GENERAL
PREPARATIONS
LIFE IN GENOA
SHOPPING
food Markets and market areas
Mercato Orientale - Via XX Settembre, 272: opened in 1899 in the unfinished cloister of a convent, the Mercato Orientale (Eastern Market) is a covered market full of fresh produce, meats, fish, cheeses and breads. The center pavilion has been recently renovated as a food court.
Via Canneto il Lungo: a street parallel to Via San Lorenzo with shops for fresh meat, fish, vegetables, bread.
Via Macelli di Soziglia: street of shops for meat, fish, vegetables; also a bio butcher shop, a vegan store, and a good vintage shop.
Sottoripa (Porto Antico): constructed in 1135, it is the porticoed 'edge' between city and port, an unrestored series of fried fish shops, bars and sandwich shops, shops for nautical supplies and tools.
For fresh pasta
Da Mario - Via della Maddalena, 22 r: Da Mario Pasta Fresca is a local favorite for fresh pasta to take home.
For wine
Enoteca Migone - Piazza San Matteo: Mr. Migone is knowledgeable and reliable, speaks English. Describe what you want and give him a price range.
grocery stores
"Normal" grocery stores are useful for everyday items, but particularly at the beginning they are good because you don't need to speak any Italian. Enter, pick up a plastic basket and put in what you need. When you get to the cash register, you need to be able to ask for a plastic bag (there is a small charge): 'vorrei un sacchetto, per favore', or, 'vorrei due sacchetti, per favore', meaning 'I would like one (or two) bags, please'.
COOP - Largo Forges, 6/7: COOP is a large all-in-one supermarket in Genoa. Here you can find all the groceries you need, plus fresh meat and fish.
Carrefour - Via di Canneto il Lungo, 110r: There are Carrefour supermarkets scattered around the centro storico. Although they are not as big as COOP, they will have all basic grocery items and are convenient. (And you don't need to speak Italian.)
Carrefour markets near your apartment:
Via Luccoli apt: Piazza Campetto, 19
Piazza delle Erbe apt: Via Canneto il Lungo, 110R
EATALY - Calata Cattaneo, 15: a "slow food" chain with several different restaurants, overlooking the port.
Naturasi - Via delle Casaccie, 74: a full bio-market that offers organic foods just off of Via XX Settembre.
FOOD
weights
etto = 100 grams or 1/10 kg, approx .22 pounds (about a quarter pound)
Vorrei un etto di ____
Vorrei quattro etti di ____
olive oil
You need to develop a taste for a good extra virgin olive oil, olio extravergine di oliva
which is dark green in color. Expect to pay around 8 euros for a bottle, but it is money well spent.
cheese
Parmigiano – parmesan cheese. Go into a cheese shop and buy a small piece and grate it as you need it at home. Also available in supermarkets, but buy it whole, not already grated.
“Pecorino sardo” a sheep cheese from Sardegna. A good dry cheese for eating. Buy it by the etto in a cheese shop.
Fresh mozzarella. Santa Lucia is a good and economical brand in the supermarket, or buy it fresh from a cheese shop in a plastic bag full of water. Next step up is mozzarella di bufala.
pasta
Pasta secca (normal, dry pasta in a box, Barilla is a major brand)
Pasta fresca
You can get it in the refrigerator section of the supermarket (Novella is a good brand, very reasonable), or handmade and really fresh in a local shop, which can be more expensive but you might have it as a main course instead of meat.
meat
Pollo - chicken
Petto – breast
Coscia - leg
Vorrei tre fette di petto di pollo = I would like three slices of chicken breast.
Manzo – beef
Tritato magro – ground beef (hamburger)
Tritato misto – ground beef, less expensive and with more fat, good for a sauce
Bistecca - steak
Bistecca senza osso – steak without a bone
Vorrei due bistecche senza osso, grazie.
Vitello – veal (veal is under a year old, vitello al latte is milkfed veal, vitellone is beef from a young cow, over a year old)
Usually ordered by the slice, and you might say fettina/e to indicate that you want it thin.
You also see it already breaded (impanato/a) at the butcher shop. Better to do it yourself at home.
Maiale – pork
Bistecca di maiale – pork chop
Lonza – pork loin
Arista – looks like a pork roast, but you can order a few slices (una fetta or due fette) or by weight for a piece to roast
bread
Focaccia - the classic bread of Genoa; try the focaccia at a busy place when it is freshand still warm.
Panino – roll
Grissini – bread sticks
genoese specialties
pesto: the famous sauce for pasta made from basil and pine nuts, trenette al pesto, trofie al pesto
Pansotti al sugo di noci: a type of stuffed pasta with walnut sauce
Savory pies: vegetable or rice pies, such the torta pasqualina, a vegetable pie with ricotta, beet greens or spinach and hardboiled eggs, sometimes with fresh artichokes.
Farinata, in a proper friggitoria
focaccia
fried seafood, particularly calamari and small, whole fish
gelato
Profumo - Vico Superiore del Ferro, 14 r
La Cremeria delle Erbe - Vico delle Erbe, 15/17r
TRATTORIE/RESTAURANTS
genoese / ligurian cuisine
Trattoria Ugo - Via dei Giustiniani, 86r: classic Genoese cuisine in a simple, straightforward trattoria.
Antica Sa Pesta - Via Giustiniani, 16/r: opened by two brothers in the 50’s, this restaurant offers a variety of typical Genoese recipes like vegetable and rice pies, quiches and more. With a wood-fired oven by the entrance where they make farinata.
Osteria di Vico Palla - Vico Palla, 15: a typical restaurant of regional cuisine on the Molo by the port. The restaurant is popular and it is advised to book in advance. It is a bit more expensive than some but it is worth visiting at least once. An average price per person, including drinks, could range around 35-40 euros.
Trattoria da Maria - Vico Testadoro, 14r: a modest trattoria but a local icon and very economical. At lunch time they are busy so don’t get there late or they may have run out of some dishes.
street food (burgers, roast chicken, sandwiches...)
The area of the upper portion of Via Canneto il Lungo has become a street food concentration popular with university students.
Il Masetto - Via Canneto il Lungo, 111/r: Il Masetto offers burgers with 100% Piedmont beef combined with products from local suppliers.
latin restaurants
Veracruz: Ristorante Messicano - Via San Bernardo, 59-61: ristoranteveracruz.it
Asi es mi Peru - Via Chiabrera, 54