Immersive Dining: A Culinary Journey in Rome
Podcast available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | iHeart Radio
Episode summary
In this episode of the Bella Italy podcast, the hosts welcome their special guest Michaela, who shares her journey from working in restaurants to creating authentic culinary experiences in Rome. The conversation explores the importance of partnerships in providing genuine Italian experiences, the challenges of navigating touristy areas, and the philosophy behind Italian cuisine, emphasizing simplicity and emotional connection.
Michaela’s passion for sharing her culture and culinary traditions shines through as she discusses her approach to hosting and cooking, making for an engaging and insightful episode. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the rich tapestry of Italian cuisine, particularly focusing on the allure of Roman food and the immersive dining experiences offered in a home setting.
They discuss the simplicity and depth of traditional Roman dishes, the importance of human connection during meals, and how these experiences often become the highlight of a visitor’s trip to Italy. The conversation highlights the cultural significance of food and the joy of sharing meals in a communal environment.
Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:00.246)
Hey folks, welcome back around. You’re listening to the Bella Italy podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:14.818)
And we are back around again everybody. Hey, welcome back to Italy with Bella. And we’ve got a surprise for you today. Anthony, you are live in the studio. How are you doing?
Doing great actually, we’re live and we’re sitting together, which is the same. We do this what, once every two years we’re actually able to do a podcast together. That’s for.
In this room.
Speaker 1 (00:36.174)
That’s our tolerance. Getting together in person and seeing each other face to face, yeah, once a year.
Yeah, so we’re now in a studio in Franklin, Tennessee if you’re from the area Dark Horse Studios. we’re a lot of out Let us have us up today. Yeah, and Well-known studio for all bands all over the world. can see it as you come in So we’re excited to be recording here and excited to be with our special guests today, too. Yeah
to our friends at Dark Horse.
Speaker 1 (01:03.99)
And I’m sure all of those famous recording artists that recorded here are listening to this podcast. So shout out to Dolly Parton.
Yes, they are.
Tim McGraw, and of course our bestie Taylor Swift.
Hey, hey. Who I’m sure is listening.
Speaker 1 (01:34.594)
Yeah, I mean, so that’s the one big reveal. Second is we’ve got some, we’ve got a special guest with us in the studio today. So if you are joining us for the first time, welcome into season four of the Bella Italy podcast. I just, it’s fun to be here and be recording in season four. We’re doing some things a little bit different. We’ve got content coming out.
about certain itineraries. spent, just to kind of catch you up, the first couple of episodes, we delved into what are the right, what’s the right posture, the right mindset to come into Italy, how to actually enjoy coming from an American culture with that mindset, expectations, all of that. A lot of people come over to Italy and maybe get frustrated because Italy doesn’t work the same way that America does. And there are so many things to appreciate and enjoy.
Italy is beautiful, it’s wonderful, it’s deep, it’s old, it’s got so many things going for it. But it can be frustrating in the decade or so that I’ve lived there, I’ve learned to adapt. But how do you do that if you’re only coming first time over, second time over? It can be tricky. So we spent a few episodes getting into that and then we’ve been weaving through some itineraries and talking about how to get the best out of the culture in
those selected itineraries. So hopefully you’ve been enjoying this new content that’s been coming out. we’re taking a pause now in the middle of that season to, I don’t know, highlight some of our partners. We’ve never done this before.
No, it’s a good segue to talk about what you said at the beginning about the podcast we’ve been doing about real experiences, how to enjoy Italy and even some of the, you know, the tough things that you have to go through, whether it’s strikes or crowds or getting a real experience. And the guests we have today is what makes it real for us, right? To find the right guests that will give them the experience that the Americans or even Canada, whatever our customers or clients are, they have this impression and that’s what we do. We want to find people.
Speaker 3 (03:49.346)
and we’ll speak with today that actually give that experience and the memories that they’re looking for.
Yeah, in fact, we were talking about that last night. We had the team all around this huge table in the kitchen just talking about how everybody at the table, Anthony, the Italy with Bella team, our guests coming in, partners with the company, Italy with Bella. So I keep mentioning that if you are not aware of who we are kind of behind the scenes, dietro de quinte, we are Italy with Bella. You can go to ItalywithBella.com.
and sign up for a free consultation with Anthony and his wife Denise. But this podcast comes out of that. It comes out of all of that knowledge and just the travel that we do, the experience that we have as a free resource for you. So hopefully you enjoy the podcast. But as we were standing around that table last night, even with our Italian partners who have come over, we just highlighted the fact that we all love providing an experience for
for our guests that come over with us. And I think if I know anything about you in the 20 years we’ve known each other, you love that. I don’t know if I’d call it hosting, but you love to show people a good time, have a good experience, send them to the right place, do the right thing and get the feedback. I mean, that warms your heart, right?
