When we first heard of Italia Fest happening on Europe square three years ago, we expected some culture, music, dining and all things Italian. What we got instead was a line of generic stands selling foods from different parts of Italy. It was a bit underwhelming when we realized that there isn’t going to be anything else. But hey, we said, since we already got there, we might as well check out the foods that were on offer.
What we found on those generic, bland stands was a colorful richness of the Italian cuisine. From Sicily to Trieste, real, authentic Italian food was served to us and our palates were ever grateful for the adventure we took them on, the same one they had while traveling Italy. The prices were a bit high for local standards, but the produce was well worth it. We found ourselves looking forward to (and having our wallets prepared for) the next one.
And now, three years later, we would be appalled if we didn’t get our fix of Italia Fest in May. With the rainy days Zagreb has had for the past week, it seemed the event might not happen, but those bland, generic stands were on Europe square yesterday, selling 34 months aged parmigiano, basil, garlic and pepperoni soaked prosciotto, cave aged sausages, stuffed olives an other wonders of Italy.
You can nibble on some great Italian produce on Europe square until May 15th.
