10 double passes for “The Trip to Italy” to give away across Canada!
The Trip to Italy will be screening Toronto and Vancouver August 11th and in Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa on August 20th. If you are in town, chime into the comments section below to win a free double pass to this hilarious movie that will most definitely motivate you to pack your bags and fly to Italy, immediately – and at the very least, urge you to drink lots of Italian wine and eat lots of Italian food! And, you know me – cook, cook, cook!
Having traveled to Italy countless times, and flight planned again for October of this year, when approached to promote this film, I could not resist – though it is something I usually don’t do. After watching the trailer of two men (old friends), enjoy six meals in six different places on a road trip around Italy, I was hooked. When Vanja and I traveled there for three weeks a few years ago, it was my first time without my students. We have been back many times since on our own, and with or without students, Italy is somehow in my blood. This film takes us through Liguria, Tuscany, Rome, Amalfi and ending in Capri. I believe I was so captivated as in the short trailer, I was exclaiming: “That’s Capri! That’s Rome!” or “We’ve been to that very spot!”
This is actually a sequel to the hit film THE TRIP, which I now have to also see.
And, I too, have meandered down many a side street throughout Italy, found our way to an enchanting little restaurant, leaving the table (below) hours later, with unforgettable memories of an incredible meal and experience.
Synopsis: Rob and Steve are asked by The Observer to do another series of restaurant reviews. Rob, tired from the responsibilities of being father of a young child, is looking for some adventure. Steve has been living a life of abstinence and hard work in Los Angeles but, now on a hiatus from his job, has the time to come back to Europe and wants to see his children.
They talk about things like Life, Love, Work and Exile.
Not only will we will see the journey they go on, the hotels they stay in, the restaurants they eat in, and the kitchens the food is made in, but we will meet each chef and see the bill at the end!
The restaurants are real. The chefs are real. The hotels are real. All exist, and any one of us could repeat this exact itinerary and play out this same movie in our own real lives – should we be able to afford it!
The Restaurants in The Trip to Italy
Piemonte: Trattoria Della Posta, MONFORTE D’ALBA
- Known for the famous Alba Truffle Festival every fall, this reputable traditional restaurant situated in this region, also the heart of Barolo wine country, is famous for their preparations of the Langhe traditional recipes: Raw-Meat with Tondo di Macra Cheese, Cold Veal with Tuna Sauce, Baked and Stuffed Onion, Tajarin with Meat Ragout, and Shank of Veal with Barolo.
Liguria: Ristorante La Cantina, SAN FRUTTUOSO
- With its sublime setting on the edge of the sea, you’d be advised to try the seafood, particularly the fritto misto. Ligurian cooking, famed for its use of olives, pine nuts and basil, and best summed up by the simple pesto alla genovese. The specialty to this house is their seafood pasta.
Toscana: Trattoria Albana, MAZZOLLA
- Chef Pippo serves traditional Tuscan food at very reasonable prices in this quiet little town. Perfect homemade pasta, wild boar ragout, guinea fowl, rabbit with rosemary and olives, traditional Fiorentine steak or a smaller sample portion, cheese and apple tart and great local wine. For 5 course dinner for two plus two bottles of wine, 90 Euros! A worthy review from Trip Advisor: The village has about 50 homes some of which are the former dwellings of the “mezzadri”, i.e. those dependents of the land owner that farmed the land and gave half of the harvest to the owner. The town has about 42 full time inhabitants. There is a small castle which still is in the hands of the family of the “owner”, the Viti family, as well as a large villa which is owned by the owner of the restaurant which has some very nice apartments for short term rentals. Traditional antipasti with the prosciutto and insaccati (salamis etc.) including Tuscan crostini are available, but we found that having an antipasto and a first dish was overkill quantity-wise. For the first dish I had papardelle alla lepre (wide fresh made pasta with hare sauce) but others had the same pasta with boar sauce. There are numerous first dishes made of pasta, faro and gnocchi with a variety of sauces. Second dishes are also traditional, boar, Chianina beef, ossobuco as well as pigeon, boar and pheasant. I had the pheasant made in the manner of a 14th century recipe which uses the spices that would be brought to and through Tuscany from the East. A truly excellent experience for an Italian an unforgettable one for a foreigner. About 40 euro a head with wine and dessert.
Roma: Ristorante Oliver Glowig, ROMA
- German chef Glowig relocated to Rome and earned two Michelin stars in the process. Expect veal fillet with peanuts and mint-flavour escargot, and spaghetti with oyster and cauliflower.