Yes, the whole purpose of the company is to make sure that they understand Italy and have that experience in their mind when they think about going to Italy. And the best way to do it is to find the right people to partner with, the right locations, the timing, everything is wrapped in a beautiful bow, hopefully. That’s what we enjoy. Hearing the experiences of partners, too, coming back to us, telling us how much they enjoy our customers and our partners also make that experience for us. very exciting.
Speaker 1 (05:40.94)
Well, let me start off with this question for you then. Why are we doing this? Why are we here? Because we’ve always kept our partners pretty close to the vest. Like we’re playing a nice hand of cards and we don’t want to give anything away. We’ve always been real selective about the information that we give out. Even on this podcast, you know, we’re in the middle of a fourth season, but I don’t think we, we may have mentioned by name one or two here and there, but
It’s not like the free value that we bring to the table on this podcast or even folks that call in for a free consultation. We’re not giving them a list of names, phone numbers, websites to go and check out. We curate that library and our partnerships with a lot of care. This is our value of who we are is really you and Denise first and then myself and our team.
bringing the value of these rapport, the partnerships, the relationships that we have all over Italy to the table. That’s the value that we bring to the table. So it’s not like we’re just gonna have a website where everybody can go and find anything that they want. And so we’ve been selective even on the podcast. So what brought us to the studio today with some of our partners?
think the reason we’re doing this today is because we want to show that our partners are not going to be the partners you find on Viator or, you know, big with umbrellas and 40 people. already sh** heads. So they say they agree. And our partnership is so great with them that we don’t have that kind of fear of giving, you know, showing these partners that we have, because normally we keep them to the vest because we don’t want to call our partner and all of a sudden,
shaking their
Speaker 3 (07:30.518)
no, we have so much business from your podcast, you know, that we can’t take you anymore. So, but our partners, we have such a tight relationship with them and they’re so special that we also want to show this is what a partner looks like. This is the kind of person you want to work with when you go to Italy, their knowledge, their passion, what they offer to actual customers and clients. So I think it’s important to show us the scope and the depth of us as a company that we do, but also let them realize
this is the type of partner you look for out in Italy. So I think that’s why you need to do it, just to show that we’re not talking, just platitudes.
And so again, we started off the season from the customer, the guest perspective of the right mindset to come over and actually absorb and actually enjoy. Now we’re going to spin the table around and look at it from the partner perspective, the pains that they go through, the challenges, the obstacles, but also the joy of providing an experience to someone from a different culture, speaks a different language.
coming with a different mindset, bringing all this other baggage to the table, to the situation, and how do they go about making that experience great and a wow experience for our guests. So with that said,
Without further ado…
Speaker 1 (08:56.84)
Adieu to you and you. Let’s come back around here to our guest in the studio today. Welcome, Michaela.
Ciao, belli! My pleasure to be here. Thank you, thank you for this incredible opportunity for me to speak about my… mean… Whatever. What do you want to…
do you want to talk about?
Speaker 1 (09:29.004)
do, but we’re so excited to have you here. Thank you for, came a long way. You’re our first guest on the show that we’ve ever had. Well, mean, of our own team and you came the farthest that anybody has ever come. Yes.
outside.
Speaker 3 (09:44.748)
Yeah, there you
side of the ocean. Right. From the other side of the ocean.
Now Michaela has jet lag today. She’s probably gonna seem a little more docile than she is.
I’m sorry for my mistake.
Yeah, start off with what how how did you guys meet what was where did that come from and how did we get here?
Speaker 3 (10:08.044)
So my lovely wife, Denise, is very good at finding the right partners to work with. And I believe it was Denise that reached out to Michaela.
Yes, I totally agree.
So she does a lot of that work because sometimes we could be in a city. Well, Michaela’s from Rome, works out of Rome, a partner from Rome. And sometimes we feel it’s time to find a particular, whether it’s a cooking class, walking tour, food tour, whatever. We look for certain things and certain types of qualities and how big the groups are and having the conversation. And Michaela, as soon as my wife reached out and talked to her,
we knew this is a home run for the company. Location, her passion, her expertise. And I think you’re gonna tell us a little about your background, but even her background when she talks about how special she is, I think it’s gonna help. So that’s how we came about. And we went from zero to a hundred in one year. I met Michaela last August with my friend, Corey. And we went out and met you first time. And I told her, you know.
