Gelato for breakfast. Evening aperitivos. Leisurely late-night meals: Lean in to the rhythms of Sicilian life with an unparalleled food bounty shaped by the Mediterranean and centuries of conquest and exchange. Many of Italian cuisine’s best-loved dishes are rooted in Sicilian soil—join us for a tour of some of the best ingredients and meals Europe has to offer.
Editor of Osteria d’Italia
Eugenio Signoroni
Journalist, Raconteur
Charly Wilder
Nov 30-Dec 7, 2025
This is a week of the prime cut of Northern Italy, from classic Torino to the rolling vinelands of the Langhe up to the high mountains of Valle d’Aosta. The story of this region in autumn is the story of osterias and ochre forests, white truffles and big red wines. This journey unfolds easily, sumptuously, from one day to the next, staying in the finest hotels and drinking with the most renowned producers as we dive headlong into the Very Beautiful Lifestyle of the north.
Editor of Osteria d’Italia
Eugenio Signoroni
Ready for a new adventure?
Ready for a new adventure?
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