Campania: Relais Blu, MASSA LUBRENSE
- With over 1000 International and Italian wines on the wine list, this is a restaurant that takes its amazing local cuisine to an entirely new level with molecular gastronomy and modern interpretations of old world traditional dishes. Innovative tasting menus are offered, or the more traditional courses. Look for the prize ingredients of the nearby areas: Puglia’s burrata, water buffalo mozzarella, fish and seafood (octopus, squid and lobster) each with unexpected pairings.
Capri: Il Riccio, CAPRI
- A stylish hangout, renowned for the abundance of its seafood buffet and dessert specialities such as baba and delizie al limone.
The Hotels in The Trip to Italy
Liguria: Hotel Cenobio Dei Dogi, Camogli
Liguria: Ristorante & Albergo Da Giovanni, San Fruttuoso
Toscana: Relais La Suvera, Pievescola
Roma: Hotel Locarno
Campania: Villa Cimbrone, Ravello
The Trip to Italy premiered at the Sundance film festival on 20 January. The TV series will be broadcast on the BBC later in the year.
The Deets:
- arrangements will be made for each double movie pass to be e-mailed to each winner within 24 hours of the contest end
- contest will close at 6 pm, August 8, 2014 (you would think I was giving away a car with all of this information!)
- the winner will be announced via e-mail August 9th, 2014, and I will attach the name to the bottom of this post with congratulations at that same time for all to see
- all of the names will go in a hat (this is the way we do it at our house) and my husband will draw the winners; each name will go in for each entry as outlined below
- yes, you can enter your name more than once (read below)
- the movie is only being shown in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa, so if you live elsewhere, you will have to choose one of those places to view the movie; the contest is ending early to enable the Vancouver and Toronto people to be informed on Saturday that they have won their passes for their Monday preview. The Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton people will also be informed, but the preview in those cities is on Wednesday, August 20th – so they will have a lot of advance notice.
To enter the contest, you must do #1 or #2; the other ideas are opportunities for extra entries:
- Write a comment on this post that includes one of the following (if you respond to all three in three separate comments, you get three entries):
- a favorite Italian recipe you love to make (include it, or a link to it)
- a favourite place in Italy you have visited
- an eating experience you have had in Italy that was unforgettable (include the link, if there is one)
- OR, where you would like to travel to in Italy, if you have never been (where you would eat, what you would like to see, etc.)
- OR write a comment about why you want to win the tickets for these passes and who you will bring (if you do both #1 and #2 you will be entered for each comment)
- Follow me on Twitter: has to be a new follow to count, sorry
- Tweet the contest and include @acanadianfoodie in the tweet so I can count it as an entry in the draw; you can tweet daily (each tweet counts as an entry into the draw): sample tweet (you can use) here:
WIN “FREE DOUBLE eOne MOVIE PASSES @StephNardilli #TheTriptoItaly @acanadianfoodie DON’T miss out! #yegfood 5 stars! http://wp.me/p2OMxc-fCD
- Like my Facebook page: (and I am talking the page, not this post) has to be a new “like” to count, sorry
- You can also get an extra entry if you share the link to this post and this contest on your own personal Facebook page and include “Valerie McKinney Rodgers Lugonja” in that post with the link
NOTE: please make sure you leave an e-mail with your comment below so that I can reach you to let you know if you are the winner!
That’s an opportunity for A LOT of entries. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity as I KNOW this movie will be crazy fun, so also have fun winning a date night out!
DRUM ROLL PLEASE….. and the winners of the eOne Films “The Trip to Italy” are:
Edmonton:
Calgary
Vancouver
Toronto
Unknown Location (but there are 10 total, so it works!)
You have each been notified by me with your pass, via email today, August 9, 2014. Sorry I am one day late. Traveling in Europe does not make for easy wifi access when needed. 🙂
Who doesn’t love Italy? And I remember the posts you shared after your trip. I saw the prequel to this film and enjoyed it so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing this.
I have never been to Italy but would love to go and basically eat everything, everywhere! I love all Italian food. I would bring a girlfriend and enjoy a girls night out with maybe even some Italian food beforehand too if I won.
Well – this is a surprise! You are the ONLY one wanting a ticket. Usually, when I throw a contest – which is rare – I get TONS of contestants day one. Certainly a shoe in for you!
🙂
V
One of my fav recipes is to make Bucatini all’Amatriciana, simple but full of flavours. Basically just need a packet of bucatini pasta, crushed tomatos, sliced guanciale, red pepper flakes, minced onions and garlic, salt and pepper, and topped with shaved pecorino.
YUM! Lesley – where do you get the guanciale in Edmonton?