Once I met her and saw where she works and met her personally, I was like, yeah, you’re going to get a lot of business from us. And we really.
Speaker 2 (11:25.962)
We did. We did. And I hope we can do more and more. I have a nice memory about our first meeting because it was maybe in July? August. August, yes. And well, I was a little bit busy because it was the first time in my new location, a lot of stuff to do. And then I listened to Intercom drinking and then I say,
People are coming, it’s very early. I totally, honestly… I forgot the appointment.
forget about me.
Let’s shut this down.
Speaker 3 (12:09.961)
Sorry, yeah
Because it was maybe the most important opportunity in my life for my job. I totally forgot. This is my style. I’m sorry. But I remember that Andrea, my boyfriend, he comes to say, Michela, there is Anthony. Oh my God, Anthony’s coming. Oh my God. it’s a, then he’s a husband. Oh yes, yes, come and go. Well, was the best way.
totally, I mean, instinct, Way to meet Anthony. was, I mean, from this moment, this was our style, our feeling. And well, the best for me, totally free, no? Not construction. Just what I am, what you are, what is with Bella.
experience transparent
And to this day I still yell outside her window. I gotta hear…
Speaker 2 (13:10.894)
Use the bathroom. Yeah. then, and then listen, this is because my apartment is in the heart of Trastevere. Trastevere is one of the most beautiful neighbourhood we have in Rome. And then it’s in the first flat. That’s why, Anthony, when he’s coming in Trastevere for do all his stuff, he’s very busy. Anytime he pass under my window, he say,
Michaela and then I’m coming out from the window. Anthony, what do you want? I come up. have to pee. say, okay, come to pee. This is, mean, he feel really like a neighbor who are there. This is my, my, my joy, my deep joy. I mean, this is the way I used to host my
customers, my guests, totally spontaneous, totally feel like home because the mission, I mean, not the mission, the idea, what I want to feel is they come like a guest a day after this experience, can go out like a friend. Anytime I can feel this incredible experience, I look.
Because all is passed by the emotional experience. I say, okay, when you want to have a home food experience like I have, you need to be a good chef. It’s okay because the food support local farmers, use the best ingredients you can find from the farmers. I mean,
All is important, but if you don’t have this emotional and human appeal with your guests, please go to cook in a regular restaurant because it’s okay. This is totally different. I always say, I mean, this is because a lot of people used to ask me, Michela, I’m a chef, I wanna do…
Speaker 2 (15:38.42)
in my home, what you do in your, I say, yes, it’s okay. But what you need to have is the human connection that is totally different. That’s why I love to cook in totally interactive kitchen with the table. People stay at the table and they can enjoy my preparation. If you want, they can cook with me or they want to just look.
if they coming for dinner, of course, they coming for cooking classes, they cook with me from the beginning to the end.
So the one I got to say is we got a lot of feedback, right? And always the feedback. It’s the food is great, but it’s Michaela. It’s the experience with her. And a lot of people, they come back and they’ll say, whether it was a Rome tour and the guides on a Rome or the experience in Rome. So having our great guides in Rome and having that experience in Rome in someone’s house really rounds out when your experience is Rome’s going to be. So.
And people have to go to dinner. Why don’t go to a local’s house that has passion and cooks great food? And we’ll talk about your background a little bit too, I think, But that’s what matters the most. And that’s why that ties well with us, right?
Yeah, I mean, that’s the same DNA that we’ve got as a company. Michaela and our other partners have that same DNA. We look for that. That they’re passionate about sharing that experience with our guests.
Speaker 1 (17:24.856)
You know, we’ve talked about this so many times on the podcast before that there are so many challenges in these bigger cities like Rome to actually come in and have an authentic experience. You know, that’s something that’s kind of this almost cliche buzzword nowadays that I want authentic, I want real, I want off the beaten path. And you can get that, you know, going out in the countryside or wherever away from the main market squares and the main, you know, tourist areas, the traffic areas.
It’s difficult sometimes in a Rome, in a Naples, in Milan and Venezia and all this, and even Florence. It’s difficult to find that kind of experience that we want in those bigger cities, but they have so much to offer. It’s hard not to send our clients there. And so there’s so much attraction in Rome, and you’ve got to go to Rome, but how?
What do you do when you’re there? How do you get that authentic experience when you’re there? And so that’s what we want really to drill into and to understand. And we have these really select, you know, we’ve chosen them, like you were saying about Denise, looks for this DNA that they share that passion. And we know that our clients, even in these bigger touristy cities are gonna have
the kind of experience that we want and that I think our clients, our guests wanna have. so without going too far into that, I’d like to put a pin here, just pause at a second, come back around to Michaela’s story because as I understand, you’re not originally from Rome and I’d like to understand a little bit of your background, how you got to Rome, how does a Napoletana find yourself in Rome?
then Roman cuisine becomes your adoptive cuisine. And how did you get into all that? How did you find yourself doing this? Give us a little background on your story.
Speaker 2 (19:32.588)
Yes, I I started doing this kind of experience in my home after a long experience in a restaurant, working in a restaurant, and then also doing a cooking academy. But after eight months of a very important body crash I had, I was in my bed thinking about my restarting. OK.
And well, I say I needed to restart in a way where I can made like a puzzle of all the experience I did in my life.
You had this moment of who am I, what am I about?
Yeah, what I am, what I want to do, what I want to share. And then also the most important part was my rules, my Neapolitan rules. I say I want to share this part with the people come from all over the world. Passing in the food, in the culture, in all the best we can share with all the world. What we have?
I want to share. And that’s why I imagine this house, this home, my home, like the site where I can do this stuff with people, hosting people from all over the world. And that’s why after eight months, I restarted. And then I made this idea in a place which was my house.
Speaker 2 (21:16.158)
with a friend of mine, he was a chef, and we did together, we won together a very famous Italian competition, food competition, by Italian star chef, and then we won like the best home dinner experience. We become very famous in Italy for this question. But of course, for us too was a problem, the pandemic.
And that’s why we closed this experience, this home dinner experience. And then I spent three months in California doing this. And when I was coming, I come from California, I started in Rome with another big apartment, which is the apartment where now I do my experience. Well, the experience that I do, of course, are very
at the focus is my culture, where I am, my family stories, the way to spend our Sunday lunch and any dinners is like a family Sunday lunch. mean, it’s my, my style is family style. Yeah. Okay. I want to share what I, I feel it with my family.
For folks that don’t know, mean, you hit something really important there about that Sunday lunch, you know, in Italy. It’s sacred. You go to grandma’s house or the important person, you know, the matriarch of the family, you go there and you spend the afternoon. She’s already been cooking, probably started Saturday. And everyone passes a day together. And you’re creating, recreating that kind of an experience.
Yeah, even Italian Americans.
Speaker 3 (22:59.662)
It’s down to Anthony
Speaker 2 (23:06.702)
I can’t find the perfect words to speak about this incredible treasure of culture. Our grandma, our parents passed it to us. It’s just a moment that you can give this experience, that you can share.
this experience, this emotion with the other people. They are in your house, but are not like simple people. They become like really friends. You know what I mean? Because you share with them a very deep emotion.
You’re being open and intimate and no facade. And so they all those defenses start and you have a real authentic experience. And I think that’s, you you mentioned it a minute ago. Why go to a home experience instead of when you can go to a restaurant, get in and out and blah, This is an experience. And this is for, know, for the people that are really looking for, I want to know what it feels like to be an Italian. I want to be in their shoes and
understand how to live there, what is it like and what does it feel? You know, this is that. You’re looking for it. You’ve encapsulated one of the best parts of Italian culture, that Sunday lunch, the family around the table, in the kitchen, all the cooking, the table is in the kitchen. mean, and that’s where life happens. You we have this other room, the Camereta di Soggino, but you don’t live there. You live in the kitchen.
Each one can do what they want. If you are working with a pasta machine, if you come for the lunch or for the dinner, you can say, Michele, can I help you? Yes, of course. You can have your apron and you can work with me. Why not? All is, you know, instinctive, like our first meeting in Roma.
Speaker 3 (25:12.48)
It’s true, So it’s what’s good about it too. You have to realize when you go to a restaurant in Rome or you eat anywhere in Rome, you’re not going to come home and try to duplicate it. But when you go to your house, people come home, we’re having a Michaela dinner tonight. We’re making pasta. So they actually come home and try to replicate that for the family and kind of have a little of Italy and their experience at their home. Cause you know, your dishes are excellent, but they’re
simple Italian dishes. Yeah, yeah.
My food is really traditional, simple Italian food. Of course I take care of all old ingredients because I’m a little bit obsessed.