🙂
V
I have some that I brought back from Oyama Sausage (Granville Island Market) in the freezer but recently picked up one from The Italian Centre Market at the meat deli counter. Comes in a vacuum pack.
Fav place I have visited in Italy – Florence. Even though it was only one day many years ago, it made a lasting impression. I am looking forward to going again this fall.
Going to Italy later this year but not enough time to walk Cinque Terre – a look at any pictures will explain why one would want to go.
Val, love to win the passes to see the movie. Looks like the movie will be a great preview for some of the places we are going to visit! Will take my better half if I am lucky enough to win them.
@Val, where in Italy will you be this October?
Lesley
To Piedmont area for Terra Madre – the Slow Food International Biannual event. My first time!
🙂
V
Amazing! Addie mentioned it to me, with truffles hunt too. Unfortunately, we won’t be in that area and I believe it’s later in October which falls outside of our travel dates.
OK! Where and when are you going, Lesley???
🙂
V
End of Sept to mid Oct. Rome/ Naples/ Amalfi/ Tuscany. Need more time!
Been to them all if you want to talk. “:)
V
Need some help/ suggestions with Naples! Will email you! Thanks Val!
answered…. not enough experience there to offer any!
🙂
V
Val, I love Cortona
I’ve made this Bucatini All’amatriciana recipe so often I don’t even need the printout any more: http://m.thestar.com/#/article/life/food_wine/recipes/2011/02/05/chefs_showcase_bucatini_allamatriciana.html
I’m planning on visiting the Piedmont region of Italy soon and I can wait to visit the wineries and restaurants of the area.
Another reason I’d love to see The Trip in Italy is that I loved the first movie so much. The Michael Caine impersonation contest was so hilarious and I’d love to see if they do something similar in the second movie. I would, of course, be seeing the movie with my amazing wife Kari.
Good luck, Paul!!!
V
I would like to go to Rome. (Calgary pass)
I would like to win passes for the Calgary screening of The Trip to Italy” because I saw the trip and it was fabulous! More of that awesome dialogue please.
Lisha
Cannot wait to see both movies!
V
I would love to see this movie in Calgary! I am loving the new ‘Hollywood Foodie’ trend…my only advice to everyone who wins….DON’T GO HUNGRY!
Good advice Bernice – and good luck!
🙂
V
My favourite Italian recipe is mushroom ravioli – this one’s my favourite: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/spinach-and-mushroom-ravioli-recipe2.html
If I went to Italy I would eat as much pasta and pizza as my stomach would allow.
I’d bring my mum to the movie because she’s a huge foodie! (Toronto please)
Thanks, Debbie, for letting me know which city!
After the movie with popcorn (must bring truffle oil to sprinkle into the bag), the occasion would call for dinner out!
🙂
V
i’ll be taking my sister as usual
I love Italian food! One of my favourites is Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onions.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Sausage-Peppers-and-Onions/Detail.aspx?evt19=1
Thanks for the recipe – am definitely going to check it out!
🙂
V
I’m a new follower on twitter and facebook (nicole flax) and I would love to see the movie in Toronto. Thanks for the contest!
Hello, Nicole!
Welcome to A Canadian Foodie – thanks for following me on FB and TW – hope you win!!!
🙂
V
I’d like to win tickets to the screening of “The Trip to Italy” and I know exactly who I’d bring!
NEW Mom Katie Suvanto is from Italian background AND she loves to laugh AND she needs an evening out.
So WIN/WIN/WIN for all, thanks for the opportunity – Edmonton, s’il vous plait! (don’t know the Italian translation)
Great! Good luck, Joveena!
🙂
V
Italy is in my blood too…being half Italian and all and I would love to see this movie. My favourite food memory of my 2008 trip to Italy, was a four cheese pizza from a little restaurant in Rome. My significant other loved it so much he went back the next day and ordered one to go. He took the entire pizza, box and all, one the plane with him back to Canada!
My favourite Italian recipe is caprese salad…simple ingredients at peak season…could it get any more delicious!
One of the most awe inspiring places in Italy that I visited was Ravenna. The grandeur of the tile mosaics on the cathedral ceilings was phenomenal.
Can you tell I really want to win this contest!!
That was the first capital of the old Italy, apparently. I have never been there, but it is on my list!
🙂
V
And for my last entry! If I win, I will bring my significant other. He and I travelled extensively through Italy for 2.5 weeks and this would bring back wonderful memories! Thanks for the opportunity to participate.
Good luck Christine!
🙂
Valerie
love Italian food
i’d take my sister (also loves Italian food)
Contest is now closed. Thank you to all – and sadly – some of you didn’t tell me where you are from!
Hopefully, that won’t be a problem!
🙂
V