Yes, exactly. OCD for choosing the ingredients.
Because of course, this is another stuff from Gramma, the quality. this is not buono, no, buono. That’s why this is so important. But the best part of my food is the simple food. And the real, you can feel the extra virgin olive oil, each ingredients, the flavors, the taste of each ingredients. This is my mission.
Speaker 3 (26:29.018)
And I gotta say also what our customers love and my friends who come through, right? They love going to the market with you. When they go to a market, they go to the coupe, they go to Euro Spin, they don’t go to the local market, right? And how is she picking? What is she picking? we’re not gonna do this dish today because the greens aren’t good. We’re gonna move over here. these look good, let’s make this today. So that’s the experience they talk about just as much as the home experience when they can do that cooking with you and go to the market.
Exactly. Of course, because when I have my dinner, I start from the market, the farmers market every day. And I love to share with my clients, my customers, this part, because it’s a very fun part. We have a fun time with the farmers, because every day I used to come, it’s like my office.
See you every day. Every day.
And they love to share with me this part. And of course I can show which one is the best ingredient because the season, because the farmers too. Let’s go to bring up, for example, this broccoli, not from these farmers, but this one is better. Something or artichokes, something like this. Yes. And they love to change the farmers because the ingredients. And well, also,
Yes.
Speaker 2 (27:55.242)
I want to tell you that they love to walk with me in the neighborhood because all the people, it’s a very friendly neighborhood. All the people used to say hi, how are you? And then they love this friendly part. I can imagine why, because I live in some places in the United States.
And then I know that, of course, not only United States, other worlds. Italy is a very particular place for enjoy the neighborhood there. And Trastevere is one of them. And they love to have coffee and they say, hey, ciao Sandro, how are you? Michela, what are you preparing today? It’s a very friendly way to spend the day. You don’t feel alone.
Thank
Speaker 2 (28:52.352)
It’s impossible.
So I love, I got a good story with Michaela. I saw you like six times in Rome last year, but the last time I was there, we went to lunch. You were hungry. I was hungry. And I went to the, place called the food factory in Rome. I know the owner. I’ve been going there for years. I walk in and he’s like, I know you. She’s talking to Michaela. He goes, you are on television, right? And because he’s a cook. So she’s really well known for that contest you won. And then he calls the chef from the back of the kitchen to come out.
And the chef’s like, my gosh. she’s like, how do you like this? I made it was an eggplant. And it was just funny to see this dynamic. She was a local, but she was also popular from television. It was fun.
Parmesan
Speaker 2 (29:38.402)
Yeah, I mean, after this program, many people used to recognize me in the street. And then I say, I know you. Are you a friend? I say, no, maybe you saw me in television.
Yes,
Speaker 1 (29:53.038)
I want to come back to ingredients because I think that’s so important and I want to bring a little contrast first and then I want to ask Michaela question but we Americans were great at complicating food and experiences sometimes unnecessarily. Bring out of the closet when I was in in college I won’t tell how many decades ago but
My experience, I was working in an Italian, I’m going to make my little air quotes here, Italian restaurant. not even that good. my claim to fame was I had complicated a dish that came out because, you know, working there and being the head of the staff there, the server staff, I was eating there a lot, you know, before and after shifts and then
OG
Speaker 1 (30:50.67)
I would complicate dishes because I was just such an American. Why not add this? Why not a side of that? I want half the sauce this and half the sauce that, you know, and that became a staple dish there later. My experience coming over to Italy, there was so much contrast there. It’s incredible. It’s the opposite. You come over here to Italy and the thing that makes it, you know, or I should say the pride,
behind the dishes, this only has three ingredients. This is only five ingredients total in this whole dish. And it’s just, it’s the simplicity that is so profound and deep and complex in its own right. Not the how many different kinds of spices in it. I mean, we’re great for, cause you know, and you look at it, the United States, we’re a melting pot and it’s right that, okay, that becomes part of our cuisine here. You go to Italy,
Exactly
Speaker 1 (31:50.476)
and you have this wow experience with the simplicity.
for interacting with But if you just think about chicken parmigiana, it’s not Italian. It’s not Italian. I taste chicken parmigiana in California. First time in my life. Sorry. This is the reality. on.
We know this.
Speaker 3 (32:14.478)
I know we know that.
So then my question then to Michaela, okay, you’re coming from one of the food capitals of Italy, Naples, to Rome, another legitimately food capital of Italy. What is so attractive about Roman cuisine that you gravitate, and that you provide that experience for our guests?
boy
Speaker 3 (32:46.976)
Ava is listening by the way.
This is hard for me because I listen. For me, Roman cuisine is really, really tasty and I love the art chokes part. And then also it’s fascination because fascination. Exactly, this one. okay, we have a Roman.
The artichoke.
Speaker 1 (33:11.32)
Fascinating.
Speaker 1 (33:17.494)
A Roman is watching you. very careful.
Yeah
Mamma mia! Well, listen, I can say something nice, don’t worry. Because I love the rules from Jewish
Jewish, yes.
That’s an important fact. We talking about that last night.
Speaker 2 (33:37.862)
And… is from historic Jewish culture. I love it because we have a sweet and bitter kitchen, dishes, recipes like… and pasta and broccoli in brodo d’arzilla. We have a lot of incredible recipes.
where the rules are very deep in the real culture. Of course, Amatriciana, Carbonara, mean, very simple, simple food, very tasty. You know the way to do, of course. But I mean, it’s not something you say, wow. All the traditional men, Roman men, say,
The traditional Roman cuisine is really, really three, four ingredients. on. Pecorino, uova, guanciale, yeah, it’s the, the, the internal part of the, yeah, you can do coratella, you can do, I mean, lot of stuff is from pure culture.
Yeah
Speaker 1 (35:07.96)
So the poor, was the, yeah, you’re eating the intestines. Yeah.
because you couldn’t afford the meat.
Yeah, that’s it. What the rich people. The poor people used to cook and then, of course, we have the best. Yeah, incredible tasty, of course. And while I mean, it’s like almost all of Napolitan recipes to our poor people from poor people. And yeah.
Right.
Speaker 1 (35:23.928)
But it’s incredibly tasty.
Speaker 1 (35:39.096)
Yes.
That’s it. Also, I love the way to use a lot of herbs in Roman cuisine. They use mentuccia, la mentuccia romana. They use a lot of black peppers. And I like the way to use the guanciale, the pork cheek. They are the best. The best. Yes, I also
I had a great influencer from all this beauty from the Roman cuisine. And then my style now is of course the fusion. I say my recipes, my plates, you can find my life, the combination from Naples and Rome. Of course, I love to cook old Italian recipes, but my focus is Roman and Napolitan.
Speaker 1 (36:49.966)
Good. So I want to come around to the experience that the guest has at your house. Because I know that’s a big part. And we talked about it. That’s the DNA here that we share. That’s something in your heart that you get that fulfillment from seeing them delighted to having a good time. like we talked about last night, even their…
they’re kind of in their own bubble socially interacting with other people at the table and at a certain point you just kind of step back and let it all happen and you’re watching that happen and unfold in your own house. What can people expect if they were to come? Because maybe I think, you know, for an introvert like myself, I may be a little apri… I’d want to go to a public… Okay, go to a restaurant and have an experience there. And that’s fine. And you do sometimes interact with the chef or the owner and he comes out and comes around. Okay.
That’s a little taste of that, but this is much more immersive and for some that are more introverted, it could be, you know, maybe have a little apprehension or a little fear there of it’s going to be awkward at the table or how does, you know, but what, what does that look like? What can Americans in particular expect if they’re coming to your house as a guest?
Well, almost they don’t They don’t know what to They know just Anthony, Denise give a suggestion to do this experience and they are ready to do because they totally trust what they suggest. Okay, they ring the bell, they come inside, they say, hi, hello, And they are looking around where we are, what they do.
They don’t know what to expect.
Speaker 2 (38:33.902)
Some people they don’t know are coming in a home. This is fantastic because become a shock. And then listen, after 10 years about of this experience, made an idea, of course. Then I have clear in my mind the beginning of the dinner is people coming.
They don’t know each other. People come from different channels. And then they don’t know how many people they can find at the table where we are talking about the shared dinners.
How many people are typically at a share?
I start from six people because we need to have of course a little group for the mission. Two, twenty, twenty four people.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (39:31.746)
Could be that big? Yeah. And then but you also do private experiences.
Yeah, I can do private because sometimes people don’t want to stay with other people at
That’s the introvert, right? Someone like Brian wants to have a special night and know, rather just be with his wife or something, you know.
Exactly, or they want to celebrate some special event and they want to adjust the location exclusively for them.
Sometimes, know, even we send two couples, three couples at a time, a larger family, and maybe they want to have an experience just for themselves to capitalize on an occasion, that whole trip, the experience itself.
Speaker 2 (40:10.03)
family with kids, for example, they want to stay, relax, they know that the apartment is all for family and that’s it. Well, I want to just tell about the experience. They come and this is the first moment very important for me because I’m a callant in that moment.
So that’s the glue, the connection that holds everything together.
We have an aperitif, we start to drink some bubble wine together and then we start to talk. Thank you for coming. Of course, I present where I am, what I do. And they start to understand where they are. And then they start to see the other guests. And when they start to talk together, not…
without me, I start to have a little pass in the back. Yeah, and go out because they made the perfect connection to be a group.
Take it, take it.
Speaker 3 (41:14.862)
Take a step back.
Speaker 1 (41:23.438)
So you create this environment and they come in and you set the tone and you get it going and then you just let it like ferment on its own and create itself.
They feel comfortable and then when I’m sure they are feeling comfortable, I go away, I start to serve my dishes, I start to cook, to concentrate my… And then they come in the table and they can sit totally free. Where they want. Because they made…
a little connection in the beginning. And they want to stay with Anthony or with Brian or with Michela, and they can choose the seat at the table. but they don’t know each other. And of course, I always say I’m very lucky because I’m a spectator of an incredible new magic human connection. Any dinner, any shared dinner.
Yeah.
or private dinner or cooking classes. I mean, I’m expected to because people change, change the energy, change the dynamic and the atmosphere and the show become any time different from the other or from the next, you know.
Speaker 3 (42:50.242)
That is wow.
And sometimes with my helpers, say, because to the end, I used to have a very fun moment. can’t survive without. It’s my way to finish. Yes, something like this. Because this is the way to finish our Sunday.
Wait. Huh?
Speaker 1 (43:12.024)
And then Apple is coming out.
Exactly. I can’t finish my experience without this moment, this magic moment, because it gives me a lot of energy to do the other. But people, I don’t know, I can imagine. I can imagine. But sometimes I can’t imagine how much they are, they have fun in this moment. Well, this
isn’t very nice because sometimes my helpers say, hmm, Michela, I think this man is very, uh, it’s uh, it’s very, uh, it’s it’s it’s it’s uh,
A shine.
equals.
Speaker 2 (44:10.196)
Any time, any
Makes that ice regardless, right?
Incredible. Anytime they think about something like this, the man or the woman to the beginning was shine, become the most crazy part of the table. Crazy. And then I say, I can’t believe I want to tell this particular story because
We passed from the table to share a culture, share emotion, share the food around the table. And it’s a very strong and deep part of human connection. And to the end, each one, they don’t use a smartphone during this experience. It’s impossible. They just can use smartphone for took a pictures.
And they also asked me, Michele, can we use? Because the smartphone is a great limit. It’s a barrier for this incredible big explosion of emotion. know what I mean? And to the end, you can see people, Transformers, and they love to…
Speaker 1 (45:37.69)
Even if they didn’t think that when they arrived they end up in Anthony give us what what is the feedback on the back end? What are we here?
Impossible
Speaker 3 (45:49.07)
want give that, but I want to give it, I’ve been there for two classes. you have to realize she’s right. And when you walk upstairs, who is this stranger? Why are we standing in their living room? And she brings out a nice Chuck Lorre boy. She brings out wine and she’s like, hi, I’m Michaela. Where are you from? And she introduces all these people. Last time I was there, it was an archbishop. It’s a mayor. Like basically one under a Cardinal, right? He’s drinking wine. He was from the States.
And it was kids there. It was a real eclectic group. And they were reserved. And then they moved over to the table. And by the end of the night, everyone’s just mingling and talking. And Micaela’s trying to drag me, specifically three or four times on the floor. But you’ll notice that transformation. But it also was an attribution to her. Because if you went in there and someone that was an introvert was trying to gather these people together,
it probably would have moved from this the same way as it moved to the table the same way. So there is something about her personality and her dynamic that makes people open up, makes them comfortable. That’s something characteristic that’s a blessing and that is a positive because not everyone can do, because there are other chefs at home classes as we know. There are other chefs that can do that, could do what she’s doing, but it’s because of that she has.
with that dynamic.
Because most people like, we’re both from the same area, we have that outgoing personality to bring people together. That’s what I noticed. And I sit back, I know who she is, and I’m just sitting back watching all of this. And it’s special. So when I do get customers that give feedback, because we give a feedback form at the end of all customers’ trips, is anything in Rome we have right now is top notch. Never, it might be negative about.
Speaker 3 (47:41.932)
you know, stupid thing, you know, like the weather was hot that day. We told you it was gonna be hot, but you know, but we know that, but overall all top notch and it’s great feedback, especially when you have a major city like that. When it comes to Michaela, you know, it’s always memorable and even coming out for the open house for our customers this weekend. Yeah. Very excited to see her again.
top notch.
Speaker 2 (48:05.742)
Thank you. And I just want to say that when I started with this idea 10 years ago, I mean, it was a good idea for me, but I can’t know if the people can enjoy it. You know what I mean? After the first two dinners, I started to read my reviews.
And when I saw the highlight of my trip, I really…
So they wrote this was that Michaela’s dinner experience was the highest.
the experience. And then I say, highlight of the trip. Maybe it’s too much. They have been in Florence, and see the Colosseum. mean, why is the high? I started to my research to understand why an experience like this become the highlight of the trip. say, because people
to Italy.
Speaker 2 (49:11.316)
need this, need a human connection. They desire to go in a different place, different city, different, I mean, different culture and go deep and live like locals and discover the way to cook in a local home.
I mean, they need this very deep experience and human connection. They want to take out the technology. They want to stay in connection with the emotional, you know what I mean? And I say, okay, let’s do this. This is a good way because I’m ready to share this part. I wanna share this part. But, and people love to…
have. Okay, let’s do this.
It’s funny you say that because there’s a lot of other classes like yours in Italy. I’m not exactly Yeah, but we don’t get the same feedback and it’s the same thing when you think about and I’m gonna segue because we’re gonna segue to Rome tours The same thing with the Rome tour is what our partner there They don’t talk about the Coliseum. They don’t talk about the Vatican. They talk about the guide. Yeah. Yeah, she was great. He was exactly that’s what people don’t I don’t remember the statue they saw in Vatican. They don’t remember the caravaggio
Connect.
Speaker 3 (50:41.858)
There remember the guy.
I saw it, took a picture, but let me tell you about the experience.
She was great with our kids.
And then you and Denise, Anthony and Denise with Bella, you did a great job to find the people can show the culture, the food in the best way. This is the difference, you know what I mean? From other, I mean, people do the same job.
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (51:14.72)
Okay. I love it. And Michaela, thank you for being here. You are an incredibly valuable asset and partner to what we do. And we’re so grateful for the experience that you provide for our guests. And so folks, if you’re listening and you’re planning, you’re thinking about planning a trip, you’re planning a trip to go to Italy, do yourself a favor, go to Italy with Bella.
Greatly appreciated.
Speaker 1 (51:44.206)
Check us out online anytime, italywithbella.com. Sign up for your free consultation. No strings attached, no Ginzou knives offered, no time share in the mountains. You’re just going to have a free conversation with Anthony, his wife, Denise, and talk about these kinds of experiences that you could have in Italy the next time that you go.
So I have to say, Michaela, get your butt in the kitchen and start cooking us that pasta de Genovese.
Thinking about this, say, okay, okay, thank you, thank you, but I need to go. Go cook, go cook. need to chop. Tonight for our beautiful staff, I’m making a Genovese. My favorite. Which is a very famous Napolitan recipe.
I’m wrapping this up because you gotta get- What are you making tonight?
Speaker 1 (52:37.078)
It’s a little of a, it’s a misnomer because Genovese, you think it comes from Genoa. So then a lot of clients might go, people might go to Naples and not eat that thinking it’s not from there, but it is.
There are lot of stories about this name. Some people say because Genovese from Genova used to come in the Napoli harbours to do bad stuff and that’s why Napolitan prepares something very dangerous using too much onions. It becomes the best recipe ever.
feed these people, them the onions
It is by far my favorite part.
They try to kill them. With a lot of onions.
Speaker 1 (53:23.342)
Are you
The best place to do this. No, no, and then become the best recipe, one of the best we have. I can’t wait. I say it’s the queen.
guess it’s a
I’m looking forward
Speaker 3 (53:38.498)
Yeah
We’re looking forward to it. Thank you again for being here. Thank you.
Thank you for this opportunity. Grazie. And then of course to be here in Nashville with you. Thank you. Let’s prepare all the stuff for the open house.
Alright, we’ll see you next time Anthony. Always a pleasure to see your bright and shiny face.
see you again, Michela. Arrivederci.
Speaker 1 (54:05.272)
That’s it.
Ciao, belli! Kisses! Ciao!
